A Coloring Book That’s Larger than Life
November and December are months full of volunteering. In the spirit of the holiday and giving season, it seems that nonprofit and for-profit organizations alike engage in these acts of goodness, from riverside clean-ups and community tree planting to Superbowl fundraisers and lemonade stands.
Or, if you were a member of the New York City branch of the Knights of Pythias, you’d be selling super-sized coloring books at the local diner.
Over the December 13-14 weekend, members sat in the wait-bench area of the Kings Plaza Diner with dozens of large coloring books for sale, 3 for $15. That Sunday, I watched as Craig Shink, a Knights of Pythias Grand Council member in New York, and his teenaged helper, Michael, sold three books to the parents and grandparents of 22-month-old Peter Cruz, who can be seen below trying to decide which books – all almost bigger than he is – he wanted. Eventually, he chose the Giant Book of Nursery Rhymes, Dinosaurs, and a Christmas book.
Twenty-two month old Peter Cruz opens his arms wide to grasp one of his new coloring books. Proceeds from the annual book sale go to charities supported by the New York branch of the Knights of Pythias.
As explained to me by Mr. Shink, the Knights of Pythias are a fraternal order with a focus on charity work and community service. The international order was founded in 1864 by a Justus Rathbone with the true friendship of Greek Damon and Pythias in mind. According to their website, they are dedicated to the cause of universal peace. And unlike other fraternal orders, they are non-denominational.
I find this all fascinating as my childhood full of immersion in mythology, fairy tales, folklore and historical stories set in “ancient times” reminiscent of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance left buzz words like “knights” and “fraternal” associatively-linked in my mind. I love and am so grateful for organizations that exist solely to contribute to society and help others via service, no other strings attached (college fraternities and sororities come to mind).
So this year, my Christmas wish (for whatever it is worth) is to have each and every person who reads this take part in a good deed on a regular basis. Feelings of friendship, loyalty and community are hard to come by these days, but economic hardship tends to bring out the good in people, so have at it, friends!