I hope when I and the kids look back on this particular Christmas season, the words joy and kindness come to mind. It all started brewing the day before Thanksgiving, when those two words were not what one would use to describe what I hoped would be a special trip to Wal-Mart to pick out Christmas gifts for those in need. I won't go into detail regarding the colorful words I did use to describe the kids' behavior that afternoon, but the conversation that ensued afterwards between Beau and I was an important one. We talked about our responsibility as parents to model compassion and concern for others, and we brainstormed ways we could involve the kids in these values, in tangible ways they could participate in with us. They are at the ages now where they can start to understand, and definitely absorb the ways we talk, behave, and treat others. And while it's easy to sprinkle in simple acts of kindness through this season, paying for someone's coffee in the Starbuck's line, dropping a few bucks in the red kettle at Wal-Mart, or putting a little more in the offering plate, we wanted this joy and kindness mission to be front and center in the way our family prepared for this season, hoping the kids could ultimately feel the joy of spreading love and giving to others instead of only thinking about their presents under the tree.
Thanks to a similar mission given by our trusty elf in his arrival letter, we had breakfast together the first Saturday of December and brainstormed 24 ways we could spread joy and kindness during the holidays. We wrote our ideas down on 24 slips of paper, then stuck them in a mason jar for us to have as ideas for the month. I didn't want this to be yet another checklist of things to cross off or add to the overwhelming feeling this season often brings, but rather as ideas to draw from when we found ourselves desiring to do something good.
Here are a few of the ideas we brainstormed and had fun doing together...
1. When we asked Mila for an idea, she said something along the lines of "baking a cake for college kids." Our kids have become quite accustomed to having college students in our house this past year, so it was no surprise when her idea of giving including college kids. Beau gets the credit for bringing her idea to life as we spread joy through dozens of Little Debbie "cakes" at Rod Library the day before finals' week.
2. One of our ideas was to tape some money to vending machines, but it wasn't until I ran across this "serendipity" paper in a pack of cardstock at home that I decided to make it a little more fun. We made a bunch of what we now call serendipity cards, and the kids LOVED taping them to random areas at our local hospital. The definition is fun and inspiring, and we pray that they reached just the right people.
3. Teacher gifts. Instead of waiting until the last minute and purchasing a gift card or a package of chocolates, we prioritized teacher gifts early in the month, wrote hand-written thank yous, and drew pictures of something we loved most about them. We've been blessed beyond measure with the best teachers and want to make sure they feel the love this season.
4. Care packages for our delivery friends! The kids helped shop, decorate the cards, and set them out that morning. And it was the first thing they asked about after school.
5. Cul de sac cocoa kits. It's no secret we love our cocoa around here, so it only seemed fitting to share that love with our neighborhood. I created an assembly line and everyone had a part in putting together family cocoa kits, complete with disposable cups and lids, cocoa packets, little bags of marshmallows and chocolate chips, striped straws, and wooden spoons. The kids delivered these Friday night and it was so much fun to read them sweet replies we received via text messages that night. Our favorite was a family that said the cocoa kit was put to perfect use while they drove around to look at Christmas lights. It warmed our hearts to think of them preparing their cocoa cups before hopping in the car together. If that's not the joy of giving, I don't know what is. :)
Other acts of kindness, sans pictures...
6. We Facetime'd with Taylor and Kate one night, just to tell them hi and that we loved them.
7. We all named a special person to pray for and took turns saying prayers for them at dinner.
8. We doubled our chicken tetrazzini one night and brought dinner to some of our favorite people.
9. We gathered twenty of our own toys we no longer needed or wanted and donated them.
10. We purchased a Wal-Mart gift card and taped it to a car window. The kids loved this one also because they felt sneaky. :)
So have I seen a change since that day in Wal-Mart? Absolutely. Obviously they are still kids and are very hopeful for presents under the tree on Christmas morning, but it's been really sweet to see this joy and kindness talk trickle into our everyday. It's become quite common for me to pick Mila up from school and have her share one way she showed love and kindness to a friend in a simple way. Cruz has realized it's not always easy to put yourself out there, but the joy that is released because of it is rewarding and worth it. He was nervous at first to share treats with college kids, give the picture he drew to Hick, and even deliver cocoa kits to neighbors, but walked away from every experience with a spring in his step and a smile on his face. The more he has opportunities to step outside himself, even into the uncomfortable, the more he will see the beauty in those experiences. I know it.
The other night we read The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving, an excellent book to read to kids during the holidays. In the book, Brother Bear and Sister Bear each pick out a gift for one another. As the kids listened, they both had the idea to do the same. Mila immediately marched into her bedroom to grab her money jars, and we helped them set aside $10 of their own savings to purchase a gift for each other. And last weekend, we went back to Wal-Mart, for a much more successful trip to purchase toys. I'm hopeful this is just the start of an important part of the holiday season around our house. And an effort that trickles all the year through.
So amazing!!!
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