Dec. 21: 12 Days of Christmas Kindness

Everybody who knows me, knows that seeing smiles on other peoples faces is one of my favourite things. I love when I can bring a smile to someone's face by the things I can do for them or things I can give to them. So today was definitely the highlight of my Christmas and I had a smile on my face all day myself. For me Christmas is all about giving and not giving because I feel obligated or because that's what you do at Christmas but giving just because. So' just because ' was the theme of the little gifts I gave to one of the dearest people in my life. Over the last few months we have become very close, my respect and love for her grew more by each day. We laughed and we were sad together, we poked fun of each other and worked well together, we complimented each other in every possible way, when one was loosing it the other one would put your feet back on the ground. We were shoulders to cry on and we had ears to listen to each other vent and share happenings in other areas of work and life itself. Throughout all the long hours we had fun and never lost focus of what it was all about.....and it wasn't about us it was about them. So my gifts to her came straight from the heart and were about the things we both love and my love for her. It sure helps to have a sense of humour as well. :).
Knowing that she smiled and seeing her reaction however was not even the best of the day, two of my volunteers have been helping me a great deal during the last few weeks in the office and omg I don't know how we would have gotten through the Christmas season without them. They were amazing, stepped up to the plate and went beyond what anybody would ever think of a volunteer to do, they were there twice a week for full days doing what was part of our jobs. They were incredible. One of the volunteers was fairly new and we had some great conversations before when we met in the lane way or barn, but being together day in and out we talked even more, from her last name I knew that she had to have some German relations so we talked a lot about Germany and Christmas traditions. She actually is married to a Canadian whose parents were German, but he doesn't speak it or do they really live by any German traditions. So I was telling her about the most famous German Christmas market and my enjoyment of finding a traditional German Christmas market here in the area. She was so intrigued by it that she wanted to go and had made plans to go with her husband and even invited me along, but of course due to work I couldn't go.I had told her about all these great traditional  food and drink items she needs to try when she gets there.  Ended up that she couldn't go either and she was really disappointed that she missed it. So down to one of my favourite international food stores I went, and I only go there at Christmas time, mainly because they have all the things that made Christmas in Germany like I remember it from my childhood. I purchased a few items and I gave them to her yesterday.  The smile on her face said it all. Not very often do you see people get that excited over the tiniest little gesture. It was amazing and had made my day.
But being kind doesn't mean you have to spend money, everything you do from the heart, and not because you have to, is kindness. Holding the door for someone, giving someone your spot in a line up because their kid is whining or they only have a few items, smiling at someone, giving Thanks to someone who did something for you, even though it is their job and it is expected from them to do. There are so many easy ways to be kind and really it shouldn't be a thought process or something planned, it should be an automatic, after all we all have better days when people are kind to us and we treat each other the way we want to be treated.
I have also noticed that when I have done something kind for someone and it makes me feel good on the inside that inside feeling somehow shows up on your face as well and people smile back at you for no other reason than you look happy and smile. I want to have that inside glow and happy feeling all the time so it radiants to the outside as well.