Generosity of Spirit

This is the season that most of us feel most generous. It is the generosity of spirit that sometimes takes precedence over other emotions. To give to the food banks, the homeless, the mentally ill, and other interests seems the generous thing to do, more so than at any other time of year. But with both feet planted firmly on earth, we see the generosity of spirit as a separate thing that we can attend to only when there is food on the table, clean water, and a warm place to sleep. Generosity need not be confined to just mid-winter. We give when we smile at another, open a door or lend a hand. We give when we volunteer to help the cause that we feel most strongly about. The San Pedro River Arts Council is about giving...giving back to the community we live in. The arts are what we feel strongly about all year long, strongly enough to attend the monthly meetings that permit us to program the events for a community starved for beauty and pleasure. These are not just emotional longings, but deep seated needs; just as one needs food and water for survival, artists have a heightened need for seeing the world through a different lens. We appreciate that need and the generosity of spirit that is required to feed that need, and that is why we exist. When you give yourself, or your dollars to this organization, you will get that back tenfold, even though in these beginning years it feels as if all is giving and no receiving. If we can give something back to you at this time of year it is a healthy dose of patience. We have big plans for what is now a small organization. However, with your generosity, and your expectations, we can, and will give back to you...and that's a promise for the season and the New Year.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year to everyone. Keep up your giving spirit. It will make you whole.