My Christmas Wish

It's that holiday time of year. Christmas is really right around the corner and for the first time in years I'm feeling so in the spirit of giving. Sadly I'm not in a position to be able to give the things I'd like to.

In my mind I imagine shopping for gifts and food to wrap and leave on the steps of homes I know could use the help for Christmas morning. I imagine buying stockings to stuff to hang on people's doorknobs or outside of their home as a wonderful surprise. I am making plans so that when next year comes around I can do this all. For now I have to live in the dreams of my mind.

Christmas giving within our own families is wonderful and to friends is wonderful too. But for me, nothing is better than anonymously giving to those who truly need it. Giving without getting any recognition for it. Nothing beats that. Because I KNOW what it feels like to be struggling or at the end of my rope and receiving a gift that saves me. I know that feeling and I also know the amazing feeling it gives the giver to know they created this for someone.

This year I can't because we are in our own little stuck tough situation. So this year I'm writing this blog to ask my readers to recognize this amazing feeling that you can create. Here's just a few ideas of something you can do.

1. Buy a gift card for a local grocery store and tape it to someone's door.
2. Buy a Walmart gift card and tape it to someone's door
3. Buy a stocking and stuff it with candy, gift cards, cash, cans of Vienna sausages, boxes of mac-n-cheese, batteries (who doesn't need batteries), a good book, other such things and hang it on someone's doorknob or hang it outside their home.
4. Buy a bag of food and household supplies and leave it on someone's doorstep.
5. Buy children's gifts and adult gifts and leave them for a family in need.
6. Tape an envelope with some money to someone's door.
7. know someone who's having such a tough year they don't even have a tree? Get a small tree and decorate it. Leave it outside their house with gift cards hung on the tree and maybe a couple gifts too.
8. Have flowers delivered to someone who is alone this year with well wishes for the holidays

You can come up with many other ideas, these are just a few to give you a start. Giving is it's own special gift. The amazing feeling it will leave you with is worth the amount of money you spend to make it happen. The feeling it leaves the receiver with is worth 10 times the money you spent to make it happen.

Along with the anonymous kindnesses you can give, remember the small kindnesses you can give to everyone you meet. A smile can often make someone's day 200 times better. Visiting a lonely friend can change their week. Listening to someone struggling can be of comfort. You don't have to spend money to change someone's difficult season into a time full of joy and love.

Remember, no matter what you celebrate or what anyone else celebrates, the season is here to remind us of kindness, joy and comfort that we should share every day of the year. How do you want to feel during the holiday season or during the other days of the year? Can you do something to create even a little of that positive feeling for another person right now? Will you?