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Giving Tuesday

We’ve made it through Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Maybe we even managed to get the decorations up and catch a little football. What’s next? Giving Tuesday. In what’s been billed as a global generosity movement since 2012, today is a chance to take a deep breath and reflect on how we can make a difference for others — then take action. According to Giving Tuesday Data Commons, an estimated $3.1 billion was donated during last year’s event. Since its establishment 12 years ago, the event has brought in more than $13 billion. “We ...

Be Safe This Holiday Season

Wondering whether or when you should get your seasonal vaccines this year? Well (provided your doctor agrees), the answers are yes; and, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, right now is still a good time. Staying up-to-date is important for the latest COVID-19 vaccines, flu shots and maybe even respiratory syncytial virus, if you are of a certain age or risk group. “Right now is the best time” to get all the recommended vaccinations, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s “the single most effective ...

Shopping Local

Once we’ve had our fill of Thanksgiving dinner, for many families attention turns to Black Friday shopping and the rush to the next big holiday. And sure, there’s a certain adrenaline rush that goes along with grabbing those Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. But don’t forget there are small, locally owned businesses throughout our communities hoping you’ll stop by to see the gifts you can’t get by rushing the doors at midnight and snagging five of the same thing everyone else is buying. Today, on Small Business Saturday, you’ve got a chance to find something special ...

Nominees

With plenty of buzz surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s planned nominees for cabinet positions, it is understandable for opinions to form early. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice was right, then, to suggest the candidates named should be given a chance. “He’s got to appoint the team that absolutely that he believes in,” soon-to-be U.S. Sen. Justice said. “We have to absolutely be fair about this, and we’ve got to give them time to get their feet underneath of them to do the job I know they’ll do.” It’s impossible to miss that in the same breath he is asking ...

Evolution of a holiday

The annual American holiday called Thanksgiving formally began with a 1863 proclamation from Abraham Lincoln declaring the last Thursday in November a day of “thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens,” as well as “humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience.” The thought behind Thanksgiving is outward toward God and his blessings and not inward, which suggests gratitude to no one in particular for whatever positives might have occurred in one’s life. In the more secular view these positives are not blessings, but are to ...

Gratitude

Whether Thanksgiving serves as a day for a family meal, the start of your holiday shopping strategy, the last day before your home is festooned in holiday decorations, or just a day off to watch annual parades and football games, there is something magical about the day. It feels set apart because of its emphasis on celebrating that for which we are thankful, without the pressure of helping Santa do his job for everyone on our personal lists. It may not be gratitude for a “harvest” in the traditional sense, but for many of us it is important to have the opportunity to express ...