Certainly the Christmas season enjoys a significant increase in random acts of kindness, helpful actions, friendly greetings, and copious smiles and laughter.
A rarity at any other time of the year, drivers are more likely to graciously make room for merging traffic. Letters and greetings to our overseas armed forces dramatically increase. I witnessed a shopper bring a hot cup of coffee to a Salvation Army rep manning an outside donation bell. A delightedly surprised friend related how the tab for their whole dinner table was picked up by a complete stranger. I should add.....their table of 10! How often have you heard of individuals paying not only for their coffee, but also for the next customer or customers in line? Retail staff readily admit that smiling thank you’s are more prevalent. Cheery greetings of Merry Christmas or simply Have a good day are to be heard everywhere. The list of actions creating warm fuzzy feelings is endless.
Why then does the general mood of joy and cheer diminish, because Laura is correct, it ultimately does. I make the pathetic personal excuse that my decreased post-Christmas tolerance levels are a result of the dreaded grey-skies syndrome - short days, dull skies and cold! Grrrr! But truth be known, I just become lazy, not making the effort to the same degree. Shame on me!!
It is said that no kindness, however small, is wasted. Why can’t we carry the spirit of Christmas kindness throughout the year? Why can’t we personally decide that Christmas is not a date, but a state of mind. Why? And so, Laura, because you increased my awareness, my single 2019 resolution is to do something nice for someone everyday.
