BAH, HUMBUG

Those who know me know that I am not a holiday kind of person.  I like celebrating little things, personal stuff, but I never understood the allure of national holidays.  I don’t do Thanksgiving, or Christmas.  Easter leaves me cold, as does the 4th of July.  And birthdays?  I don’t get taking a vacation day just because you happened to have been born on that date years before.  So, bah, humbug.  But with a smile and a lot of love.

Love is something we could use more of this year.  And compassion.  Not to mention truth.  One of the things I loved when I started working with nonprofits was the caring that  was so visible.  Few in our sector take our jobs to make a lot of money or to have power.  We do it because we care about the mission, and about the people.  And our volunteers—they do it because they want to help and most really don’t need the recognition (though we need you, so let us give it to you!).

For a lot of reasons, this has really been a hard year.  What keeps me sane, beyond exercises, my dogs, and my husband, are all of you.  The work you do, the care you take.  I feel so lucky to be able to do what I do, and to work with the most amazing people in the world. 

I still don’t like holidays, but I do love celebrating the vibrancy and strength of our sector.  When it feels hard, or your anxiety level is skyrocketing, know that you make a huge difference.  And know that the world truly is a better place because of what you do.