The Christmas season officially starts for me when “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” airs on TV! Why? It might be that he is green (one of my favorite colors), because his heart grows and he discovers the true meaning of Christmas, or just maybe because I simply like the story. Could be all three for that matter! I even bought my husband a Grinch tie (my favorite tie) and I have a friend (whose name I will not disclose!) who can imitate the best Grinch face I have ever seen!

Most years I seem to miss the Grinch on TV. It aired right after Thanksgiving and of course I missed it because I was listening to “Alice’s Restaurant,” but that is another story for another blog! Fortunately it airs again tonight and I have made sure to block off my calendar so that I don’t miss it!

The Grinch was written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss in 1957 but it wasn’t until a decade later that the story was turned into a TV special. Boris Karloff is the narrator and voice of the Grinch and, in my mind, does a tremendous job of portraying the Grinch.

It is hard to miss the moral of this great story which is that Christmas doesn’t have to come in packages, ribbons or bows. And, while the main emphasis of the story is focused on love, the importance of community shines through. I’ve come to notice this more and more over the years.

From the opening scenes to the closing credits, we are shown the significance of belonging to a strong community and neighborhood. How wonderful it is to have neighbors you trust and can call friends. It reminded me very much of my own neighborhood where I have wonderful relationships with the people who live close by.

One of our neighbors was away this past summer when a bad storm came through and caused a large tree limb to fall on their roof. Instead of leaving it there for them to find when they came home, the other neighbors in our cul-de-sac went down with their chainsaws and tools to remove and cut up the limb.

These acts of kindness from those around us (whether they are grand or small) are often something we can take for granted. During this holiday season, while I am not suggesting everyone get together with their neighbors for a rousing rendition of “Welcome Christmas” (but wouldn’t that be memorable?), we should take the time to be thankful for the gift of friends, family and neighbors.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get my snacks ready for the show!

By DJ Stephan (President, Allen Tate Relocation)