Spirit of giving extends past the holiday season

During the holiday season, or any other, many readers want you to know how truly blessed they are, because of what you give them.

For Pauline Raines of Silver Ridge Township, and her husband, Don, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease, “the miracle for this season,” she wrote, is when “storms roll in and everything goes wrong.”

But a phone call to a neighbor brings someone who not only plows you out, but fixes your plow, too! For that blessing, they are thankful.

And they are grateful for those who are helping make Christmas better for them in a variety of ways. They thank you all, and their “four workers,” who come into their home.

You are the people who are making their holidays brighter. “Thank you all so much.”

Veteran Michael Ingersoll appreciated that Morrison Chevrolet & Oldsmobile was closed on Veterans Day “to honor veterans, instead of using this day for sales, as so many other businesses do.”

Sharon Dupuis of Old Town thanks Jennifer Collins and “her helpers” who ran the former Golden Years Adult Day Break, which cared for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia, for giving them “the time of their life.”

Maine Greyhound Placement, Greyhound Friends of Hopkinton, Beagle Rescue of New England, SPCA, PAWS, The Ark, Bangor Humane Society and many other organizations benefited from donations of more than $10,000 from Bark Harbor of Bar Harbor, which is owned by Wendy Scott and Jim Smith.

The list of thank-yous from Janet Martucci of Washington includes people of all walks of life “who have gifted me with prayers, good thoughts, focused energies, money, food, labor, pet care and generous offers of all varieties” during a recent crisis.

While describing such a situation as “crummy,” she added it has a flip side, because a crisis “may afford an opportunity to experience the deep kindness which we are composed of.”

Brenda Deveau of Cyr Plantation is not only “a very proud Mom” of 7-year-old Chantal, who donated her hair to Locks of Love, but even more grateful to those who read of her daughter’s act of kindness and decided to do the same!

Dave and Thelma Weymouth of Abbot are grateful to “all of you who worked in the wind, cold and dark to restore power,” during a recent storm, and so am I!

Senior citizen Helen King of Orono thanks those who provided local seniors with a great Thanksgiving meal.

And the holiday spirit continues in Orono with a good time enjoyed by all earlier this month at the Orono Village Association Open House Festival.

Elizabeth Schneider, OVA president, thanks “this marvelous community of people that came together to make this a special day,” and all who attended the event.

Lee Academy Class of 2006 expresses its gratitude to “the community and local businesses for their support” during its recent dinner-auction. “Your generosity helped to make our fund-raiser a great success. Thank you.”

Eva Gonya of Millinocket congratulates “the Elks, VFW and the American Legion for the lovely dinner” served to area veterans recently. “Not only was the food delicious,” she wrote, but “the entertainment was excellent.”

It was “especially appropriate for the age group,” and she noted “it brought back many memories.”

Jimmie Dinardo of Hampden, peer support worker for Dislocated Workers of Eastern Fine Paper in Brewer, thanks all who helped those individuals in a variety of ways during the past year.

Jeff and Nancy Robinson of Bucksport appreciate “the person or persons who witnessed our car being hit and damaged at the Bangor Mall parking lot” earlier this month, “and took the time to leave a note with vehicle information and plate number. The other vehicle was larger than ours and, apparently, the driver didn’t realize ours had been hit.”

The couple also is grateful to Officer Randall Parsons (who, I just learned, is the newest member of the Bangor Police Department) “for all the help that he was to us. Great job!”

Finally, Elaine Chandler of St. George, whose family and friends have had an especially difficult year, reminds all of us that material gifts are not the most important gifts this time of year.

She believes it is giving of yourself, and caring for others, that is a truly special gift.

For all of us, my wish this holiday season, is for the priceless gift of peace, at home and abroad.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.