It’s here; it’s finally here. After 11 long months of waiting, December is here, which means that Christmas is on its way. There are so many festive activities that come along with this season, but one of my favorites has to be the adorably cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies or the sappy Lifetime classics that I watch every year with my friends and family.

One of my favorite Christmas movies is “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” I can hardly wait to watch it each December and sometimes when I’m feeling Christmasy in July, I’ll pop it in and watch it, even when it’s 100 degrees outside. I can quote every line and sing every song. It’s really something magical.

But the thing I love most about “The Grinch” isn’t the horrid, nasty, not-niceness of the green beast, or the loveably confused, curly-headed Who, it’s the message the film delivers. A message that says Christmas doesn’t come from a store. It says that Christmas is a season to celebrate life with friends and family and a spirit of giving, not getting.

The season of giving is upon us and Selma has opened its arms and embraced that giving spirit. Just this week I have seen athletes from Concordia College working in the community, doing yard work, clearing hedges, weed eating and more for an area of the community that needed help.

They didn’t do this act of service for money or even for the exposure; they freely volunteered their time to help their neighbors in need.

And isn’t that what this season is all about — about giving freely, expecting nothing in return, about smiling more and exercising patience on the roads, customer service hotlines and all those holiday lines, and about lending a hand to those in need?

This week at Calhoun Foods, the Dallas County Cooperative Extension Agency hosted a free diabetes screening. The agency partnered with students from the Dallas County Career Technical Center and gave health screenings to customers who just so happened to pass through the doors to do some grocery shopping.

The tests were administered for free, and the students volunteered their time and efforts. Everyone who sat down for a screening and even those who just passed by left with a smile. They smiled because they saw an act of giving.

And while these acts on their own were humble and small, it reminded me of the bigger picture. This is the season of giving and our community is already out there doing it. And I’m sure there are many acts of giving still waiting to happen.

Saturday the city will welcome the season with a Christmas parade followed by the lighting of the city’s tree, and I will once again be reminded of the Who’s down in Whoville as we here in Selma, gather ‘round the tree and embark on the season of giving.