Indianapolis author James Whitcomb Riley wrote a great poem, addressed to all the little children, describing all the things Little Orphant Annie did to earn her "board-an'-keep." After washing up the cups and saucers and baking the bread, Annie told stories around the kitchen fire with the famous line "An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you Ef you Don't Watch Out!"
When a crisis hits, we could all use someone to sweep the floors, make the beds, wash the dishes, and then sit by the fire and entertain us. Fortunately those very tasks are what our friends typically do, along with cooking lots of yummy meals, to help us through the extra rough times in our lives.
Most of our friends come along to help one by one. Taking turns, spreading out the visits, and that is a good thing. But some tasks just seem to go better with a large group, and sometimes spending an hour or two with a large group of friends is amazingly healing for someone grieving the loss of a loved one, someone facing a health challenge, or someone who has moved to a new home.
When our friends are in need, we think of the practical things, and of the soothing things. But sometimes our friend just needs some plain old fun! Here are some of our favorite fall activities for a group to do to provide extra cheer:
Leave it to the Friends
In many parts of the United States, October is the month the leaves turn to beautiful colors, and then fall to the ground carpeting lawns as they await clean up. If you have a friend going through a challenging time - whether it is a medical situation, grief, celebration of a new baby, move to a new home - a leaf raking party will be most welcomed! It's easy to do - designate a time to gather, ask everyone to bring rakes / leaf blowers / bags / cider & other treats to share. The leaves will get cleaned up quickly and it will be a fun time for all. Best of all, your friend will feel an incredible burden lifted. This event should probably be repeated sometime in November, too.
Pumpkin Parties!
Families dealing with cancer treatments, recovery from an accident, adjustment to a new baby, grieving the loss of a family member might not have the energy or motivation to enjoy the pumpkin season this fall. But the children will still want to visit the pumpkin patch and carve or decorate pumpkins. A Pumpkin Party will be great fun for everyone, and will help your friend's family immensely. Make arrangements to visit a pumpkin patch. Invite several families - not just the family with the challenge. This will make the family feel "more normal" - something they most certainly are eager to do!
Designate a particular time to decorate/carve pumpkins. Invite parents and children to participate - but be particularly attentive to helping the children whose parents are going through the rough time right now. Making this time special for their children, without "singling them out" will be a wonderful gift you can give to the parents.
Reverse Trick-or-Treat
If your friend's family has a child unable to go out trick-or-treating - organize reverse trick-or-treating - so that everyone goes to his/her house and brings a treat. This is also a fun thing to do at a nursing home - show up and pass out treats to the residents.
