I am finishing the best year I have ever had in the Silver jewelry business. I can stop making pieces right now and the total of not yet picked up orders is greater than the reciepts to date. For a craft business that is part time that is pretty OK turn around for my time.

My family and I will enjoy a good Christmas morning this year just as we did last year. The goodness that this income buys me and my family is balanced against the goodness it allows me to give to others with it. The little kid who wants a ring or a bracelet for Mom or Sis and hasn't quite the money for both will as likely find a 2 for 1 sale going on when the crowd around the table is small. I give away as many earrings as I sell it seems and the smiles on little girls faces some how balance the books.

$10.00 buys a couple cans of soup and sauce at the grocery for the food pantry at church, but $10.00 buys a case of soup or sauce at Syracuse Damaged Frieght. If I spend it right the money my business makes allows me to, at last, do some thing for others aswell as for myself.

There was a time some few years ago when the boatyard went bellie up and I was injured and couldn't work. Cases of food and some clothes found the way to our front door that December from an unseen hand. The clothes fit and the food was enough for a month. Christmas would have been small indeed where it not for the Food Pantry at the Church and a large family around us that helped with what it could. Now I can finally return the favors and gladly so because of the commercial Christmas season.

I make more than 30% of my annual profit at this time of year but its that profit that allows me to be giving to the extent that I am. I would give more if I could and some of my fiends say we give too much. But then they have never been on the needing side of things so I don't guess they fully understand the giving side as yet.

If there seems an edge to this message its because there is. We can't lump everyone in to a group anymore. Its not fair to say that Christmas is too commercial and aim it at every merchant that is in business. Every Wal-mart is still run by one manager who may or may not have giving or sharing soul. But we do a disservice to the ones that have by lumping them in with the ones that haven't. The greatest good is done by individual acts of kindness and this I truly believe. Because somebody was good me and my family a few years back has shone me the importance of sharing that kindness, and passing it on. I'll continue to do so.

Don