On this beautiful fourth day of December,as you prepare for Christmas what are your plans for giving this season?   I’m making a conscious effort this year to think seriously about this question.  Of course, we all buy for our families and friends.

I know that I need to make a list for who I am buying for, decide on price limit for each gift and make sure that when I total this, it doesn’t exceed my budget.  What?  A budget for Christmas?  Yes, if you don’t want added stress in the new year!

The thing I don’t want to forget or put off is the other giving I want to do more of this month.  It truly is a time of year that either thrills people or greatly saddens them.  I sincerely want to reach out to those who are alone, sad, or maybe they recently lost someone and this is going to be a particularly rough Christmas.  Yes, I have already given money to charity and want to do more in that arena as well, but sometimes our time, a smile, freshly baked cookies, or just randomly doing a chore for someone is just as important.

I met a woman this week who doesn’t need anything monetarily and she looks fine and smiles a lot.  What I found out though is that her husband recently left her and she’s alone.  My first thought would be that there isn’t really anything I could do; after all she isn’t local.  However, I WILL find a way to somehow make her holiday brighter, even if it’s sending a note.  It’s easy to overlook needs if we aren’t looking at people and situations with love and open hearts.

Will you partner with me and search out some of these needs in your community?  If you already do, God Bless You, you rock!  I think most of us have good intentions, but sometimes the busyness of the season wears us down until we don’t even enjoy it.  We will enjoy it most when we give most!

Have a great night!