A bit of holiday gratitude goes a long way
Although Christmas trees seem to pop up in stores sometime between the last summertime pool party and apple-picking season, most of us display tinseled garland and festive lights for a relatively short time. Quite a bit of our social, economic and culinary efforts are concentrated between Thanksgiving and New Year’s — the six-week period we call “the holidays.”
Apart from the spiritual significance of the season and seduction of cyberdeals, I wondered what captivates and invites us to participate in such an all-encompassing celebration. After all, the fact that I spend hours untangling, testing and stringing Christmas lights only to endure frustration when they don’t work proves the enticement of December. So much about Christmas is exhausting, but I seem to re-create my role as a glutton for punishment year after year. In the midst of such fiasco, I wonder. But then on a recent trip to Kroger, I was reminded.
My 3-year-old granddaughter was holding her mom’s hand as they approached bell-ringing volunteers for the Salvation Army. Standing outside the store entrance braving the elements, they were huddled inviting shoppers to place change or dollar bills into the iconic red bucket. Smiles and salutations were shared as my granddaughter’s little fingers added some quarters. The bell ringers expressed exuberant gratitude for the smallscale gift from a small child.
I realize the holiday season is a tough sell for some. Perhaps it’s the decorative clutter, pressure in gift giving or just plain “I’m over it” sentiment. For many, the past year may have derailed energy for the merry or dulled belief in the magic. Authentic life, after all, challenges even the most ardent fan of Hallmark Christmas movie storylines. Yet, as I watched the bell ringers interact with those who flowed through the automatic Kroger doors, I was affirmed by their antidote to holiday reluctance.
What struck me was the volunteers’ palpable joy. I can guess their personal stories were less perfect than the red velvet bows on their jingling bells. Yet here they were, showing up for the sake of something greater than themselves. Rather than withdraw into the limitations of their individual lives, they opened themselves to a greater world grounded in giving.
There is constructive power in keeping our arms outstretched to the world beyond. Open arms can’t hold too tightly kindness that has been given. Rather, transformative benevolence has no other option than to be ricocheted outward to others. That, quite simply, is the reason for the season. My mom used to say, “Good begets good.” I saw this to be true outside Kroger in the smiles shared and simple gestures of humanity.
Extending ourselves and giving to others breed gratitude. Gratitude redefines the definition of abundance, which gives us all a chance for introspection. During this short, concentrated time of year, we are called to open up so that we become even greater versions of ourselves.
Little acts of kindness are not only infectious, but they are like the string of lights around a Christmas tree. In isolation, one light may go unnoticed. In succession, the result can leave you in awe. Despite the frustrations and effort, maybe holiday cheer is something to buy into after all. Best news? It might only cost you a quarter. Just ask my granddaughter.