Naughty or Nice

"Tis the season to be holly, jolly and happy. That's what the seasonal songs say, right? Well, one thing that isn't mentioned as much is gratitude; in conjunction with that is generosity. These are things we should practice all year long. The question is with all that is going on globally around us as well as locally, what can we do?

During the current times we are told to social distance and stay covered. The sick are treated in a sense as lepers. We regularly keep our children away from each other and keep ourselves locked away for protection. The human interactions most of us partake in and need, is now taboo and down right terrifying in some way.

All of this going on around us, we need to remember we all need human touch. I am not talking touching as in feeling someone, but we can touch each other through our expressions of love and heart felt connections. You may be asking yourself what I mean by that. It may be easier to show you. Here is an example.

A woman who had been having an extremely hard time as you can imagine and was feeling very down. One of the lady's friends invited her over to go out to the grocery store. The woman's cupboards were bare and her husband sent her $30 to refill the best she could. She agrees to go to the friend's house and go shopping.

The lady arrives at her friend's house. The ladies chat a short bit then get ready to go. The friend notices it's very cold out and the lady's hands are uncovered, so the friend offers her a pair of gloves to use. The lady forgot hers, she accepts them and thanks her friend. They board the bus and off they go. While on the bus the friend offers the lady $20 to get some additional things, a blessing indeed and the second one of the day, she graciously accepts the gift from her friend.

They arrive at the store and begin going through the aisle making their selections and chatting together enjoying the outing and spending time together. Once they have finished shopping they head for the checkout lines; they end up separated.

The friend goes to one line and the lady ends up in another. A cashier checks the lady out and the total order is $60. With the money the lady's husband sent and what her friend gave her she also finds $5 in her wallet, but she is still $5 short. The lady tells the cashier she needs to remove a few things.

The cashier looks at the lady and requests she pay the$55 she has. The lady is confused and looks questioningly at the cashier who gently informs the lady the holidays are here. The lady is still confused, the cashier continues; Thanksgiving is in two days. The cashier says, "I am thankful that I even have a job right now. You are only short $5 I can spare that for a fellow person in need, Happy Thanksgiving." The lady is stunned, blessing number three in less than two hours has happened.

The lady tells the cashier thank you and doesn't know how she can pay it back. The cashier said for the good to happen the lady already paid. The cashier tells her when she can, pay it forward of course, she agrees. The lady rides the bus back wondering with the little she has to whom and how she can pay it forward.

The friend ultimately rides to the lady's house. While there the lady gets a call from social services they are going to approve her application for food stamps. This is yet again another blessing on a day that is already full. The lady is thankful, still wondering how she can pay it forward.

The friend is thinking about the things she doesn't have to cook her dinner aloud. The lady listens and springs to action, a pan here, a knife there; then some plates and other things and the friend is fixed up. In the end the friend left with a shopping cart full of items she needed and loves. When she tried to offer the lady payment she said all the blessings she received she couldn't possibly take anything. It was her way of paying the blessing forward.

Remember this all year, no matter how small something may seem to you at the right on the right day with the right person it could be a miracle to them.

Keep the good vibes moving everyday.