It’s hard to believe the holiday season is here again. Christmas and New Year’s Eve are on the way, and Hanukkah has only just ended. This is a time to gather with your friends and family, to celebrate the spirit of generosity and goodwill, to look back on the past year and look forward to the new one.
The spirit of the holidays is a welcome relief from the often overwhelming barrage of bad news. And while it is easy to get caught up in one’s own struggles and problems, I find I breathe easier when I truly take stock of what I have instead of focusing on what I don’t.
I think of the hardworking men and women who are punching the clock during the holidays and missing time with their own families. Service workers, first responders, medical employees and many others don’t get time off just because it’s a holiday. (And when we get more snow, we’ll be grateful for the plow drivers and utility workers who will undoubtedly put in long hours all season long.)
I’d like to say thank you to all the men and women of our armed forces, at home and abroad, doing everything they can to keep our country safe. I feel very strongly about these folks, who have essentially put their lives on hold in order to protect America. It is an enormous sacrifice and we should never lose sight of how much they give up in order to serve our country.
Lastly, I’m also grateful for the renewed opportunity to represent you in The Maine Senate and for the new energy I feel in the State House. Your confidence in me is one of the greatest gifts of all, and I’ll forever be thankful for this chance to be your voice and advocate in Augusta. It is a great responsibility, and a great honor.
After the new year, when the Legislature reconvenes, I look forward to pursuing an agenda that provides good jobs and good wages to Mainers, making sure our economic ladder is big enough and strong enough that everyone can climb up. I am also committed to ensuring that our elderly, our children and our disabled are taken care of, and that we never turn a blind eye to fellow citizen who has fallen on hard times.
But first, I want to take time to reflect on how fortunate I am to represent Penobscot County in the most breathtaking state in the country. They say a man is known by the company he keeps, and I am very fortunate to have made my home in the State of Maine, among people of good humor and strong character. I told my family not to get me anything for Christmas as I don’t want anything I don’t already have.
From my family to yours, however you celebrate this holiday season, we wish you good health and good fortune in the coming year. Here’s to a safe and prosperous 2019!
As always, you can email me at Jamesdill207@gmail.com or call either my office at (207) 287-1515 or my personal phone at (207) 827-3498. My line is always open.
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