I’m sure we’re all feeling the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Sometimes it can be overwhelming and we can easily forget why we are even doing all of this. As I drive around town and see the beautiful lights and decorations, I am reminded of the reason of the season and want to be grounded in that, instead of getting bogged down with too many details and to-do lists.
I read an article recently about the decorating of the Brucemore Mansion. The curators there acknowledged that the Douglas and Hall families never would have decorated the mansion for Christmas the way that it is decorated now. Christmas for them would have been simpler and would have been more about philanthropy and serving the people of Cedar Rapids.
That idea really stuck with me. We could all learn a lot from this bygone era. Instead of trying to get every gift on our children’s wish list as well as finding a gift for everyone that we know, we could simplify Christmas and make it more about finding ways to serve the people around us in simple, but profound, ways.
Perhaps you have heard of the “Light the World” campaign that encourages people to find ways to serve those around them. Here are some sample ideas from a list they have put out:
• Call someone you miss.
• Carry an extra snack for someone in need.
• Plan some one-on-one time with a loved one.
• Let a stranger go ahead of you in line.
• Apologize to someone.
• Pay for the person behind you at the grocery store.
• Complete an item on a loved one’s to-do list.
• Send a thank-you note to a healthcare worker.
• Support a local small business.
• Text a photo of a fond memory to a family member.
• Help a loved one clean their home.
• Give your favorite book to a loved one.
• Make a meal with a family member.
• Donate cans to your local food bank.
• Leave a kind note for your mail carrier.
• Visit with an elderly neighbor.
• Tell a loved one they matter to you.
• Clean up trash in your community.
• Ask a coworker how you can lighten their load.
• Stop to help someone who is having car trouble.
• Take a walk with a friend.
• Offer to teach someone a new skill.
• Hold the door open for a stranger.
• Host a family game night.
• Volunteer at your local library.
• Forgive someone.
When I was young, my family would spend the week after Christmas doing “Gifts of Love” for each other. They were simple acts of service like making each other’s beds in the morning, doing one another’s daily chores, reading a story to a younger sibling, etc. It made that week really special as we found ways to serve each other without expecting anything in return. Greater love and harmony flowed in our home that week and I appreciated my siblings and parents in a whole new way.
My husband and I have done this in a different way with our daughters. We have everyone draw a name of a different family member and for a week we secretly do service for that person. We have found that there is increased harmony and love in our home that week because everyone is finding ways to serve their secret person and no one wants to be unkind to someone who might be the one that is serving them.
However you choose to do it, finding a way to serve those in your family and those that you come in contact with will change how you feel about the holiday season. Peace and love will enter your heart in greater abundance and you will be able to focus more on what this season is about. And as we all begin to serve one another, our homes and communities will be a better place to live.