Generosity and Kindness 

First person 

This time of year, it is easy for us to get wrapped up in the material aspect of things. Although it is a joyous and festive time, we can be found frantically preparing for grand feasts, shopping for presents and pulling out our long-sealed bins of decorating supplies.  

This season can also be a great time to reflect on what we are most thankful for. The holidays are about sharing, caring and spreading joy—not just with our family, but with others. If you are able to, volunteering your time and donating within your means can serve as a selfless act to brighten people’s holiday season and transform the world into a better, happier place.  

Giving to good causes can generate a wide range of emotions and stimulate happy feelings as well as brighten one’s mood. A Harvard study proved that people experienced happier moods when they freely donated their time and efforts to local charities as compared to making a “required” donation.  The same research shows that giving activates a region of the brain which is associated with pleasure.   

While many requests for charitable donations are legitimate, some use the holiday spirit of giving as a time to be unscrupulous. I urge you to ask questions before giving to an unfamiliar organization. Avoid pressure from solicitors and ask for information in writing to allow time for a well thought out decision. It has been said, “the wisest giver is an informed giver.”  

One of my favorite things to do when giving is to involve the entire family. As a family, we make room in our budget and are consistent with a handful of charities that focus on things that matter to our family; this makes it personal.  During the holidays and around special times of the year, since my child was young, we would find other ways to lift spirits. When doing something for others, it does not matter how big or small, it only matters that you are doing it with good intentions.  

My daughter recalls one year sitting in line at the local coffee shop. An officer pulled up behind us in his unit as I was paying. As we discussed it as a family, we decided to pay for his order, not knowing what it was. My daughter was so excited as she knew it had been a difficult time for officers and so we purchased the order without hesitation. When we left, we noticed he had flashed his lights on his unit. Of course, our daughter being young, she believed this was such an amazing moment.   

The rest of the day went as planned. I went to work, and my husband and daughter did what they needed to do but we all remember having a little pep to our step after the wonderful interaction. When they got home later that day, they found a note taped to our door. That note was from the officer who we paid for his order that morning. He wrote to us to thank us for the purchase and that we had made his day and made him feel wanted and appreciated by such a small gesture. He mentioned how he had a rough time and the world had been difficult for officers, but a gesture like this had brightened his long day.  

We have kept this note and every holiday season it serves as a reminder that a simple act of kindness can affect someone in more ways than one. To this day, my daughter, husband and I create small gestures of kindness or service to others. This reminds us that the holiday spirit is about being generous and kind, and that we should carry the spirit of the holiday with us throughout the year.  

The idea of giving to charity may seem overwhelming during the holiday season, as we are already dealing with a long list of expenses; plan an extra $5 into your budget and buy a coffee for someone you do not know, or maybe pick up a tag from an angel tree at the mall or your church.   

If you truly cannot add another expense to your budget, simply smile at that person frowning and wish them a happy season or day. Hold open a door for others, volunteer your time at a needed local organization or notice something good someone is doing! A simple act of kindness can go a long way to make someone’s day or year.  

I encourage each and every one of you to be extra generous and kind as we close out 2023 and start 2024.   

Happy Holidays from all of us at the Valencia County Extension Office! We are thankful for a successful year working with our fellow community members. We are looking forward to working with you in the new year!  

  

Program announcements 

To register for an upcoming program, call the Valencia County Cooperative Extension Service at 505-565-3002. For more information, visit valenciaextension.nmsu.edu.  

• 4-H Youth Open Enrollment runs through Jan. 31. New member registration information can be found by contacting the Extension Office at 505-565-3002 or by email to Sierra Cain at [email protected]
• Ready, Set, GROW! Free gardening classes are being offered virtually. Registration required; please visit the link for upcoming classes and more information desertblooms.nmsu.edu/grow.html 
• Valencia County Extension Master Gardeners is active. Sign up to become one of the next certified Master Gardener’s for Valencia County. Classes start January 2024. Please contact Josh Sherman through the Extension Office at 505-565-3002. Plant clinics will be coming to the Farmer’s Markets soon.
• Beekeeping Workshop, late January TBD.  

 If you are an individual with a disability who requires auxiliary aid or service to participate in a program, please contact the Valencia County Cooperative Extension Service Office at 505-565-3002 two weeks in advance of the event.  

 (Crystal L. Garcia-Anaya is the FCS/4-H Youth Development agent with New Mexico State University, Valencia County Cooperative Extension Service.)