Grateful Heart...

It is December.  It is the Christmas season.  It is that time of year when one can and should really focus on the Savior and love and giving and being grateful, no matter what our circumstances.  I have traveled a bit.  I have seen some countries with poverty that makes the poverty in America pale in comparison.  I have read about and known people in abject poverty who are still the happiest of people and the most grateful.

Almost all my Christmas shopping was done prior to Thanksgiving.  The reasoning behind this is simple.  Several years ago we took a trip to Hawaii the first week of December.  That year all my Christmas shopping was done prior to Thanksgiving so I could travel without worrying about getting that done when I returned. The lesson learned was December is just fast paced no matter how prepared one is.  Since that year, I have tried to have all or almost all of my shopping done by Thanksgiving.  Without fail, even having that herculean task out of the way, December is just busy, busy, busy.  Maybe I should embrace that as part of the season but I have not matured to that state of being yet. I wouldn't mind it if the busyness brought the feelings my heart tells me the Christmas season should be filled with.

This year I once again finished all but a few presents prior to Thanksgiving.  This year it has just been get things done and accomplish the other things that seem to 'pop up' in December.  I have not even paused to get a Christmas CD in my car to sing along with the music that seems to be reserved for December, is scoffed at by the masses if enjoyed before properly observing Thanksgiving, and which I think should be enjoyed whenever the mood strikes anytime during the year.

Then this last week happened.  And I started to experience some things that felt like my heart tells me Christmas and the days that lead up to it should feel.  

First, last Wednesday, the youth went caroling to my father's apartment.  I was contacted by the Young Men's president to be sure it was okay to do that again this year.  I assured him it would be fine.  He asked if there was anything they shouldn't bring as a treat.  I told him he was diagnosed this year with Type II diabetes but a little treat would be okay.  At 86 the man should enjoy a little treat.  Gospel according to Sandi. I also told him his favorite was anything chocolate.  The kids came, they sang, they left a plate of cookies.  I visited Papa Thursday morning and asked if the kids came.  His face lit up and he was giddy with sharing that they came and they brought him a plate of cookies.  Then he immediately added that he knew he was not supposed to eat them but he did crumble a few in a small glass of milk and eat them.  Papa has false teeth and it hurts to chew.  Besides the fact one of his favorite meals when I was a child was a bag of vanilla wafers and a jug of milk.  He would work at making the milk and the vanilla wafers come out even as he consumed the crushed up vanilla wafers in the milk. I assured Papa he could space that cookie and milk treat out every few days and enjoy his cookies and not feel bad about it.  The man has will power.  I was at his apartment today and he still has some of the cookies in a Ziploc bag.  I felt grateful to the youth for continuing to choose to sing to Papa each year and to bring him a treat.  He feels that love and in his very solitary world, that is a very good thing.  I felt grateful and the Christmas spirit was beginning to enter my heart.

Next was this past weekend.  The Scott County Library brought the reading of the Polar Express book to Sadieville again. This year they scheduled 4 readings Friday night and 2 readings on Saturday night.  The reading of the Polar Express in done in Sadieville's caboose.  The kids gather in Sadieville City Hall (the original train depot) for cookies and hot chocolate.  Santa is there in a rocking chair by a decorated Christmas tree.  Children sit on his knee, pictures are taken, a candy cane is given.  Then Santa goes to the caboose each time a reading is finished and gives each child a bell as they leave the caboose.  This year Sadieville Christian Church opened their Rummage Boutique on Saturday night and let the children shop for free.  

It was so much fun to watch these little children in their varying stages of learning about Santa.  The youngest was a few days old.  The oldest was a pre-teen.  There was even a set of twins and a set of triplets. They come in pajamas and robes or fancy Christmas dresses.  Some are frightened and cry.  Some run, as they enter City Hall and see Santa, right into Santa's arms.  Others tell him stories or ask lots of questions.  It is just a delightful thing to see and experience.  The wonder of Christmas through the eyes of a child.  Again, my heart felt the feelings of love and care and giving that should be a part of the Christmas spirit.  Adults giving of their precious Friday and Saturday prior to Christmas so children can feel the magic of Christmas. 

I take pictures and post them on Facebook of these events so family and friends can see and then save the pictures of their family.  Here are a few of my favorites of the over 400 pictures taken.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today was the third experience.  Our Countryside Homemakers made their food donations in lieu of exchanging gifts this December.  I had the food in my trunk to deliver to The Gathering Place, a men's shelter in Georgetown.  Because it is not in front of me, I kept forgetting to deliver it.  Geez!!  Today, while entering Georgetown to buy groceries for Papa, I remembered and stopped at the Gathering Place to see if I could make the food donation.  The past two years I have called and had an appointment to drop the food off. Today I was just hoping someone would be available to take the donations.  There were two men shaking out rugs by the door.  I asked if they worked there and one looked up and grinned and told me he was a resident.  I explained why I was there and asked if he could accept the food donations.  His eyes lit up and he assured me he would help me get them.  The other man came to my car and they took the items from my trunk.  They asked if they could get my address and the name of the organization that was donating so a thank you note could be sent.  I assured them the donation was given because we cared and no note was necessary.  He turned and looked at me with a huge smile and said, "Can I give you a hug?"  I just reached up and hugged this perfect stranger and there was the spirit of Christmas, full blown, teeming over.  I felt grateful to him for expressing his gratitude is such a way.  I'm a hugger.  I know some might not consider it safe.  But hugs are a good thing at the right moment and today was the right moment.  As I drove away from the Gathering Place, we both waved and grinned.  Happy.  Grateful.  And full of the Christmas spirit.

I have a grandson who has been living in a men's shelter.  His life is difficult right now.  He must make some decisions and learn some lessons.  Maybe my brief encounter with this good man at the shelter was even more poignant because of my personal life.  It just felt good and right.

So tonight, I felt it important to record these feelings.  I am grateful for these three experiences over the last week.  December will still be hectic.  So many things to cram into the next week.  But I have felt the feeling my heart tells me I should feel this time of year.  For that I am grateful.  And now, even with the bustle, I will have this memory and recognize it again in the coming week as we near Christmas 2014.