The Editorials

The Spirit of Giving

Written by Darren O'Neill

It’s that time of year again, where everyone gets caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. It seems that there are people out everywhere you go, frantically searching for that perfect gift for someone on their list. Well, the shopping days are about down to zero as I write this, and I think that’s a good thing. I’m looking forward to being able to go into a music store again in the near future to pick up a CD or three without waiting in a line long enough that I can’t even see the cash registers.

This time of year means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. When I was a kid (ok, I’m still a bit of a kid) the most important thing was “am I going to get the gift I really want”. Now, as I’ve aged gracefully past the age of thirty, it occurs to me more and more that this is truly a time of giving. It’s a time to forget about yourself for a little while and do something nice for someone else. There are a lot of things you can do to help your fellow man. You can donate toys to a local hospital, you can donate your time to help those who need it, you can send a donation to the charity of your choice, all of these are good, valid things you can do.

Since this is the Women of Country site though I’d thought I’d make a suggestion on how you can spend about $25.00, help a great cause and as a bonus get a daily reward for a full year! What I’m talking about is the brand new, 2003 Chely Wright calendar, which benefits Chely’s Reading, Writing & Rhythm (http://www.rwandr.org) Foundation. As always, Chely has outdone herself and produced a top rate product that you can be proud to hang on your wall or give as a gift.

I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m the webmaster for Chely’s official web site (http://www.chely.com) and for the Reading, Writing and Rhythm web site so I may be a bit biased, but I truly believe in what Chely is trying to accomplish with the Foundation. Every penny that comes in from these calendar sales goes directly to the Foundation! You can get a lot of information about them at their web site, but basically the RW&R Foundation helps provide musical equipment to schools and individuals that can not afford them on their own. Musical education is a very important thing in a child’s life, and your contribution WILL make a difference.

So there are many great reasons to buy a 2003 Chely calendar for yourself, or for any of your friends (they make great last minute gift ideas). One, you’d be helping out a great cause. Two, Chely’s pretty nice to look at if you like that tall, beautiful type. And, third, if you’re a guy with a wife or girlfriend who might not normally like a calendar with pictures of a beautiful woman hanging on your wall you can honestly look them in the eye and tell them “I did it to help some children”!!

Merry Christmas & the Happiest of New Years!

Chely’s calendar is available at http://www.chely.com

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