I live in a small town in Massachusetts, last time I checked I think our population is around 9,000 people, not even a traffic light in this neck. My immediate family has all ventured off to do certain things in life but we have always corralled back here living in Monson. I am not really sure why since I am beginning to really hate New England winters but I love these crazy people I call family and wanted my kids to grow up together surrounded by good people. The thing about all of us is we really like to help and be part of this small town community. Even my brother Rick who wouldn't admit any of this due to his dry sense of not-funny-humor.
That leads me to the reason for my 50th blog post! My brother Scott and my sister in-law Melissa pictured to the left have joined together to take over the Christmas decorations through-out our little town. It was done for years and then started dying out like anything else that requires volunteers. This upcoming season will be their third year making this happen. As some of us know volunteering to do these types of activities in a community takes up so much of your free time. This type of project requires raising money, endless hours of testing and checking the decorations, ordering new decorations and organizing volunteers to do the actual decorating itself. Not to mention when the Christmas season is over and gathering everything up to store away for next year. A large tree is even cut down to replace the tree in front of the library, by the way a big shout to Ket Tree Farm for their tree donation every year. I must add the best place in New England to get a beautiful live Christmas tree.
Several weekends and weekday nights are required during the month of November to get this all ready for the official lighting ceremony held the weekend of Thanksgiving. For a moment as I am typing this I am giggling like we are one of those Hallmark Christmas movie families but yah that doesn't suit us at all. Believe it or not you have those random people that voice their negative comments while the decorating is occurring. It recently happened in front of my daughter while she was helping her Aunt and Uncle. She was pretty fired up telling me the story. I told her there are just negative haters in the world as I unfortunately know a few. These are probably the same people that go on our local Facebook group and complain or bash the local departments time after time but yet I never see these people offering to volunteer? It's really interesting how that dynamic works.
Unless you are the Grinch or the Devil himself when this town lights up next weekend it warms your heart. You drive down the old academy hill passing the big tree on your left, the Senior Center, the Town Offices arriving at the Memorial Hall and the Gazebo across the street. Everything looks beautiful and you get that Christmas spirit feeling like your a little kid again. I look forward to walking my dogs with my kids at night looking at all these beautiful lights and living in the moment. I am super grateful to these two special humans for having this vision a few years ago and making this happen year after year for all of us to enjoy.
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