my kids know front and back all about the story of Jesus's birth (no one has confessed to including a little bathroom humor to the nativity scene)
But for me this year I just feel like I am letting the stupid things get to me more than I should.
and as the days ticked by and Christmas was getting closer I was feeling worse. You watch the news and hear the horrible stories of killings and riots. I belong to a Facebook group for people in need to ask for help with random things like clothes, furniture, food ect and it came to light that some where taking advantage and making up their sad stories or selling the items they were given, then I listened to someone talk about all the gifts they are getting or the money they are going in debt for trying to one up the other parent. combined with having a few personal bad days I was feeling very ba-hum-bug.
Then one day we came home to a note on our front door.
and we found a bag full of gifts for our girls!
I couldn't believe it!
tears were rolling down my face.
my kids are not in need and will have plenty of presents
but to be on the receiving end of a random act of kindness was just such an eye opener to me.
someone somewhere thought about us and really took the time to make us feel special.
it's hard to explain
Julia immediately started guessing who our secret Santa was.
she begged me to let her go ask a few of her guesses
but I told her I think if they wanted us to know they would have put their name on the letter.
I think the best thing we can do is pay it forward
take their random act and do something good for someone else in their honor.
The feeling you get when helping someone else is better than any other feeling.
My husband and I knew from the very beginning we would have a big family. and we also knew with a big family money isn't always in abundance and so we never wanted to set our kids up to thinking this would be a great Christmas based on the amount of presents they got. We wanted a great Christmas to be based on great memories made with family outings or staying up late watching Christmas movies, going to Christmas carol concerts, visiting the live nativity, making cookies and crafts.
our secret Santa reminded us how to make this a great Christmas by giving to others what we can. They went through there outgrown clothes and donated them to foster kids, made a bag full of goodies for a homeless man, collected can goods for the foodbank and made Christmas cards for retired nuns.
My girls are so grateful
my husband and I want to say Thank you!
I want to hug the life out of you.
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