A Humble Christmas Wish List.

As I have mentioned on this blog … I aspire to be a better “giver” … in any way possible … not only because it is good for the community, my son, the planet, etc … but mostly because it feels so darn good.

After much thought on how my family and I might “give” on Christmas day, I decided to place a call to our local Maine Veterans Home. I pitched an idea to Shirley, their activities coordinator, to visit with residents there who would otherwise not be receiving Christmas Day visitors. Shirley was most receptive and said that our visit would fulfill a great need at the home, as much of the community visits the home during Veterans holidays but not during the Christmas season. I then asked Shirley if she could compile a list of the residents that we could visit along with their holiday wishes from “Santa”. She did. And when I received it, I was most humbled by it.

Here it is:

Mr ___ wants a 6-pack of O’Douls.
Mr ___ wants a Red Sox sweatshirt.
Mrs ___ wants a pair of size 8 slacks.
Mr ___ wants some hard candy.
Mr ___ wants 2 black t-shirts.
Mr ___ wants some cheesy snacks.
Mr ___ wants tube socks.
Mr ___ also wants a 6-pack of O’Douls.

Wow. So simple. So sweet. And I cannot wait to play Santa for these folks on Christmas Day. What a gift for my family … to be able to meet the humble Christmas wishes of those in our community who have served their country. I think I am way more excited for this visit than for any other part of Christmas.

I have purchased a few other treats for those on the list (blankets, soaps, etc) and would welcome any other goodies that my local friends would like to contribute. But more than that, I wish to encourage others to make similar efforts in their own communities. It is amazing to me how many people are in need of a friendly word and deed … and how easy it is for many of us to fulfill that need … with a bit of effort and a smile. I encourage you, the reader of this post, to make a phone call today to see how you might be able to make Christmas (Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, or Winter Solstice) brighter for a fellow human being (or two or three). After all, that is what the holiday season is all about, isn’t it?

If you do so, please comment here about your efforts. Let’s inspire one another!

Much Love,
Jodi

Jodi Renshaw

About Jodi Renshaw

Jodi is a homeschooling Mom, a photographer, a wife, and a proud resident of the city of Bangor. She spends part of her time working at a locally-owned shop in the downtown area, part of her time homeschooling her favorite young man, and most of her time behind a camera lens. She often writes about adoption, family life, homeschooling, and community.