With Christmas right around the corner and the other winter holidays in full tilt, I thought I would write a little something more positive here than the normal doom and gloom of the undead. Yes, I celebrate Christmas, but to be fair to all that read this, Happy Holidays. I hope your days are bright and your family is loving.
One of the things that made me smile this year was the Layaway angels I read about in the news. These are people that have gone into store and found those people that are in the most need of help to pay off their purchases. They then pay the layaway off for them, allowing them to actually get their gifts. Most people have only spent about 100$, but I read of one person that spent nearly 10k doing this. That article made me smile and to think how great people can really be.
Of course, there is the flip side of that. On back Friday their was the woman that peppered sprayed a crowd of people just so she could get a deal. I was disgusted by this and it hurt me to know that some people truly do not know what it means to help others and to be their for them.
What I really want to point out though is the spirit of the season and the fact that no matter how tough things can get at times, there are those willing to help their fellow human out. This year has been very tough for me and my family. I am working a lot less and therefore we were not able to get much for the holiday for our children. I am not saying that w still would't have had a wonderful day, because we are lucky enough to have a wonderful family here, just that the kids would not get very many gifts.
My wife was on this website called cafemom.com that is a forum for mothers to talk about all of life's issues and to get support from one another. This is a wonderful place to get many ideas that we would not have thought of on our own. She was asking in one of the forums about simple homemade gifts that we could do for the kids. One of the other mothers on the site asked if it would be OK if she sent us a few things. My wife agreed and this other mother sent us a few gifts for the kids. Some clothes and a toy for each of them. It did bring tears to my eyes that there are strangers that are willing to help others out. We plan on recording our kids opening the gifts and sending the video to her in thanks, so that she can see what her generosity has done for them.
On a different note, I am also going to be trying to see if I can do more. I am trying to be more sustainable in my own ways. Basically growing some of my own food so that I do not have to buy it at the store. One day I hope to be able to help others with some fresh food. There is a great kickstarter program here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/488253196/freight-farms-grow-fresh-food-in-any-environment that could have some very large implications. One of these could be placed somewhere and the food used for local needs. If I was running one, I would ensure that at least a part of the food produced went to hungry people in the area.
No matter what your life is like, this is the time of year to put down old hatreds and to love one another. We can look past different beliefs and just work together to make a better future. One of my favorite lines ever is this, "It is not how you believe, just that you believe." And maybe, we can believe in a better future where we help one another and we all are better for it. Peace, hope and love.
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