For me, as I sit here watching the snow fall, it brings a sense of relaxation...a calming. It is so beautifully serene and quiet. (the outside that is, inside our house is a FAR cry from quiet!) Snow for me means Christmas, this is truly my FAVORITE time of year. It represents so many things, and the most important, Family and Friends. Through the holiday parties, the crazy mall line ups, the dinners and plays, the decorating and baking, pictures with Santa, the Christmas Train...there are so many things to fit into this one amazing season. Sometimes it gets so busy I find myself asking why. Why do we try to do it all? For me, the answer is simple; because at the end of the day, I love it all. Everything I fill my days with through this joyous season are for or with the people I love, and memories are made daily. With our young family, traditions are being made and kept and honoured. Love is felt.
It is a time that also puts into perspective what we have and how truly fortunate we are. It is so easy for this concept to escape us as we make our way through life with our own life struggles; but I feel fortunate because through all the struggles and life lessons, I still have an amazing family, wonderful friends, food on the table and a roof over my head. As we are turning up the heat in our homes because "baby its cold outside," think of those people less fortunate who can't afford the heating bill or even worse, have no roof over their heads at all...
So in this season of giving, I choose not to forget the less fortunate, as I have much to be grateful for. A small gesture that takes only time, I volunteer at the Christmas Bureau. For me this isn't work, I don't expect anything in return, yet I receive a lot in return for doing it. When I was there last year I met many amazing people and learnt many things about myself. This is why I will be back year after year after year. If I can help make even the smallest difference in someones day,even if it is just to listen to them, why wouldn't I? I think it's a concept that we all have a term for...paying it forward. It is a season for giving; and you don't need money to give, just some of your time.
What are you doing this Holiday Season? Will you Pay It Forward?
Here are a few pictures that capture our moments of the season so far...
