While I hear ’tis the season to be jolly,’ I must say I’m not seeing all that much jolly at play on the streets and in the aisles. The holidays are interesting. They can bring out the absolute best and worst in people as their determination to score that big gift clouds their common sense and general standards of courtesy. Now, beloved sights and sounds of Christmas such as neighborhood streets lined with colorful blinking lights and holiday music streaming everywhere you go are joined by visions of pushy people cutting in lines or bumping into you in tight, cluttered store aisles and the screeching of cars zooming in and out of parking lots, manned by drivers completely oblivious to nearby pedestrians.
I think that’s why I buy so many things online. It’s certainly a huge part of it.
My hubs recently experienced one ray of generosity during this hectic time. After waiting for nearly an hour at a local family hair salon, he finally took the chair for a haircut. But when he went up to pay, he was informed that the father of two before him with the two fidgety kids had apparently watched him wait patiently for so long that he paid for his haircut, too.
Wow. See, little gestures like that do give me hope about humans.
And a story recently on The CBS Evening News had a big-time exec going out anonymously and handing out $100 bills to people he observed at area Walmarts and other department stores who appeared to be in need of some help this holiday season.
I don’t have stacks of $100 bills I can hand out but my heart is full when I hear such stories. The act of doing good not for credit or even the satisfaction of a returned smile or hug but “just because” is so beautifully pure. Doing it just because others need it more than you or because your heart wants to give to someone else. It is simply this quiet act designed to spread a little kindness and maybe that kindness might inspire someone else to do the same.
Can you do something like that this week? I’ll bet every one of us could. And why shouldn’t we? Maybe you could pay for the person behind you in drive-thru at the fast food restaurant or if you are still traveling down toll roads with actual toll booths, pay for the toll of the driver behind you. Or buy an extra cup of coffee at your favorite café and deliver it to someone you notice working hard to help others. Why? Just because.
We invest so much time, money and effort in finding that perfect gift for a select few, but what if we dedicated a small portion of that energy to being thoughtful for an array of total strangers? Imagine what goodness we could inspire! Or better yet, don’t just imagine. Do it. Happy holidays, my friends. ~ Chris xo
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