It’s Thanksgiving eve and there are four categories of people today. Those who are traveling, those who are grocery shopping, those who are cooking and those who made restaurant reservations.

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As the holiday shopping begins in earnest, step away from the computer and support our local small businesses that are here for the community throughout the year. Why shop local? Local businesses pay local taxes, provide paychecks, donate and contribute to organizations and community events throughout the year. If not for local businesses, who would be donating to the auctions, raffles, scholarships, grad night parties, senior centers, charitable causes, youth sports sponsorships etc.?

This Christmas season let your gift-giving pay it forward in our communities … shop small, shop local!

And while we’re at it, be kind and patient with those front line people at stores and restaurants, too.

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I’ve always been a shop-local person, always. Admittedly, I occasionally succumb to the lure of internet advertising, with varying results. Point in case and at the risk of exposing my foolishness to the masses, last month, I ordered a fun new Christmas sweater. I did due diligence to verify that it was a U.S.-based company. I used PayPal for payment so I didn’t give a random company my credit card info.

It took about three weeks to arrive and when I opened the package I laughed out loud. If ever there were a great example of why we should shop local it was right there in front of me. Instead of the knitted textured design with a scalloped neckline, it was a poor replica printed on a thin cotton shirt in a Chinese factory!

Enjoy the visual included with this column of my new ugly Christmas “sweater!” Note: I’m not returning it because I’m sure it would be lost in the black hole of international red tape. It shall be my tangible reminder to support local businesses. I’d appreciate tips on which local stores have Christmas sweaters in stock. Ho! Ho! Ho!

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As I demonstrate every year since I was a little girl and now to the delight or continued embarrassment of my daughters and grandchildren, you are never too old to stick black olives on your fingers at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

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An often repeated quote, “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind,” is so very true. This time of year can be exceptionally challenging for so many for hundreds of reasons.

The best gift you can give is a smile to a stranger and extending grace to those who might need a little bit of Christmas hope. Be kind. Always.

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Happy Birthday today to Rocky Shaver and Sue Hutter. Thanksgiving Day birthdays for Katie King, Cody and Tristan Webb, Breanna Joyner and Judy Dahl. On Friday, Carol Ann Eachon and Jodine Spry are celebrating. Kevin Ekness, Larry Quimby, Carol Kreighbaum, Raine Solberg, Carolyn Walker, Shirley Thagard, Kevin Krieg and Cindy Scinto take another trip around the sun on the last day of the month.  The first day of December, Chris Pappas, Marge Chadderdon, Jay Bremner, Emily Castle and Connie Price ring the birthday bell. On Monday, Brandi Hague-Little, Lois Holom and Wally Adams mark their special day. Joyce Ekness, Carol Fairhurst, Sandra King, Brittany Teverbaugh, Norbert Vedder and Jennifer Keefe open their presents Tuesday.

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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email thoreson.kerri@gmail.com.