Tis better to give than receive...
The season of giving...
It's the thought that counts...
These are things that we drill into our childrens' heads year after year at Christmas time. Parents have been doing it for generations and will probably continue to do it for generations after my children are grown. I have said these things to Gabe and Bits and my parents said them to me, etc etc.
BUT all of this is just talk. Most people do NOTHING to back up the words they spew to their children; it's almost like second nature to say "oh honey, Christmas isn't about getting gifts, it's about giving gifts/spending time with family/whatever"
We like to back up the "season of giving" with actions; each year we do the best we can with what we have to do something for someone else who may not have the means to enjoy the holiday. This year is no exception, as always, though, money is short (let's be realistic, when ISN'T it? haha) but we have plenty of time. Gabe has an entire week off for Thanksgiving this year sooooooo
we're going to be Salvation Army Bell Ringers! We're going to dress up head to toe in warm clothes and ring bells and be obnoxious and loud and wish everyone around us happy holidays, merry Christmas, blah blah blah whatever we want...and why are we doing it? Because Gabe and Bits need to KNOW that when mom and dad say something like "tis better to give than receive" we mean it. We are going to be giving OUR time to help others in need. We are going to lead by example so they realize (maybe not in the moment or even in the near future, but at some point) that we feel good when we do something for someone else and that's what the holidays SHOULD be about; happiness.joy. friends. family. love. peace. giving. caring.
Not gimme gimme gimme gimme. Not "oh my god, I have to have the 'insert trendy toy here that will break in a week' or I will diiiiie" Not anything except peace on earth and goodwill toward others. I'd like to challenge all of you to back up your words with actions this holiday season. Don't just say it DO it. Put those words into action....your children will ALWAYS remember that you were a person of action, not just empty words.
1 comment:
We talked with Nathan for a long time a few years back about how some kids don't have enough to eat or warm clothes or toys to play with. He's a very very sensitive kiddo so it hit him super hard. Every year now we get a tag off the giving tree and it's really neat to see how much he lights up about giving something to others. As a heads up to your readers as well, a lot of places right now are doing super duper cheap turkeys. I always budget 99c/lb for my turkeys and when I can get them cheaper I buy extras and take them to the food bank. It's a relatively cheap way to really do something nice for someone!
Post a Comment