16 December 2004 “Prairie Creek aims to make the world a better place”.   (PCCS missions statement) In the last two days I have read two very challenging articles in the Metro newspapers, one on remembering and honoring our homeless, by Nick Coleman, and Syl Jones’s editorial about examining what we are celebrating.  They have both set me to thinking. Did you know that two out of every three homeless people in America are women or children?  Did you know that the number of homeless people has increased since last spring that on a given night 1330 were turned away from shelters and half of these were children?  Did you know that 100 people died on our streets this year?  It’s the season, isn’t it?  Lights everywhere, presents appearing in our homes, extra cookies and rich foods galore and children getting so wound up that by the end of the season we are just plain glad that it is over.  There’s no question about it, our children are growing up in a very privileged society.  We know little about shortage or want or sleeping out in the cold.  Believe me, I’m not trying to be a wet blanket on your celebrations this year but, as any good leader would do, I’m looking at our mission statement and challenging us to live what we say we do.  These winter nights as you tuck your little ones into warm, soft beds, read a goodnight story to them and kiss their little heads, consider how to help your children to become aware of the needs around them and the wonderful privileges they enjoy every day.  William Damon, in his book Greater Expectations says, “the heart of the matter still remains the loss of all obligation to serve anyone beyond oneself.  Even if our children are being raised to become the best informed, most artistic, and healthiest children that the world has ever seen, it would all come to nothing unless they found some things beyond themselves, and indeed some people other than themselves, to devote at least part of their efforts to…..otherwise they could not live together in a decent society, nor pass along what is left of the culture to their own children.” At school we are trying to help our children live out our mission.  Our Community Coffee was a lovely way to reach out to our neighbors and welcome them in to the warmth of our school.  The mitten tree that is in the gym is another way to give to those in need.  These are very small expressions of giving that we consider just a start for our children.  I want to suggest a few others for your family to consider this year.  Have you thought of involving your child in some of these very worthy pursuits? On Christmas Eve give up some of your family time to go, with your children, to an organization that feeds the homeless and help prepare the Christmas dinner they will serve the next day.  Your children can help set the tables, and put out decorations while you help prepare food in the kitchen.  On Christmas Day take some time out to help serve at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.  Your children will never forget the faces they will see or the people who walk through the line. Bring your children with you to the Food Shelf, during the day, instead of just leaving your food at the local collection points. Provide gifts for children of men or women in prison.  Better yet, deliver them to the home yourself as a family.  Many churches have programs through which you can do this. Bring a Holiday dinner to shut-ins, elderly people who have no-one to be with them on that day.  Taking time out of your day to do this will have a lasting impact on your children. Visit someone in the nursing home on Christmas Eve with cookies and spend a little time with them singing Holiday songs to cheer them up.  Invite a needy family to share your Holiday dinner instead of just your own family or friends.  Or take your children with you as you deliver a dinner to a local family in need. Visit a crisis nursery with gifts for the children and mothers there. I know some of our families do not celebrate Christmas but many of these ideas can be done at other times in the year or even at this season without the Holiday emphasis.  All of these acts of service can be part of your Thanksgiving celebration just as easily.  My point is that we need to be training our children to serve others and the best way to do this is when it costs us something to do it.  Giving some of your time to think about and serve others on important days has a big impact on your child.  Good leaders lead by example and I would not suggest any of the above ideas if my family had not been actively doing them over the years.  As our children were growing up we did almost all of these things with them and our girls still talk about it and  call us to see if we are going to the Marie Sendvick Center at the Holidays, for example.   (By the way, Spencer and I have disc0vered that these centers are most in need of help before the holiday, when everyone else is busy preparing their own food.  Often, on the day they have more than enough help.) Damon goes on to say, “without each new generation of children learning a collective sense of social responsibility, society can have no future.  Without learning an obligation to serve and respect others, children cannot develop a sense of social responsibility….Societies that have lost this knack may not be much more than a generation away from ceasing to be civilized societies at all.”  I know this community to be generous, kind and loving.  I encourage you not to forget others this holiday season and to, perhaps, trim down some of your spending on your children, to give to those in much need.  Better yet, get your children involved with you in the endeavor.  If you do they will remember this holiday long after the gifts have broken and the lights have gone out. Have a wonderful break, rest well and we’ll see you in the New Year. Warmly, Caroline