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DECEMBER 2022
KINDNESS IS CONTAGIOUS (THANKS FOR THE TIP, MOM!)
In the years since elementary school, I’ve adopted my mom’s party line as my own. I try to be kind to everybody, and that kindness has come back to me in dozens of ways. I might not be the most popular person in the world, but I always have friends willing to help me out when I get into a jam! Kindness is built right into the fabric of Emery Law Office. We help the underdogs instead of the big insurance companies and treat them well along the way. I’ve seen this kindness come back like a boomerang. After we helped one client, her business came through for us at the last minute to cater treats at one of our company events. Other clients have been willing to email in their feedback or even stop by the office and have lunch with us! Those echoes mean a lot. I’m a bit of a Christmas Grinch, but if you want to see a good illustration of the power of kindness, you should check out the movie “Christmas With the Kranks.” It focuses on a couple named Julia (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and Luther (played by Tim Allen) who always goes big for the holidays — until their daughter leaves for the Peace Corps. Without her around, Tim and Julia don’t see much point in putting up thousands of lights, buying dozens of Christmas cards, and shelling out for a big holiday ham. Instead, they decide to use the money they’d normally spend on
In elementary school, I always wanted to have playdates with the popular kids. I loved the idea of climbing trees and dressing up Barbies with the coolest 8-year-olds in school. Maybe their “it factor” would rub off on me! Unfortunately, my mom didn’t get it. When I planned a playdate, she always made me invite a few of the less popular kids to our house, too. She even asked my entire class to come to my birthday parties — and that was years before you “had” to do it that way.
Christmas to go on a cruise. Then, their daughter announces at the last minute that she’s coming home for Christmas after all! Tim and Julia have to scramble to throw Christmas together. Of course, the cards they usually buy are no longer available, and all they can find for dinner at the store is a lonely can of ham. There’s good news, though: The Kranks have spent years spreading the Christmas spirit, and everyone they’ve touched comes through to help them make Christmas happen. It’s a great story about generosity — I think my mom would approve!
“But why do I have to invite them, Mom?” I remember asking.
“Melissa,” she told me firmly, “it’s always good to be nice to everybody. These kids don’t have to be your best friends, but you should still be kind to them.” It turns out my mom was the smart one of the two of us. Who knew? Looking back, I had just as much fun picking flowers and weeds to make pretend “soup” with the unpopular kids as I did with the popular ones. Those connections also served me well later in life when many of the less popular kids became successful adults while some of the popular kids seemed to peak in high school.
Happy holidays from the Grinch,
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LOCKS OF LOVE
SON MAKES A WIG FOR HIS MOTHER Melanie Shaha is currently fighting her third brain cancer battle. For 15 years, she’s been suffering
“Not having hair [makes] you stick out like a sore thumb, and well-meaning people can say things that break your heart,” Shaha told TODAY. She didn’t like all the attention and the looks people gave her in public. So, her 27-year-old son Matt had an idea. At first, Matt joked about cutting all of his hair off to make his mother a wig. But the joke soon became a plan, and Matt followed through in 2018. After graduating from college, Matt began growing his hair out. In no time, he had long and luscious hair. His mother tried to dissuade him from cutting it, but Matt wanted to help her feel confident and comfortable in her skin. So, he chopped it off and sent his locks to Compassionate Creations, a
hair company in Newport Beach, California, that created a wig for his mother.
from a benign tumor on her pituitary gland. Although she doesn’t mind being sick, going to her appointments, focusing on her treatment, and talking to loved ones about her cancer, she doesn't like looking sick. If you didn’t know Shaha, you wouldn’t realize she was battling cancer. But this suddenly changed once she lost all of her hair. She had two surgeries, in 2003 and 2006, in hopes of removing the tumor on her pituitary gland, but they weren’t successful. Then, when she began radiation therapy in 2017, the treatment caused her hair to fall out. MAKE DECEMBER A SEASON OF GIVING! TO SUPPORT RIGHT NOW 3 LOCAL CHARITIES
Now, Shaha has a piece of her son to take everywhere with her beautiful new tresses. “The color is spectacular, and we had it cut and styled with a hairdresser. Matt said it looked great on me. It sure fills your emotional cup,” Shaha says. If you — or someone you know — would like to donate your hair to cancer patients, you can donate to Locks of Love, Wigs For Kids, Chai Lifeline, and Children With Hair Loss. Research donation centers in your area if you would like to give back locally.
Every December, a representative from Emery Law Office calls a nearby elementary school to find out if we can sponsor a family for Christmas. There is always a child whose family needs help. Sometimes the parents are going through a divorce. Other times, medical debt has crippled their finances. Whatever the barrier, we step in to help them celebrate Christmas in style!
No one is required to help, but the whole ELO team often pitches in. If you’re looking for a way to give back this season, consider making a similar call or reaching out to another of our team’s favorite charities. They’ve shared a few here. You can’t go wrong with one of these options!
gift cards and food for a Christmas dinner, all of the children receive presents, there are games/ activities, a big dinner, crafts, a dessert contest, a Christmas performance, and so much more. I used to run the women’s/children's ministry there and it was my favorite event.”
Libby Thorngate Operations Manager
Andrea Whittam Intake Specialist/Legal Assistant
“Scarlet Hope is a local charity that helps women transition out of the adult entertainment industry. I love the way they empower women who want to make that change with job training and other opportunities. I've volunteered with them in the past and have also mentored some of their interns."
