Lanark Village - Your Cure for the Holiday Blues
The holiday season has arrived.
In stores up and down the coast, poinsettias edge out the last of the fading mums, and turkey fryers gobble up the shelf space once haunted by Halloween costumes and masks. Candy corn gives way to candy canes, and on every aisle, the stage is set for celebration.
It’s 70 degrees outside, but Pandora’s been programmed to tell you that sleighbells are ringing. Chestnuts are roasting on an open fire, and Jack Frost is nipping at your nose.
You should be shivering with excitement in the chilly air. You should be surrounded by friends and family. You should be buying gifts for all the special someones in your life. You should be merry and bright. At least, that’s our cultural story.
But it doesn’t ring true for everyone. Winter blues brought on by the shortening of daylight hours can be worsened by expectations of what holidays are supposed to be and the shortfall between that ideal and our actual lives.
The truth is, not everyone has a loving family. Not everyone has money for presents or close friends to receive what we can give. Not everyone has enough food for a filling meal, much less a holiday feast. It can be pretty deflating.
There’s nothing I can say here that will make up for life’s pains and disappointments; you know that. We’ve all got to deal with those in the best way we know how, working with whatever resources are at our disposal.
But I can tell you this - when it comes to the holidays, if you’re a Lanark resident, guest, or member of an LV club, we’ve got you covered.
You’ll be welcomed like a lifelong friend at the LVA’s Thanksgiving dinner. No one will pick a fight with you over politics. No one will give you advice about how you should be running your life. No one will criticize you if you have a second helping of Tony’s famous fruit cobbler. It’s delicious; go for it.
Do you want to contribute a favorite dish? We’d love to taste it. Do you want to avoid hours of basting? No problem; Bobbi will be putting the turkey in the oven for you, and tending to it until it’s done.
Do you miss seeing trick-or-treaters at your door on Halloween? Buy some candy and head for Trunk-or-Treat instead. It’s a joint effort by the LV Golf Club and the Village Idiot, and you can be part of both. Join in the fun and games. Hand out chocolate bars. Give your time. Give of yourself.
Do you want to decorate for the holidays to create a cheerful space for visitors? Debbie would love to have your help, so ask her what you can do. Or if you’re someone who doesn’t like to ask, just show up at Chillas Hall when she’s there. She’ll point you in the right direction.
Do you want to be surrounded by neighbors who know how to enjoy life and the company of one another, not just at holiday celebrations, but year-round, all the time? Would you like it even more if this magical place were coastal and surrounded by quaint old-Florida towns? Welcome to Lanark.
It takes a village. Lucky for us, we’ve got one.
