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It’s HERE!! It’s TIME!! It’s CHRISTMAS!! The most magical time of year! A time filled with beautifully decorated trees. A time where family gathers to enjoy a big feast. It’s a time where the little ones anticipate Santa and all the fun surprises that come with him. It truly is a time of pure wonder where every street corner is collecting toys for children less fortunate, and every store front has that famous red bell ringing to remind us to spare what we can to help feed those in need. This magical time is finally here! It’s finally that time! It’s finally Christmas! My favorite time of year.
And as we prepare to embark upon Christmas this week, and as we get closer to wrapping up this holiday season once again, I can’t wait to ask: What do you love the most about Christmas? What are your favorite parts of this time of year? When you reflect upon all of your best-loved Christmas memories, which ones stand out to you? Which memories make this season better than any others?
For me, as I think about Christmas and all of the past years I have been fortunate enough to celebrate, I have so many parts of this holiday season that are my favorite. Things like decorating the tree and then sitting in the dark with only those pretty Christmas bulbs to light up the room. And when I sit surrounded by that beauty, I can feel peace and comfort suddenly wash over me.
Or one of my other favorites is walking into my parent’s house with the aroma of dinner filling the air. Smelling those classic favorite dishes that come with every holiday meal and knowing that we have endless time together that night to eat, laugh, sing, play cards, and just enjoy each other’s company. And in those moments, as I look around at my family, I feel so much joy surround me as my heart explodes with love.
And how can Christmas morning not also be one of my favorites? Hearing my sweet children wake up bright and early to see if Santa came the night before. For years, hearing their squeals as they see the mountains of presents waiting for them. And then spending the morning watching them ripe through the packages with pure delight as they received everything they could ever want…and then some. And when they finish, and when I sit back and look at the mounds of wrinkled wrapping paper all over the floor, I feel happy and content knowing just how truly blessed and fortunate I really am.
It really is a magical time of year! It’s really is my absolute favorite time of year.
But as I prepare for Christmas this week, and as I reflect upon all of my “favorites” that I will get to experience, I can’t help but think about what this week may mean in other people’s lives. People that may be laid off or are struggling to find decent work that could help them afford presents for their family. People who are hungry and in need of food and may not get that big feast at Christmas. Or even people who have lost loved ones and won’t be able to enjoy a special gathering with them this season. All of our stories are different. And for many, it may not be their favorite time of year. They may not be happy that it’s finally Christmas. In fact, they may wish for it to pass as quickly as it seems to come. And for those people, it may not feel like a magical time at all. Unfortunately, these same people may not only have a disheartening feeling at Christmas, but they might feel this same way all year long.
And here is why I believe that.
We have over 38 million people, right now, who are worried or anxious not knowing where their next meal will come from and sadly, 12 million of them are children. And with 34 million Americans living in poverty, I am sure they are upset that they not only can’t give their children that magical Christmas morning, but they can’t even afford to buy them shoes for school or winter coats when the weather gets cold. And it seems that over 57% of Americans may also be grieving this holiday season, as they no longer get to celebrate with the ones they love.
These people, at this time of year, probably don’t experience peace and comfort, or joy and love, or the contentment that always seems to surround many of us at Christmas. In fact, they may go all year long without having these wonderful feelings that many of us take for granted. There probably isn’t any part of the year for them that just feels “magical.” Those feelings are gone for these people…and it truly is heartbreaking.
So the real question now is this: How do they get it back? How do they get to experience the magic that we are so fortunate to have?
And the answer is simple: It’s You & Me.
If you are like me, and you are fortunate enough to have too much to eat, a warm place to sleep, and more material items then you know what to do with, maybe it’s time for all of us to step up…to make a real difference…to pull out our fairy wand and to Be the Magic for those in need. To be the magic for those people not only struggling through the Christmas season, but who are also struggling all year long.
A wise person in my life once told me, “If you have more than you need, maybe there is a reason for it.” And I believe that. If we have more than we need, maybe there is someone in our life who needs it more. Maybe this is our chance. Maybe this is our time. Maybe it’s time for us to step up.
So how do we do this? How can we Be the Magic for someone else? Does it sound hard? Does it seem impossible? I want you to pull out your fancy fairy wand and follow me…because it isn’t as hard as it seems.
I believe there is one easy solution. There is only one way we can truly make a difference and create those magical feelings for those in our life less fortunate. We just need to promise ourselves to simply always keep these problems in our world top of mind. We need to always remember to give when we have more than we need.
Because sure, we are all pretty good at remembering to help others over the holiday season. That is one of the reasons this time of year is so magical. And giving in our country is at its highest in November and December. But here is the thing… people are still lonely, hungry and in need during January and February. And things don’t change by March and April. May and June may sometimes be the hardest months to feed children as school ends, and I am sure July and Aug are no better. By September, those people in poverty still don’t have the means to live comfortably, and then October hits and nothing has really changed. We still have starving families, lonely people, and those without the means to live well All.Of.The.Time.
But I believe if we can all work together, we can change this! If we can all work together and keep our fairy wand on hand all year long, I have no doubt that over time, maybe things will start to change. Hopefully the statics of hunger and poverty will decline, and I can only hope that children are no longer deprived of food. It’s the simple things in life that we tend to take for granted. It’s the simple things that we ALWAYS seem to have…but not everyone is this fortunate.
So as we wrap up another Christmas season, as we get to enjoy the most magical time of year, let’s not forget how fortunate we are to be one of the lucky ones in life. And this week, as you take in the beautiful Christmas lights surrounding you, as you smell those classic meals at your family gatherings, and as you spend Christmas morning opening gifts with the ones you love…let it serve as a reminder for us to remember those people that may not be as fortunate. Let it remind all of us to figure out a way to give back and to bring to others those magical feelings that we get the privilege to always experience. It’s time for us fortunate few to make a real difference out there in this world. I can only hope you, too, will choose to grab ahold of your special fairy wand and stand side by side with me as we figure out how to be the magic for others in this world…and to be that magic all year long.
Xoxo
Marsha
*For those of you struggling with something in life or have a topic of interest that you want me to talk about in this blog, email me at BeYourBestSelfBlog@gmail.com. Let’s work together to Be Our Best Selves!
Resources:
Feeding America. Facts About Poverty and Hunger in America. October 29, 2021. {https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/facts}.
Eterneva. Coping with Loss: Grief Data & Stats You Need to Know. October 29, 2021. {https://eterneva.com/resources/coping-with-loss}.
Photo Credit: Photo by Misha Voguel from Pexels