“There is one time of year when watching the weather forecast is not a stressful experience for the agricultural community of Southern Missouri – right before a snow. 

Now, I’m not talking about the ice we’ve had lately or the sleety mess that sometimes falls from the sky.  A real holiday snow is light and fluffy when we wake up to it and first see it in the morning.  It reminds us there is some wonderful mystery in the universe that changes ordinary precipitation into innumerable hexagonal flakes, no two of them alike.  The snow puts a special gleam on the restful Missouri landscape that greets us on a special morning.

As they fall, snowflakes collide, partially melt, and gather more mass – and the simple process of snowfall creates a diversity that is unparalleled in nature.

As we gather around the table this holiday season with beloved family and friends, it is worth reflecting on the beauty of nature which surrounds us.  We should also take the time to think about the blessings in our lives – whether they come from above or from one another.  This time of year, the law of love is strongest.

Throughout the Eighth Congressional District, people are joining together this holiday season to bring comfort and joy into their neighbors’ lives.  By volunteering to serve at shelters or collecting donations for food banks, by contributing gifts to a toy drive or volunteering for a local school’s holiday celebration, or simply by lending a hand to someone who needs help getting through the winter, small miracles are taking place all over our state.  We are putting care packages together for American soldiers serving all over the world.  We are celebrating a brotherhood and sisterhood that covers the globe.

At the holidays, we are reminded to be aware of the plights of others.  It is easiest at this festive time of the year to dedicate ourselves to peace and prosperity.  So we should prepare for the difficult times, when we are too busy for others and others seem to be too busy for us, with service in mind.

I know the metaphor of snow is a simple one, but it happens to be very true: each of us is unique.  We all possess personalities and characteristics for which there are no equivalents anywhere in the universe.  As citizens and patriots, we all bear this responsibility to use our gifts for the benefit of our communities and our nation.  This secular idea is based on a religious one.

Through our churches, our civic organizations, and our families, we reinforce the principles upon which our nation was founded.

Because there is one last unique thing about the snow: it falls on us each the same – it knows no favorites and it does not discriminate.  In America, where we simultaneously exist as unique and as equal, it is essential to set aside our differences and to remember our common cause.  We are each called to serve, to love our neighbor, and to act providently in our community.  This duty should know no season.”