There are a lot of sounds that go with this holiday season — bells ringing, angels singing, carols playing — but for me a singular sound of this time of year goes something like this — click, click, click, whirr, whirr, whirr.
It wouldn't be December without the sounds of Pat Smith handling the donations to the Reformer Christmas Stocking. The click, click, click are the sounds of Pat stamping the checks that come in for deposit; the whirr, whirr, whirr are the sounds of her old-school adding machine as she tallies up the day's receipts.
You never realize how much you associate those sounds with the holiday season until you hear them again, for the first time in 11 months. They are so familiar and comforting in an odd way, sounds I associate with neighbor helping neighbor.
There are lots of appeals to give this holiday season, and a lot of worthy causes. Please find it in your heart to reach out to those who need your help. And if you do decide to give to the Christmas Stocking, which provides warm winter outerwear for children in Windham County, Chesterfield and Hinsdale, N.H., you may stop by our office at 62 Black Mountain Road in Brattleboro or mail to: Reformer Christmas Stocking, PO Box 802, Brattleboro, VT 05302.
And if you listen hard enough, you just might hear ... click, click, click, whirr, whirr, whirr.