A Chance to Light Up More than City Hall

As of midnight, this is the last month of 2021. Considering how hopeful so many were at its start, perhaps most will neither mourn nor miss it when it’s over. Sometimes we're in such a rush to get to what's next and new, we overlook or undervalue moments we could and should savor. 

We had just such a moment this past holiday weekend which I hope you had a chance to enjoy. Hopefully, no one was so busy with all the details of the Thanksgiving Day meal, the football games, and the frenzied shopping rush afterward to not appreciate the efforts of friends and neighbors from across the city for Sunday's Winterfest Parade. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: best parade ever (because it was).

But as the late-night TV commercials insist, ‘Wait! There’s more!’ As indeed there is, the return of another holiday tradition suspended last year because of COVID-19 and precautions, this Friday’s Light Up City Hall, beginning at five. 

We may not agree on any aspect of government in Norwich, and that's our good right, but I'm sure we would agree that our City Hall is a gem, and when it's dressed up for the winter holidays, surrounded by throngs of happy faces and singers of seasonal songs, it's absolute magic and that's what we should have this Friday. If you’ve stopped by City Hall after dark during holidays past, you know there are no words to capture how lovely it looks this time of year. So get ready to enjoy.  

As seen last year

The great thing about our holiday celebrations is they are very much community events in every sense of the word. People just like the ones who live on your street or on my block band together months and more in advance to work on the hundreds and thousands of individual threads that, when woven together, create the colorful and memorable tapestries we'll tell our children and grandchildren about  

Memories are moments such as these and we are fortunate to have so many selfless and kindhearted friends and neighbors willing to share of themselves for all of us to enjoy. Whether you marched in Sunday's parade or were part of the sidewalk cheerleading crew; are planning to help countdown the light-up of City Hall (or vice versa) or helped to make any of it possible, thank you! You’re why Norwich is a great place to live.

There's so much holiday happiness right now that I feel kinda-Grinchy pointing out both happiness and hunger start with "h" and one in eight people living in our state struggle with hunger every day. Here in Norwich, a little more than 15% of us live at or below the poverty level, which means for those of us who aren't, we probably have family or friends who are.

And for those struggling, and often failing, to get by, hunger doesn't take a holiday, but we can each help those whom it affects. There are agencies and outreaches we all know who will welcome any donation of time, talent, or treasure we make. 

You could visit www.ctfoodbank.org and not only make a difference but be the difference between another December and a real holiday season for someone in need.
-bill kenny