Whether you’re an old softie or, like me, “as cuddly as a cactus,” it’s hard not to get swept up in all of the excitement surrounding the holidays here in Suffolk.

Beginning with the tree-lighting ceremony in Market Park a couple of weeks ago and building through last weekend’s Downtown Open House, which featured three days’ worth of Christmas-themed events and shopping opportunities, the anticipation for Christmas has continued to build.

And while the enthusiasm may have reached a public crescendo with the (Guess Which) Holiday Parade on Saturday, boys and girls and their parents all around the world know that these final two weeks before Santa drops into town are filled with anticipation.

As an inveterate procrastinator even in my childhood, I considered these weeks to be the most important of the season. I would retire to my bedroom or to the stairway landing with the Sears Christmas Wish Book, a pen and my imagination, ready to prepare a grandiose list for Santa.

As the child of two parents who loved me too much to give me everything I wanted, I hardly ever found anything under the tree on Christmas morning that I’d marked in those old catalogs. But as the only child in a family blessed with financial stability, I received far more than I ever deserved, providing confirmation after all these years to my wife, who delights in shaking her head and remarking on how “spoiled” she believes I am.

I haven’t seen a Christmas Wish Book in decades — they were replaced by mail-order catalogs and Internet shopping — and my Christmas wishes today are more likely to involve seeing the grandchildren and reconnecting with old friends.

But the hopes of that little boy curled up on the stairway landing 40 years ago are not so different than those of children all over Suffolk today. Sadly, many of those children are not as richly blessed with intact families and material wealth as I was back then. Many of those children face the prospect of a Christmas this year without hope their dreams will be fulfilled.

Knowing this, I see just how blessed I was and continue to be, and that knowledge makes me glad to be involved with the Cheer Fund. Through the generosity of people all around Suffolk, the Cheer Fund collects monetary donations that are used by Suffolk Toys for Tots to provide toys for needy children all around the city and surrounding area.

Last year, the Salvation Army provided toys for 5,260 children through donations to Toys for Tots through the Cheer Fund. The Cheer Fund collected $36,735 for that effort. This year’s goal is $40,000.

Donations may be given by check made out to the Cheer Fund and mailed to the Suffolk News-Herald, P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439.

Thanks to everyone in Suffolk who has donated so far. If you haven’t done so yet, we hope you’ll consider doing so soon. Take it from me and Mr. Grinch — giving is a great way to shake that old “cuddly as a cactus” image.