The holidays are so commercialized and hyped up each year that it can be difficult to remember the reasons they even exist in the first place. It can be easy, for children especially, to get caught up in Santa Claus and gifts. While glittering lights, towering trees, sugar-filled goodies, and piles of presents are great, the holidays are the perfect time to bond as a family and show your love for one another. The holiday season is also a fantastic time to remember those less fortunate and to show our appreciation for those we care about. As a parent it is important to redirect some of the excitement for the holidays. Receiving presents is a lot of fun, but giving to others is so much more fulfilling. Each year, as we count down to Christmas, my family tries to do our part to give back to our community and to show our love for others.
With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, more and more families do not take the time to get to know their neighbors. Unfortunately, we don’t know our neighbors as well as we’d like to. But each year during Christmastime we try to let them know how much we care for them. One Saturday in December we make a bunch of cookies and candies as a family. Then that evening we take a Christmas card and small basket of goodies to each family in our neighborhood. Our kids look forward to this day each year, as it gives them a bit of time to reconnect with all the neighbor kids. It is also a great bonding time for our family as a whole.
The holiday season is a busy time for everyone, but even more so for the men and women within the service industry. They work long, hard hours and are often overlooked in the holiday shuffle. Each year my kids are tasked with making homemade Christmas cards to give to each service person we come across. As we go about our day-to-day lives I keep a few cards in my purse, and my kids make a game of trying to spot firefighters, police officers, mailmen and women, garbage men, and others who work hard serving our community. We also take some homemade goodies and cards to the local senior living center. There are certain men and women there that have ‘adopted’ my kids as their grandchildren and look forward to spending time with them each holiday. My kids simply love the smiles they receive when they brighten someone’s day.
My children are still a little young for volunteering time at our local food pantry or soup kitchen. The past couple years we have instead filled a few grocery bags with canned goods and personal hygiene products to donate. My son and daughter enjoy choosing the kinds of foods and products to donate and have learned a lot in the process about those who have fallen on hard times. As they get older we hope to volunteer our time as a family serving those less fortunate.
One of my absolute favorite parts of the holiday season is what my family has deemed RAOK Friday. Each Friday in December my kids take turns choosing somewhere to grab a bite to eat or go grocery shopping. Whether we end up getting donuts at our favorite bakery, coffee at the local coffee shop, going through a drive-thru for fast food, or shopping at the local market, we do a random act of kindness for the person in line behind us by paying their bill. You never know someone’s story, how much they really needed what you were able to provide. It is wonderful seeing the looks on their faces when they find out their bill has been taken care of. It may be just a few dollars, but it feels great to give. My kids might not fully understand the weight of their actions, but my husband and I are trying to do our part to teach them the importance of giving.
Andrea Boley is a writer and busy mom to twins. She is always happy to share her passion for life and experiences through her work, and in her spare time works as a freelance writer for Storkie.
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