With any luck, this year my family and I will be able to spend Christmas with my elderly mother in Hertfordshire, (we stuck by the ‘no overnight stays’ rule last year so didn’t do a festive visit).
It’s a long drive, so our car journey ‘What Would You Rather’ book will no doubt be opened. Packed with moral or difficult dilemmas, it gets all of us offering an opinion and helps pass the time. One questions is: “Would you rather help one person a lot, or several people a little?” Everyone in our family is divided on this one, but if you like the idea of helping a lot of people a little bit, then shopping locally is an easy win. As we head towards Christmas It’s easy to shop online (I know!), but if you can, please buy from our local independents – each small act of supporting a local business contributes to keeping The Heatons thriving.
This philosophy of little acts of kindness has been displayed by our community time and again during the ongoing Covid situation, and the acts of neighbourliness we’ve witnessed or heard about have been so heart-warming. Small acts really do make a difference, whether a gift of your time, your effort, or your thoughtfulness. They all help to make this a special place to live and work (and play!).
So, whatever you are doing this festive season, whether it is going to be a difficult one for you, one filled with joy or a mix of the two, remember that the small things you do for others really do count. On my journey south, no doubt hitting huge amounts of Christmas Eve traffic, when the ‘Would you rather help one person a lot or several people a little’ question comes up, I know what my answer will be.
Best wishes for a safe and happy Christmas and New Year from everyone at MOOR
Melissa (Editor)