Finding the Christmas Spirit...

I am trying very hard to get into the Christmas spirit but it has been a little bit more difficult this year...I am not completely sure why that is but I have some ideas...The thing is, I can afford to decorate my house with a tree and lights etc.  I have been handed down many beautiful ornaments and decorations that I put up every year.  Some I have purchased and some have been given to me...and for that I am very fortunate.  But this year I find myself surrounded by something else...I hear about friends and families that cannot afford a Christmas tree, they cannot put lights on their house because their energy bill is too expensive, they do not have money for gifts because the house, car, water, and electric bill are more important (which they are)...so I think...there was a time in my life when I did not have to worry about those kind of things (or I thought I didn't)...but times are different now for a lot of people.  So, I am not going to bitch because I cannot get everything I want for my kids or that bottle of perfume I may want...because I already have a lot and I need to focus on just making things work on a weekly basis and understanding that enough is enough...and understanding (as I am finding out more and more each day) that more and more people live their lives day by day...they have jobs, houses, kids, etc...but their main priority is determining how to keep a roof over their kids heads and keep the heat on and keep food on the table...nothing more.  Some of these people will never experience lavish parties, open bars, or Christmas trees filled with 50 presents each...some of these people have never experienced that and they never will...they don't know any different.  But, I have now seen both sides of the tracks...and they are both full of wonderful people...some of those people have a lot of money and things and they are very caring and giving...some of those people fight for every dollar they can find and need help from others just to get through the day and the holidays...but they are happy...both sides have struggles in different ways...it is so interesting to me...
I guess my point is...wherever you are in life, whatever amount of money you have or do not have, whether you struggle daily wondering how you will pay the rent, or whether you have plenty of money but have other struggles like a loved one who is ill or a teenager driving you crazy...there must be a way that you could find some way to help a person in need...maybe?....I must say that I am so proud of some of the people I know...it is amazing because some of them don't have a lot and they have struggles, but somewhere in their heart they find a way to help someone else in need....whether it is watching their kids for them, giving them some donated toys, or just lending them a sympathetic ear....I just love to see that...and I did not realize what kind of generous people I was surrounded by until more recently...
So...I think I have found the spirit of Christmas in a whole new way...watching the generous, caring people around me...watching them give without a second thought, rarely complaining about what they couldn't get, and truly reaching out to their fellow man...there are sad stories, but through those stories comes the blessing of watching others help others with simple needs, kind words...watching them enlighten the human spirit and do what they feel is right regardless of their position in life...that is the spirit of Christmas and I think at one point I forgot it...but I have it back now and I will not forget it....
So, thank you to all of you who have helped me through rough times in my life...you are a blessing and I will continue to give back the best I can and appreciate what I have been given and what I have learned over the past few years...I hope you are too...just something to think about....and if you get a chance just don't forget to look around you and recognize the differences in the people that you see and encounter...drive through different neighborhoods and involve yourself with people you may not have had the chance to meet before...listen to them and watch them...they may not be like you, but you may be very pleasantly surprised at what they may do and say...and it may not be what you expected...peace...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! - Amy