The Right Attitude for the Holidays!

Yesterday I was given the opportunity to represent BrightBlue Marketing as a volunteer at the Salvation Army. Myself and other volunteers bagged up over 400 Christmas dinners for families that couldn't afford to buy a special meal on their own. As we bagged these items and set up the room for the families that would be coming for the pick up we laughed and had fun just working together.

However, as the people we were there to help began to arrive I looked at their faces and there is one face that will be stuck in my mind for a long time. It was the face of a little boy holding on to the hand of his mom as they waited to pick up their food. He was cute as a button and had a smile that just made my heart feel all warm. I have a little boy of my own - OK, he isn't "little" any more and I would be in trouble if he heard that, but he is 12 years old. I thought about how stressed I was because I couldn't afford to buy him the new game system this year, but hoped he would get enough gift cards from other family members to be able to get it soon after Christmas.

I was thinking about this as I looked at the innocent face of this smiling little boy. My gaze moved to his hand holding onto his mom and then, I looked up to his mother's face - that is when it hit me. What if I was that mom? What if I couldn't afford to buy enough food for my little boy? What must it be like to look down at that sweet, smiling face and tell him that Santa wouldn't come to their house no matter how good he tried to be? How does that conversation feel?

It was at that moment that I stopped worrying about a game system and anything else I didn't have and started appreciating everything that I did have. I can feed my child, I can clothe my child, I live in a neighborhood that you don't automatically lock the car doors when you get near it, and my child will have no shortage of gifts on Christmas morning, even if one of them isn't a new game system.

I am so thankful for organizations like the Salvation Army that help people in need and can help sweet, smiling children have a Merry Christmas. I am thankful that I was able to do some small part to help them do this. This Christmas I am going to think more about everything I have and not about the things I just want!

Do you have a special holiday story you want to share? We would love to hear it!!