Countdown begins now

We have 32 days left in 2023. We have 10 days until Colony Christmas . We have 23 days until Solstice. We have a full moon this week and advent begins this weekend. We have 25 days until Christmas. We have one week until the beginning of Hanukkah. The Community Messiah concert is this weekend! The parties and get togethers are strung together like bright lights on the tree.

Lights Up Palmer—Now is the time to bring out and switch on the lights. Outside lights, inside lights, candles, torches, flashlights, lanterns….it doesn’t matter. It’s the dark time and lights are a good thing. Celebrate wintertime and holidays in Alaska. The Fairgrounds has a “Bright Up The Night,” holiday light display now. Upload the lights! And if you’re out walking or running, make sure you wear reflective clothing and pack a bit of light on your doggie too.

Most Important Personal Recommendation—This is not an advertisement; however, I feel strongly about this: Buy yourself some Icebugs. Falls and slips are no good. Icebugs are sturdy winter footwear which have built in studs, which keep one from falling in the ice and snow and slush. This is the best investment anyone in Palmer can make. And they are available at Aktive Soles Performance Footwear in Downtown Palmer, at their store behind Vagabonds. And a walking stick is helpful too.

Palmer Time to Carry Cash—Bell Ringers at the stores are sad to see no one carries cash to share any more. Help the bell ringers out and carry cash, so you can plunk it in the red kettles.

The Palmer Helper’s High— When we’re motivated by a true spirit of generosity, we benefit as much as those on the receiving end. “Helper’s High” is a fascinating concept. It’s not new. I dug down and learned that years of research in both neuroscience and psychology offer scientific evidence that helping others brings happiness to yourself. “Psychologists have identified a typical state of euphoria reported by those engaged in charitable activity. They call it “helper’s high,” and it’s based on the theory that “giving” produces endorphins in the brain that provide a mild version of a morphine high. Research at the National Institute of Health showed that the same area of the brain that is activated in response to food or sex (namely, pleasure) lit up when the participants in the study thought about giving money to a charity.”

“When you tune in to another’s suffering and send out compassionate thoughts to them, rather than draining you, it actually fills you up with more energy. You seem to clear out the confusion of your small mind and replace it with something much more vast and vibrant. Under all the chatter in your mind, there’s a basic goodness you touch that’s deeper and more profound. When you let down the fear, you get filled up with that basic goodness and sweetness of your caring heart. Most all mainstream faiths and folklores promote this concept. Thich Nhat Hahn, Buddhist teacher and activist, makes the point that compassion does not stop with letting our hearts feel the suffering of others. “Compassion is a verb,” he stresses. Compassion and action go hand-in-hand.”

While pondering “helper’s high,” I immediately thought about Palmer and all the acts of generosity and service that happen in our community, every day of the year. It seems to me that if there was a measurable scale of happiness and contentment, then Palmer would rank very high. And I wonder if this doesn’t mirror the continual community good works. I’ve been legitimately accused of being a bleeding heart or a Palmer pollyanna. That’s okay. I believe community love is reflected in love. Reach out to those who are depressed, sad, or isolated. Encourage them to reach out in turn. A magnificent “helper’s high” awaits all of you. It’s legal and it is called joy.

Palmer Places to Help—Here is a short and non-exhaustive list of local places to reach out and volunteer: Palmer Food Bank; Mat Su Borough Animal Shelter; Valley Center for Recycling; Alaska Pioneer Home; Salvation Army; Palmer Public Library; Mat Su Senior Center/Palmer Senior Center; Meals for Mat Su Littles; Bright Lights Book Project; MatSu Valley Rebuild Materials Center; Volunteer long-term Care Ombudsman; Project Linus—Homemade Blankets; Dog or Cat Foster; Family Time Supporter for Safe Families for Children Partnership Opportunities; Elder Mentor Program; ACE Medical Lending Closet; United Way of Mat Su; Connect Palmer; Alaska Family Services; Angel Trees; and Mat Su Special Santa. Trail Volunteer Groups too need help. Look for the need and step up.

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222