I hate to admit it, but we are almost a month from Christmas and I, a certified, self-proclaimed Christmas fanatic, am battling the dreaded Scrooge/Grinch syndrome.
On November 3rd., I visited one of my favourite little Aurora shops, Not Just Cards, in search of some autumn-themed h'or d'oeuvres serviettes. What was I thinking? Of course, with Christmas 'only' (?) two months away, not an "autumn anything" was to be found; the store had been transformed into a Christmas fantasy with piped in Christmas music. November 3rd.? Heck, I was barely over Hallowe'en!
Speaking of Christmas music, effective November 15th. my chosen radio station, CHFI, moved to an "all Christmas Music" format. Please don't get me wrong. I absolutely love Christmas music as is evidenced by our huge library of Christmas CD's. My fondest memories of Christmas as a child include the magical Candlelight Christmas Carol service at our family church. But isn't 'nothing but Christmas music' for six straight weeks just a bit of overkill? So starved am I now for the occasional regular music that I would happily listen to polka. OMG!
What finally dragged me into my SG Syndrome, were scenes from Black Friday, a phenomenon which has now sadly infected Canada. Talk about a decadent display of consumerism!
Where, I desperately asked myself, is the true spirit of Christmas in all of this and how do I rekindle mine? Miraculously then my light bulb went on. Last year, Melissa challenged her Facebook friends to perform a random act of kindness. Taking Melissa up on her challenge proved to be one of my most enjoyable endeavours in the Christmas 2013 season. And then there is beautiful Jackie, who after recently watching a homeless lady in a local Newmarket laundromat find warmth and access to a TV for news, gifted her with $60. What a heart warming random act of kindness! ...... the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day. Just the antidote I need!
With inspiration from Melissa and Jackie, I have promised myself that for each of the twenty-five days preceding Christmas, I will perform a daily random act of kindness. It will be MY way to celebrate God's gift which was definitely NOT a fifty inch flat screen TV. Hey, don't get me wrong; I am not ready for sainthood. My random acts will not be selfless gestures. In return, I hope to find some positive energy and rekindle my spirit of Christmas.
Although I am sure I will spend money, not all of my random acts need be expensive. A genuine compliment, assisting an elderly person with their grocery bags, allowing traffic to merge are all possibilities. As the ancient Arab proverb says, If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have little, give of your heart. I feel better already. And who knows, you may actually catch me humming Christmas songs as I act!
Care to join my challenge? Let me know!
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