Making Spirits Bright
By Evelyn David
others.”
some of your own experiences. These types of tales remind us of how the small
gestures of charity and kindness reverberate and reflect the true joy of the
season.
many years. It is a place where women and children, victims of domestic
violence, can find a safe refuge to begin rebuilding their lives. Every year,
there are always plenty of gifts for the children at the shelter, but my friend
has organized a program to make sure that each of the mothers also has
something to open on Christmas Day. Donors are asked to purchase a robe,
slippers, and some beauty product, and put them in a festive bag. I’ve been
participating for years and the joy I get from this small charitable gesture
makes the season bright for me.
active in her
but determined to make the holidays special for those who are already
struggling mightily.
for young boys, if anyone needed anything special. Yes, a teenager (father
dead, mother an addict) was growing like a weed and needed some new clothes. “No
problem,” said my friend and off she went to Kohl’s Department Store.
likes a good bargain too! Kohl’s was giving out coupons and by the luck of the
draw, you could get 15, 20, or 30 percent off your entire purchase. Hallelujah,
she’d gotten a 30 percent off coupon! She shopped carefully and picked out several
new slacks and shirts for the teen. She went up to the register, armed with her
coupon, and when the cashier rang up the total, it came to $87.
voice over the store loudspeaker system, announced that my friend was the day’s
winner.
coupon. Nope, it was better than that.
is chosen at random to receive his or her purchase for FREE.
the man standing next to her in line and offered it to him. He explained that
he worked for a construction company and that a group of workers were doing
the same thing she was – buying for someone, in this case, an entire family in
need. My friend’s coupon was double what his was.
for good deed). And she said what she always says, “I get more out of it
than I give.”
causes at levels I can’t even comprehend. But the small gestures are just as
important – maybe more so?
A Reason to Give Thanks includes: Giving Thanks
in Lottawatah, Bah, Humbug in Lottawatah, Moonlighting at the Mall, The Fortune
Teller’s Face, A Reason to Give Thanks, Sneak Peek – Murder Off the Books,
Sneak Peek – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries
A Reason to Give Thanks
Kindle
Nook
Smashwords
Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle (exclusive to Amazon this month)
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)
Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords