This time of year always makes me kinda crazy...

and it's not just because I make my living in retail. For years, people have complained about loosing the spirit of Christmas, that Christmas was too commercial. This year they've added the argument of saying Holiday vs. Christmas.
ENOUGH ALREADY!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas or one I hear all the time at Safeway, "Have a blessed day." Doesn't it just come down to wishing others well - health, happiness, peace? Why make it so hard?

I think this year, more so than any year I can remember, it will be a very bleak Christmas or Holiday season. It will soon be one year since the tsunami hit and what American can forget the disasters of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, Bush, the Republicans and all our men and women of the Armed Forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world?

I think many people will try to forget or suppress or deny or spend - at least for a little while - so they can be optimistic. Gas prices are down and heating bills won't have to be paid for another month or two. Hard to be optimistic and easy to be cynical if you think about it. What can you or anyone do?

You can remember the words and the spirit of MLK, "Keep hope alive! Keep hope alive!" We may not have peace on earth, it may be hard to find good will toward men/women but we can celebrate the possibility!

We can focus on the year ahead and how we can each do good in the world. It doesn't take a lot to effect change - pick up the piece of trash that missed the can, donate food, clothes or your time to a cause, buy one box of Girl Scout cookies, pick a charity that you can get the people in your office to support for the year. The list is endless.

This year, I have committed my stores to selecting a charity to partner with and help raise funds, awareness and volunteer for. It is their choice but it is a year long commitment. I am but one person informing, motivating and harvesting the talent, energy, and determination of the people in my 5 stores - altogether less than 75 people. In turn they reach out to their friends, family, community and our customers - altogether numbering in the tens of thousands.

What will you do to bring hope and light to others?