Natick resident embraces the spirit of kindness in holiday lights display

Not every neighborhood has a holiday lights display designed to bring people together in a place where they can feel safe and connect with the Christmas spirit. That’s because not every neighborhood has someone like Brooke Ferrelli, who has made it her mission in life to generate a feeling of goodwill that visitors to the exterior of her 62 Pond Street, Natick, home will experience year-round.

The many inflatables that grace the property include penguins, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the Abominable Snowman, elves, a gingerbread man, the Grinch, snowmen, and  of course, Santa. In the side yard there’s a sofa in front of a fire pit, complete with fleece blankets to encourage lingering and conversation on cold winter nights. Multiple strings of lights keep everything aglow, and every kid who visits comes away with a present.

“I’m trying to show that if you just connect and show a little bit of kindness, it comes back to you a million times,” Brooke says. “Maybe if people see some sort of kindness in life, that will stick with them—because it stuck with me—and it will carry on and be passed on.”

Brooke grew up as the oldest of five kids and has fond memories of life in a big family. She and her siblings weren’t raised with a lot in the way of material things. “We didn’t really have a lot of money,” she says. “We had a big family, we had a car, and we had Christmas music. We had the ability to hop in our car, put on Christmas music, and drive around and look at peoples’ lights. That’s what I carry with me from my childhood—the lights, the caroling, seeing family. That’s the essence of Christmas, to me. It was never about the presents for us. It was about really embracing the spirit of kindness and just enjoying it.”

Brooke always remembered the magic of those holiday displays from her childhood. As soon as she had a home of her own, she set about recreating the joy. Her hope was that she could share something that would help others feel the same excitement as that young girl in a car packed with brothers and sisters, oohing and ahhing over the lights, belting out Christmas carols.

“I was 20 when I moved into my first house in Waltham. I had a porch, and my best friend and I would go crazy, and we’d decorate the whole outer porch and really go all out,” Brooke says. That was over 20 years ago. “I just carried it on as I moved here.”

She keeps the inflatables going all night, right into the morning so kids going to school will see a display at its best. Brooke firmly believes that no kid headed off to class needs to be confronted by a shriveled up, air-less Santa splayed out on the frozen ground. “The kids stop here because I put candy canes out every day, so they stop and get candy canes on their way to school and they know they’ll be refreshed on their way back, and you can see their smiles.”

Generally speaking, everyone is respectful, she says. “I had problems about five years ago. but I kept going because I said the darkness isn’t going to take away the light. You can destroy my stuff, but you’re not going to destroy the spirit.”

For weeks after the vandalism, neighbors dropped off replacement decorations. There haven’t been any problems since.

At its core, the display is Brooke’s labor of love. “It’s not about the money, it’s not about how much it costs, it really is about if I can just bring a little bit of cheer to somebody’s life with a little bit of light, a little bit of hope, a little bit of kindness—isn’t that what it’s all about?”

Brooke keeps her display up through Jan. 6 for the enjoyment of all.

In her professional life, Brooke creates beauty as the principal of Eminent Design landscaping company (508-397-1193). She plants and maintains flowers, shrubs, and entire gardens, mows, and handles seasonal clean-ups. When the snow flies, she does residential plowing.

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