Holiday Season Gifts: An Abundance of Clichés for Good

2025 is coming to a close, and now, more than ever before, I feel the pull to go inward and reflect on where we are, where we have come from and where we are heading. “We” means ‘me’ and it also means the collective human ‘we’. Even Scrooge saw the light and drew some important lessons on how to take stock (albeit the hard way!) of his life and began to let gratitude, joy and generosity guide him.

Quechee Lakes creator, John Davidson, always envisioned a
snowy scene with horse-drawn wagons.

Despite the prevailing messages in the airwaves highlighting our apparent irreconcilable, conflicting differences, essentially all humans want the same things. Thus the reason ‘words of wisdom’ and clichés exist – because they often ring universally true for every human. So, please view the cliché sprinkles and (mixed) metaphors as words of wisdom meant to connect us – the cherry on top, so to speak!

Personally, like many people around the world, I sense the darkness that seems to hang over almost all corners of the globe. It’s easy to get caught up in the negativity, the name-calling, the shouting matches, the violence we witness multiple times a day on mainstream media. What’s much harder, but much healthier, is to just stop the rain from falling on you. Put up your umbrella, close your windows, batten down the hatches. Shield yourself from the pelting negativity that wears down your joie de vivre. As individuals, we have the power to focus on what’s good and what’s working, and to clear away the clouds so the sun may shine brightly on all of the good that happens everywhere, every day.

Mrs. Fogg’s answer in 1973 Quechee Times.

This is my “why” for Greater Good Media, and the reason I make sure that each of my papers publishes stories that uplift and inspire. The mission is to focus on all that’s good at the local level and then let the laws of physics take it from there. Pretty soon, the positive energy created through the good-news stories will emanate out generating a ripple effect that grows exponentially. Or, like the butterfly effect, by highlighting one small flutter of community kindness here, positive change may be felt in much bigger ways in a distant land.

We can be the change we want to see. And, in this season of slowing down, gathering together and taking stock, we absolutely can tune out the noise, shift our priorities and give peace a chance.

Awe

It’s time to witness and immerse yourself in moments of pure “awe.” One of the best ways to do this is to actually stop and smell the roses or marvel at what’s right in front of you. In those moments, all is calm and all is truly bright.

When you see a sunset as awe-inspiring and beautiful as this one pictured here (as seen from a window in a Ridge condo), you cannot help but stare in silence at the miracle that is before you. A deep sense of gratitude envelops your being – you’re grateful for the privilege of living in this beautiful part of the world… in this community. You’re grateful for the people in your life who may be sharing this moment of beauty with you. You are grateful for being alive on this extraordinary planet during this incredible time in human history.

Jennifer Lorin (MacMillen) was the snowfl ake in the Christmas production at the Quechee Grammar School in 1974 (now the UV Waldorf School).

Gratitude

Santa visits Quechee

Which brings me to gratitude. Last night, I watched a documentary called Gratitude Revealed by filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg (who also produced Fantastic Fungi). Essentially, the film “reveals how practicing gratitude can help us reconnect with ourselves, the Earth, and one another in a world where disconnection often prevails. It reminds us that happiness is a choice we can nurture.” (Gaia TV)

As you gather together for Thanksgiving and Christmas, or any other holiday and tradition you celebrate throughout the year, remind yourself that happiness is a choice. Now a cliché clarion call, allowing yourself to feel truly grateful for what you have in this moment, even in times of darkness, you will feel your flicker of light and hope emerge and, if you continue to fan the flame of gratitude moment by moment, you will become the light that brings people back to safety…back home. And what can invoke a greater feeling of personal happiness and contentment than to be a beacon of light for others!

Working Together and Sharing for the Common Good

And it’s true: these times feel like we are on a rickety wooden ship in the middle of the ocean with an ominous, powerful storm a-brewing. Dark clouds, high winds, nothing stable to hold onto; uncertain future. But, the good news is, when we have all hands on deck and we pull together and balance our weight, we can right the ship and be ready to recalibrate our course when the storm passes. And the storm always passes.

Joy

Dalai Lama, Doug Abrams, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu

What is joy? It can easily be mistaken for the fun times we have or the thrill of experiencing or receiving something new. But, in fact, those are just dopamine hits. Joy is that feeling in your chest when your heart is open and fear is at bay and you can be vulnerable and feel safe at the same time. It’s in these moments when generosity can flow through us. And, in order to have joy yourself, you must bring joy to others. Or so says His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

One of the best books I’ve ever listened to is called the Book of Joy wherein journalist and author Doug Abrams reveals what joy really looks like in his conversations with these two Nobel Prize winners about how they cultivated joy even in the face of extreme adversity. If you need some help reclaiming joy this holiday season, listen to this book and be prepared for your heart to fill up and overflow!

Peace

The ultimate cliché is revealed by the fact that practically every pageant queen ever asked says that their one greatest wish is for “peace on Earth.” Why is that? Because who doesn’t want peace on Earth? It’s time to bring that back and make it everyone’s greatest wish. It’s time to make Peace On Earth our top priority. It’s time to shine the light on all the good. It’s time to call out and celebrate every act of kindness. It’s time to catch our kids doing what’s “right” (and just). It’s time to be the change we want to see in the world.

Left: Dewey & Maisie, the author’s daughters, 1999. Center: Jen & Andy (right), 1968. Right: Andy Lorin had a degenerative disease that would never allow him to drive, so Santa gave him a go-cart. There wasn’t a dry eye as we witnessed his pure elation when seeing the surprise “under the tree.”

So, as we head into this season of stillness and chaos, joy and stress, love and madness… all of it, stop to reflect and smell the roses (and pine needles)…

Let’s find magic in gathering together again. Let’s feel awe in this season of stillness. Let’s be grateful for being alive. Let’s feel joy as we witness innocence and pure delight in the faces of our collective children, and let’s then radiate that joy out to the world. Let there be peace on Earth. And let it begin with me.