Humbled by the Giver, (or, It's Good to be a Sap This Time of Year)

We just got this envelope in the mail the other day. The people that we got it from could have had a justified begging & whine session, about how hard things have been lately on charities, about how badly they need us to give. But no, they decided to give a small gift and this bit of encouragement to pass on in a small, non-obtrusive card. So, I wanted to share it, and some other small bits of what encourage me. This time of year it is especially important for us to look beyond ourselves and share.

Hope
"Of all the forces that make for a better world, none is so powerful as hope.
With hope, one can think, one can work, one can dream. If you have hope, you have everything."

Faith
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Love
"No greater love have a man than this, than that he lay down his life for another."

There are many reasons throughout a holiday season, that we can get caught in the rush and forget the person in front of us may also have just come from a bad day at work, or from a family member in the hospital, or from a layoff, or tough time at the doctor or lost a family member to a war or illness. It's so easy for us to forget that what is in front of us, isn't a what, but a who. That person is a brother or uncle or mom or sister.

Maybe for them, the holidays are that tough time of year, where a simple kindness can take them through to the next day, or the next month or the next year.

That's why I'm always blathering on about sharing a hope and a smile. Sometimes we have to step outside of ourselves and the problems we are living with and think about sharing a warm chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk, or hot cup of cocoa or coffee with the person in front of or behind us.

Let's purpose to make Christmas more than a sales booster or rush for the next best thing, instead...

lets share hope and a smile.