My guess is that all of us have become pretty annoyed at the extreme commercialization of the holiday season and that Thanksgiving has become the starting gun for the shopping spree that follows. It makes us wonder, how did it
My guess is that all of us have become pretty annoyed at the extreme commercialization of the holiday season and that Thanksgiving has become the starting gun for the shopping spree that follows. It makes us wonder, how did it come to this? It also gets us yearning for simpler times.
If you ratchet down the holiday hype, there are at the core some basic and important values. And indeed it does start with not only the holiday of Thanksgiving, but the act of giving thanks. It is all too easy in the whir of our lives to forget how remarkable is our freedom, our families and neighbors, and to say thank you together.
I know for my family that Thanksgiving is an essential day every year because it convenes us in a traditional way. Whatever else is going on, the priority is getting together and honoring family. And like so many of us in Hawai‘i the food reflects our own diversity. Homemade turkey, won ton mein, and shu mai is not an unusual meal in our household. Although my father-in-law no longer runs Kwok Chop Suey in Kaimuki, he can cook with the best of them.
The best way to restore balance and meaning to the holiday season is to get in the spirit by being extra good to all those around you and by doing whatever you can to give to the society around you. Things are tight for many families in these times. But there are many ways to reflect the spirit of giving. There are real choices.
One way is to think outside the box. Think about giving something that is homemade, from the heart. Batches of cookies or homemade furikaki chex mix is always a special treat and shows that you took time not just money to appreciate the person you are giving to.
Another way, in the true spirit of generosity and giving during the holiday season, is to think about giving to a charity in the name of the giftee. Try and think of issues that are important to the person you are giving to, perhaps homelessness, poverty, land conservation, services for the underprivileged or the arts. Here are just some examples of the wide range of charities available to Kaua‘i residents.
1. Ola Lahui Hawai‘i: An organization devoted to promoting health and wellness through innovative and culturally appropriate services for native Hawaiians, their families and others in need through therapy and intervention modalities.
2. Kaua‘i Academy of Creative Arts: Chartered in 1983, the Kaua‘i Academy of Creative Arts is a non-profit organization offering year-round programming in visual and performing arts for young people. Their mission is to encourage interest and development in the arts for the children of Kaua‘i.
3. Kaua‘i Food Bank: The mission of the Kaua‘i Food Bank is to provide food for the hungry; respond to emergencies; and eliminate hunger.
4. Malama Maha‘ulepu: An organization for the preservation of Maha‘ulepu on Kaua‘i. Maha‘ulepu, Kaua‘i is a beautiful heritage place. Revealing 5 million years of continuous history, this undeveloped watershed is a living museum.
There are so many choices. Here is a link to a full listing of charities on the island of Kaua‘i: nccsdataweb.urban.org/PubApps/geoShowOrgs.php?id=C15007&code=C15007&v=cf
So happy holidays to everyone. Reflect, share the season with the people you love, and make the meaning of the holidays real.
• Brian Schatz is the former chair of the Hawai‘i Democratic Party.
