***Christmas***Letter from the Editor
By Franklin T Wike, Jr.
What makes Christmas special for you?
As young children, our interest in Christmas leaned more towards getting gifts than giving them.
To me Christmas was a time of anticipation, excitement, fun, surprises, and toys. I didn’t give any thought to the hours my mother spent cooking the turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, etc. All I could focus on was those brightly colored presents under the tree and the dreams of what new and wonderful toys I might be getting.
When I became a parent, my priorities changed. My source of happiness came from seeing the excitement and joy my children experienced as they opened their
presents.
Seeing them happy made the many hours of shopping and late nights spent in the basement assembling or making gifts all worthwhile.
My most memorable Christmas was the one I spent in the hospital with my mother right before she passed away. Giving her my time, attention and love seemed to mean more to her than any other gift. But once both your parents are gone and the children are grown up and move away, thoughts about the Christmas season change again. By being alone and not having someone to give gifts to, you miss seeing the joy on someone’s face as they open your gifts.
I learned to adapt. I discovered that even if I didn’t have any children or blood relatives close by, that did not mean that I couldn’t enjoy the gifts of family, love or giving.
I found myself spending more time writing to aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives. This not only helped fill the void left behind by the loss of my parents, but it also helped me learn more about other family members, including stories about my grandparents and great-grandparents.
I also started spending more time volunteering to help others and that is when I discovered that some of the greatest gifts I can give to others is my knowledge, time and friendship.
One of the rewards of volunteering is the feeling of being useful and appreciated. But there are also other rewards. I remember one Christmas when I answered my door and found Dan Lampert, the manager of a local auto parts store, standing there with a LARGE meat and cheese platter plus a fruit and nut basket.
This surprised me because there are very few people that know where I live. As a writer, I like my seclusion and do not give out my address. But, I had volunteered to set up a new inventory database for the auto parts store Dan managed and as a gesture of his appreciation and friendship, he tracked down my address and delivered this unexpected gift.
I also volunteer to help repair technicians at local computer stores. In return I have not only made new friends, but I have also been able to obtain older used computers that can be used by US Legacies volunteers.
Another reward for volunteering to help these computer stores is that I have been able to buy new computer parts and accessories wholesale. As a result of these cheaper prices, I have been able to build and donate a brand new computer and printing equipment that will allow US Legacies to print this magazine in-house instead of farming it out to other companies.
That is very important to us for several reasons. First off, from now on we will be able to reprint back issues whenever someone has a request for extra copies from a certain month.
Another important advantage is the improved quality of graphics. Due to the new laser printer (part of our new in house printing equipment) the quality of the photographs we publish will have a much better resolution. But one of the most exciting advantages is the cost factor. For the first time since we started, we are finally able to publish, print and deliver the magazine for less money then we get for subscriptions.
This does not mean we are making a profit because we still donate almost as many copies of the magazine as we sell through subscriptions, but this lower cost will allow us to increase the number of pages in our magazine. As such, this month you will see that we have increased our magazine from 60 pages to 64 pages.
Our next goal is to raise an additional $7,500 so we can start printing color photographs inside the magazine. But until that time comes, we can take satisfaction in the knowledge that all the black and white photographs in our magazine can be saved and preserved for future generations.
So this year as I prepare for the Christmas Holiday, I will be in great spirits. Through the many letters that I get from our readers, I know that instead of bringing joy into the hearts of just one family, the time I have donated to US Legacies will have a positive effect on thousands of families for years to come.
So if you are lucky enough to still have little children or parents to share the holidays with, savor the moment for it will not last forever. On the other hand if you are one of the seniors that lives alone, why not volunteer to write letters to soldiers that are overseas, visit the elderly that are homebound, or help some nonprofit organization. I am sure you too will discover the many rewards and personal satisfaction that comes from giving.
I hope that each and every one of you have a very happy and memorable Christmas, and may the joy of giving a part of yourself bring the greatest rewards of your life.
December 2002
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