What a great time of year, especially for those of us in the northland who like snow. For the first time in many years, we could cross-country ski in the Twin Cities before Thanksgiving. If it is going to be cold, I’d rather it be clean and white with snow – especially for the holidays.
Speaking of the holidays, I hope you find time in this season to enjoy connections with real people, near and far. I was reminded of this the other day when a group of us took advantage of our new Volunteer Time Off policy to spend the afternoon packing meals at a local non-profit called Feed My Starving Children, which helps communities move from relief to development by supplementing the nutritional needs of children. In just under two hours, nine of us packed 5,700 meals.
Just before leaving, I noticed the gift shop was selling tree ornaments made by artisans from the areas they serve. I offered to buy one for everyone as a great way for the team to remember our time together. Well, the price included the cost of feeding a single child for a year, so this simple gesture had an impact far greater than I originally intended.
These teambuilding and global connections remind me of a toast one of my good friends uses this time of year:
“Here’s to friends and family – and the blurring of those lines!”
Happy holidays.
– Daniel Nelson, CEO, Tamarack
