I know that I’m on the record as saying that Thanksgiving is my favorite federal holiday, but I’m no Scrooge. I enjoy Christmas, and I enjoy seeing when people do Christmas the right way. The Lady Chargers don’t have to help needy families like the Bradys, but they do it anyway out of the kindness of their own hearts — that’s what it’s all about.
In fact, I had planned to run a completely different story before I was tipped off to what the team did. I was so impressed to hear about it Friday, Dec. 18, that I changed some plans and had just about everything knocked out by Saturday — a feat that, admittedly, wouldn’t have happened without a little luck on my side. I still think it was the right call to make.
Christmas, to me and many others, is all about giving — giving with sentimentality, that is. This is the best day on the calendar for showing the people you truly care about how much you appreciate them or for supporting people who lack the necessities (and perhaps some material goods) that you may take for granted.
It’s not that every day isn’t a good day to do those things: it’s that every act of kindness gets magnified on this day because of the nature of the holiday itself.
This is nothing new for coach Mindy Miltner and Crest softball, who have been doing this for the past five years. Her efforts to open her players’ eyes to situations their families may never have had to deal with have all been successful, and it sounds as though the entire 2015 team has been as enthusiastic as any before it. They even got Santa involved — that’s kind of a big deal.
Clothes and gift cards may not seem like such a big deal to many readers, especially younger ones, but it’s sometimes the littler things that make bigger differences for people.
Maybe covering this year’s Santa Sled Festival has me feeling extra charitable. I saw those kids’ faces light up when they got brand-new bikes and scooters to cruise around on, and when they peered into the toy-filled paper shopping bags their parents got for them.
Knowing that there are people around them willing to bend over backward, just to help them have something as simple as a normal Christmas, will be good for them going forward.
I’m not here to spend anyone’s money and tell you to go “adopt” a family, as Crest does. All I’m saying is that we could all do a lot of good if we follow the team’s lead, taking a little time every so often to do something nice for the community. Even if it’s just donating old clothes, canned foods or used sports equipment, there are things a lot of us have, but don’t use, that someone else is in greater need of. Let’s not forget about them.
Have a merry Christmas, Plant City, and a happy New Year. Let’s make 2016 the best year we possibly can.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.