Ready or not! Get ready to slide into the major holidays of fall. You’re probably already seeing Halloween decorations for sale in the stores along with large bags of candy. Then there’s Thanks-giving, which seems to get glossed over more and more each year with Christmas advertising starting in September and bombarding us for the next four months. And don’t forget to add Hanukkah into the mix! I already got a Christmas catalog last week. It’s over 100 days away, yet the commercial advertisers seem relentless.

Fall brings football games, cooler weather, jackets and sweaters come out of the closet, and a general positive attitude of impending holidays with family and friend get-togethers. Most of the time we look forward to these events, and, some…not so much. There seems to be that one annoying friend or relative at these festive gatherings that has be the center of attention, almost to an extreme. If you don’t know who that is in your group, it might be you! (Ha-Ha!).

As Americans, we have always been generous with our volunteer time and money, especially during these holidays. Living in New Orleans for a few years in my youth, I learned a word “Lagniappe” pronounced “Lan-yap”. I found it meant “the little extra”. As the holidays approach, ask yourself if there’s a “Lagniappe” that you can give, to help a charity, or maybe it could be the gift of time to a friend or loved one to help them feel included. It can all start with just a small “little extra” from each of us!