Compassion continued from page 4 Don’t Overlook the Little Things: Hold doors open for those behind and ahead of you. Teach kids to reply, “You’re welcome,” when someone thanks them for anything. Ask them to smile at seniors and say hello to folks who walk by with well-behaved pets. When a friend wears something pretty to school, teach your child how to offer a genuine compliment. Sincerity is important. Make sure your kids know what it means and don’t try to use compliments to snow people. Feed the birds around your home all year long. Get kids involved in taking stray pets to a local no-kill shelter if they Share Close to Home: are in need of a new home. Bring frozen meals or warm muffins to an ailing senior or neighbor who has just delivered her third baby. Get the kids to mow someone’s lawn a couple of times, bring in the mail, and feed the pets for a neighbor on vacation. Small unselfish acts can boost kids’ self-esteem and make them feel like a more integral member of the community. Christina Katz’s favorite memories are those times someone was compassionate or generous towards her during a tough time, so she knows the way we behave makes a difference. She strives to cultivate generosity in her personal life and in her work life and hopes it rubs off on others. Christmas Customs continued from page 21 was not yet built and Guy Lombardo had not been born.) Most music historians agree that the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” with all its confusing rigmarole of lords a-leaping and swans a-swimming was meant to teach children their numbers and has no strong holiday connection. In the late 1990s the Christmas season seems to begin right after Halloween and comes to a screeching halt by Christmas dinner (or with the first tears or first worn-out battery, whichever comes first). We emphasize the build-up, the preparation, the anticipation. Celebrants in the eighteenth century saw Christmas Day itself as only the first day of festivities. Probably because customs then were fewer and preparations simpler, colonial Virginians looked to the twelve days beyond December 25 as a way to extend and more fully savor the most joyful season of the year. Lou Powers is an historian in the department of Historical Research at Colonial Williamsburg. crossfit warrenton 32-34 S. Second Street, Warrenton • (540) 324-6796 • info@crossfitwarrenton.com CrossFit is a core strength & conditioning program that delivers a fitness that is by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Elements of track & field, gymnastics, weightlifting, and strongman are combined in short intense daily workouts to maximize results for any individual. CrossFit teaches functional movement patterns, or, movements that you find in real life -pushing, pulling, squatting, jumping, throwing, carrying, and sprinting. 10% off with this coupon for new clientele. One coupon per person. Expires dec 31st. • Classes from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. • Workouts are modified for ALL ages and ability levels. • We also offer kids classes, separate from the adult classes. www.crossfitwarrenton.com 28 Piedmont Family Magazine 2013 • Issue 6