'Tis the season for giving. The holidays give people a wonderful opportunity to spend time with family and friends, celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, eat lots of great food, decorate trees and homes, give and receive awesome gifts, ride around and look at all the pretty lights and bake cookies and make gingerbread houses.
But sadly it also becomes a time of stress and depression for those who cannot experience all these simple luxuries that so many people take for granted during the Christmas season. Many people cannot afford to succumb to the societal pressures that the commercialization of Christmas has created, while others simply don't have a family to celebarate the holidays with.
That's why I, along with many others, like to think of this time of year as a time of giving. A girl I went to college with once said that her family alternates years for when they give and when they receive. Every other year they take all of the money they would have spent on Christmas and buy gifts for a family in need. I think this is a wonderful way to be completely selfless during the holiday season. And while it may be a little too late to dedicate yourself to something like this there are many other ways to give this time of year.
Sure you can always donate to Toys for Tots or the Christmas Tree Angel program but there are so many other ways to help and many other people who need help this year. I have compiled a list of things you can do with family and friends to contribute to the season of giving...
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| Christmas 2009 |
(1) Get in touch with your local bishop, pastor or priest to find a family in need. You can buy gifts and food for the family and have fun delivering the goodies on Christmas Eve in a hit and run.
(2) You know that old lady down the street that's always yelling at you to keep your dog off her lawn? Well, she deserves love too. You can bring her a warm meal or cookies. You can leave it anonymously or stick around and give her an ear to talk to.
(3) Cover someone's meal at a restaurant. It's as simple as requesting a $10 gift card for the people standing behind you at McDonald's or asking the waiter to let you cover the bill for another family seated in the restaurant. This simple act of kindness will definitely lift someone's spirit and hopefully encourage them to "pay it forward."
(4) Pets need love too during the holidays. Animal shelters around the nation are being overcrowded with with cats and dogs, especially as the economy continues to worsen and people are having to choose feeding their kids over feeding their pets. Shelters are non-profit organizations that work solely from donors. You can either spend a Saturday feeding and walking the animals and cleaning the kennels or you can offer a monetary donation to help get them through the next year.
(5) Invite someone you don't know that well over for dinner. You never know what friendships can be born over a simple meal. The hubby and I used to be so caught up with our busy lives that we never took time to make new friends. Shamefully, a new couple that moved into our ward invited us to have dinner with them instead of the other way around. Now we are great friends and the hubby and I take more opportunities to do the same with others.
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| Christmas 2007 |
(6) Whatever happened to Christmas caroling? This is something that my family did often when I was growing up. I remember knocking on the door of an elderly woman one night and as we belted into O Holy Night you could actually feel the shock and excitement beaming from her face. And she made us stick around for milk and cookies so it was definitely worth braving the cold. As I have grown older I see less and less of this but I say let's bring it back this year!
(7) Bake cookies for your neighbors. These days we live so close to one another yet we hardly know eachother. Take time this season to reach out to those who live around you by leaving a yummy gift in their mailbox or on their doorstep.
(8) Visit a nursing home on Christmas Day. Sure it's nice to relax and hang out with family and friends this day, but sadly there are many people living in nursing homes who don't get any visitors all year long. Make their day by taking an hour or two to share yourself or your family with them.
(9) Leave some baked goodies for the garbage men. It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it. Why not make their job a little more pleasant by leaving them a present? This is something that my grandmother has always done every year and I think it's a great way to show these people that you really appreciate what they do.
(10) Do you know a couple who could really use a break from the kids or who need to get away to do a little Christmas shopping? The holidays can be hard on parents with young kids but you can help lighten their load. Offer to babysit one night so that the couple can enjoy a nice date together. And as an added bonus, clean the house while their gone.
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| Christmas 2006 |
(12) Do you see a homeless person walking in the cold but are too scared to give them a lift? You don't have to. Call a cab and pay them in advance to take them as far as the payment will go. You may also offer them directions to the nearest homeless shelter.
There are tons of ways to show you care this Christmas season and lots of them won't cost you a penny. Don't procrastinate...the holiday season is already here. And I guarantee you that you'll walk away feeling even better than those you served :)
