Merry Christmas to all of you we serve! To give us such a season of joy, peace and hope, God must be a happy grandparent with a sense of mirth.

An extended family consists of people who are happy when you succeed and laugh when you joke. They’re sad when you’re hurting and try to help when they can. But most importantly, they do their best to keep you safe when you’re vulnerable … as all of us are when we face life’s challenges all year long.

Twelve hundred fifty county staff members are growing in our dedication and competence to being worthy members of your extended family.

Christmastime brings family and friends together for a moment to appreciate the love in our lives that we sometimes take for granted. For those of us who have comforted loved ones in final moments when they experience, as Charles Dickens described, “Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future,” their fervent wish was not to attend one more meeting, run one more errand, climb one more rung on the ladder … but rather, to tenderly hug a child just a bit longer, patiently listen to a story told with such pleasure for the umpteenth time, or to simply and sincerely say, “I love you!”

This year’s holiday season can be a time when we “ … write on our hearts that every day can be the best day of the year.”

Our Kane County wish and hope for you, your family and friends is for love, peace and happiness.

Very sincerely,

Chris Lauzen
Kane County Board Chairman
December 2014