Don’t you appreciate how the month of November marks the start of the season of giving? November features National Day of Community Service (Nov 5 this year), World Kindness Day (Nov 13 this year), and Family Volunteer Day (typically the Saturday before Thanksgiving). And many families choose to give back to their communities on Thanksgiving.

But the holiday spirit doesn't have to end there — we can keep the good deeds flowing beyond these four special November days, there’s lots more we can do, giving-wise.

For instance, my daughters and I are getting together soon to assemble lovely potpourri packages for our neighbors. We usually bake cookies and quick breads for our neighbors. But this year we thought it would be a fun change if we shared something other than sweets.

A few other ideas for non-sweets neighbor gifts are roasted nuts, homemade seasonings, rice heat packs, and even a pineapple or pomegranate. I have a friend who designs and makes her own THANK YOU cards and gives these as sets. Another friend shares her homemade cheeseballs with the neighbors. And in past years I’ve made flavored butters (aka compound butters) for family and friends.

You can see “giving” doesn’t have to be expensive or a big deal—it’s all about simply expressing friendship and gratitude. Truly, the only thing that limits you is your imagination when it comes to neighbor gifts.

In a time where there’s so much in-your-face rudeness and “it’s-all-about-ME!” behavior, it wouldn’t hurt to lead out in spreading the gospel of gratitude and kindness.

Speaking of kindness, there’s actually a foundation, One Kind Act a Day, whose goal is to honor, recognize, and celebrate the inherent good in people, and to cultivate one of the most important gifts of all – our faith in humanity, and our belief in a better, kinder future for all people, all over the world. (see www.thepowerofkind.org). Kindness is a unifying force we all need, and it snowballs quickly. Sharing a little gift with our neighbors is a great way to start the ball rolling.

Finally, speaking of gratitude (so appropriate for the month of Thanksgiving), I’ll close by expressing my gratitude to YOU, our Cook’n readers. It’s been such a blessing in my life to be able to research and write for you. Over the years I’ve gotten to know many of you personally and that’s been delightful. So thank you for subscribing, reading, and taking time to comment. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and thank you for YOUR kindness and friendship!

    Alice Osborne
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
    Email the author! alice@dvo.com