“My family has always participated in the Angel Tree program with The Salvation Army. We each enjoy getting our angel, shopping for them from their list, and feeling humbled by the items on their list. I have also enjoyed in past years sponsoring a family together with my friend through her church. It always brings me happiness to contribute towards their holiday including the decor, the gifts, and the meal.” Want to learn more about the charity work we do as a team? Follow us on Facebook at Facebook. com/EmeryLawOffice/ for the latest updates.
Jessica Maza Receptionist
“I have to pick the Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy. They do a huge Christmas party with more than 400 attendees for the families of horsemen at Churchill Downs. They give big baskets to the families with
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HOW TO DRIVE SAFELY IN WINTER WEATHER 3 Tips to Remember This Holiday Season The holidays are supposed to be a bright time with friends and family — not a period of recovery in the hospital after a car crash. To keep yourself safe on the road this winter and avoid painful collisions, use these three tips. 1. Keep your trips to a minimum during lousy weather. If hail is thundering down or it’s snowing sideways, the best way for you to stay safe is to avoid going out altogether. Postpone your grocery trip or that dinner with your friend, stay over at your sister’s house instead of driving home, put off your holiday road trip until tomorrow, and consider grabbing a hotel instead of driving home from the airport. Staying in may be inconvenient, but it’s much better to be inconvenienced for a day than injured for a lifetime! If you wait, it will allow the city to plow the roads and give the storm time to die down. 2. If you have to go, be slow ! When you’re on the road in bad weather, exercise caution and stay far away from other cars. You never know when another driver will hit a patch of ice and spin into your lane. If you look at every other car as a potential hazard, you’ll be ready when something does happen. 3. There’s no shame in pulling over. If the weather is worsening and you’re starting to get nervous, follow your gut and pull into the nearest gas station or Dairy Queen parking lot to wait out the storm. There’s no shame in pulling over — in fact, it’s the safe, responsible thing to do. Just be sure to notify anyone expecting you that you’ve stopped on the road so they don't worry. Ultimately, safe winter driving comes down to common sense. Listen to your instincts when they tell you to slow down, stop, call in sick to work, or take the long way around. If you still end up in a car crash, call our team for help — and tell your friends and family to do the same! We’ll fight to secure compensation for them and take the stress of the crash away so they can focus on the holidays.
HAVE A LAUGH!
This year-round treat is the perfect dessert for any holiday party. Since you don’t need to worry about a hot oven, it’s a great recipe to make with the whole family — including the little ones! INGREDIENTS
• • • •
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp softened butter
1 lb white chocolate candy coating
DIRECTIONS
WE WANT YOU TO THINK OF US AS YOUR LAW FIRM. If you have a legal matter that needs attention, let us know. If we can’t handle the matter, we will refer you to a firm that can. Please feel free to refer us to your friends and family for their legal needs. We welcome the opportunity to help. 1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. 2. In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, peanut butter, and softened butter. Mix until evenly combined. 3. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on the lined cookie sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until firm. 4. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate candy coating in increments of 30 seconds, stirring occasionally until smooth. 5. In the same bowl, use skewers to dip peanut butter balls into the chocolate before placing them on a lined cookie sheet so they can harden. 6. Chill until ready and then serve!
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6100 DUTCHMANS LN. STE. 601 LOUISVILLE, KY 40205
INSIDE
MELISSA’S FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE 1
WHAT STARTED AS A JOKE BECAME REALITY
OUR TEAM’S TOP 3 CHARITIES 2
3 TIPS FOR SAFE WINTER DRIVING
NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER SNOWBALLS 3
WHY YOU NEED TO CLEAN YOUR SMOKE DETECTOR 4
KEEP YOUR SMOKE DETECTOR CLEAN YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!
We all know a smoke detector protects us from a fire in our home. They stay on constant alert, sniffing out any sign of smoke. But are you maintaining yours properly? Many homeowners only touch their smoke alarms when they chirp for new batteries, ignoring them every other day of the year. You should be cleaning (yes, cleaning, not just pressing that button!) every six months. Cleaning your smoke detector is essential to your safety. Here’s a step-by-step guide on doing it correctly. Cleaning your smoke detector is important. Your house is filled with pollutants, even if you clean it regularly. Things like dust, pollen, pet dander, cooking vapors, and smoke linger in your house even if you can’t see them. These tiny fibers and
particles love to find small spaces to settle into, like your smoke alarm.
dislodge and remove the pollutants inside the device. If you don't have a brush attachment, use any soft cleaning brush to break up that gunk before vacuuming it away. Wipe the outside vents. In a bowl, mix a bit of water and mild detergent (we recommend Dawn dish soap or equivalent) and saturate a paper towel or microfiber cloth in the mixture. Use this to wipe the outside of your smoke detector, particularly the vent openings. These will likely become clogged with dust and dander, so focus your scrubbing efforts there to ensure air can pass through. We want you to always be safe in the case of an emergency. Add these two steps to your cleaning routine to protect your home and family from fire.
As these tiny particles build up, they cover the smoke-sniffing sensors in the detector and insulate it from the outside. This is a problem when a fire breaks out because it will take longer for the smoke to make its way to that sensor through the gunk. The more time the smoke takes to filter through the buildup, the longer your family is in danger. There are two critical parts to cleaning your smoke detector; each is equally vital to keeping your family safe. Vacuum the inside of the unit. Take the outer face of your smoke detector off, and use the soft brush attachment of your vacuum to gently
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