Kerri Coderre of The Lighthouse Waterville Area Soup Kitchen mops as people take shelter Jan. 15, 2024, at the warming center located at the soup kitchen in Waterville. It was the first day of the warming center, which is open from 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

Oh, it’s sad to see the Christmas tree go.

But we had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends and now, the work begins.

We likely will be doing the usual physical labor January warrants, such as shoveling snow and flushing out closets, cupboards and drawers, returning to healthful activities including walking and eating more vegetables and fruits, and laying off the sweets.

Isn’t it funny how, just after the holiday fades and our kitchens are rife with cookies, breads and candy, we continue to indulge, not wanting to waste it? All the while, we worry about our waistlines and cholesterol levels and whether we will be forever addicted to sugar, and then the day comes when all the treats have disappeared and we realize our fears were for naught.

We have begun a new year and there’s so much more we can do to regroup, realign, rejuvenate and restart, despite violence worldwide and bitterness that divides us.

We can back off from social media and TV, read more books that are enlightening, educational and soul-nourishing, watch good movies which, for us, include older films such as “Hopscotch,” with Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson.

We can travel around this beautiful state we call home, listen to good music, see a show, visit museums — whatever piques our intellectual curiosity and fills our hearts.

Beyond tending to our own needs, we may look out for others, a most rewarding and important duty. We can vow to help those in need, rather than turn away in fear. We can donate to charities that provide basic necessities such as food and shelter, volunteer in a soup kitchen or warming center (the city of Waterville is seeking volunteers for its center on Front Street), take the time to talk with those who are old, homeless or vulnerable in other ways.

I think of the old John Prine song “Hello in There,” which I first heard sung by Joan Baez in the 1970s, during my teenage years:

“So if you’re walking down the street sometime

And spot some hollow ancient eyes

Please don’t just pass ’em by and stare, as if you didn’t care

Say “Hello in there, hello.”

It’s never too late to spread a little kindness.

Look at Jimmy Carter, who spent decades after he left the U.S. presidency helping those less fortunate, building houses for poor people and basically being a model for goodness and decency. Even those who deemed him a mediocre president or didn’t agree with him politically can’t deny he left a great legacy — of generosity, humanity, understanding and kindness.

In all the clips showing Carter pounding nails, he is always smiling. I’m convinced he lived to be 100 because his psyche had no room for demons. Counting his blessings, he just kept on doing for others.

If things get nasty in the new year, we can continue to be benevolent, and show compassion.

We can pay attention to what’s happening, do what we know is right and good, and take action when it is warranted.

Here’s to doing our part, no matter how small, to help make the world a better place in 2025.

Amy Calder has been a Morning Sentinel reporter 35 years. Her columns appear here Saturdays. She is the author of the book, “Comfort is an Old Barn,” a collection of her curated columns, published in 2023 by Islandport Press. She may be reached at acalder@centralmaine.com. For previous Reporting Aside columns, go to centralmaine.com