It’s that time of year! I absolutely love everything about Christmas … the meaning of the Nativity, holiday lights, chocolate chip cookies and, yes, Hallmark movies!
In this season of giving, I’m sure many are thinking about the perfect gift for that special someone. What I realize is that gifts are not always wrapped in shiny paper with a pretty bow on top. I witnessed this first-hand over the weekend. I was in New York visiting my daughter and it always amazes me to see so much going on in the city. As we were walking to the train, my daughter gave a homeless woman a bottle of water. I watched the woman take the bottle as if it were a handful of gold as she whispered a shy “thank you.” She was so grateful for that water and all I could think about was the fact that this woman was someone’s loved one, in a desperate situation. Then later, we were on the train when my daughter gave money to a kid who was selling candy. She said she wasn’t going to eat the candy but wanted to help in case he was trying to help his family or reach a goal. He too was grateful. Some may argue that people create all sorts of scams to get over on others. While that may be true, I felt something different from watching these two interactions.
That’s when it hit me. I witnessed giving that you can’t put a price tag on. I watched my daughter sharing compassion, support, generosity, love and a willingness to help others. She made me proud and helped me remember the gifts that transcend anything we could ever buy from the store. They are gifts of the heart and it’s worthwhile reminding ourselves that connecting with people there, leaves a lasting imprint.
So this holiday season, give the gift of joy. Go out of your way to make someone’s day. Give them something they can hold in their hearts not just in their hand. Let the season of giving follow you through the Christmas season and always!