What is all the big deal about the holiday season? People are all of a sudden traveling everywhere. The stores are full with shoppers. The delivery guys are out all day delivering packages. Why all the fuss? It is all important fuss because for once a year we all decided it is the time to reflect stop and finally give back to someone or to some cause. It is truly the season of giving so get involved in any way you can. Most of our lives are consumed with obtaining the best job or the finest home   or even the freshest food. It is all about us and our wellbeing and there is nothing wrong with self- preservation but take a moment to look around you. Stop and share for once and most of all be thankful that you have something to give even if it is just a moment of your time. .

So, write that Christmas card out even to those that you haven’t seen all year but you do remember their smile or some event or reason for keeping in touch.  Give the gift of friendship. Pick up that catalogue and order something to be sent to someone you know you will not be able to see but would love to receive a surprise of a gift in the mail. Give the gift of remembrance. There can be joy in the act of giving and we all just don’t give enough throughout the year. Give the precious gift of forgiveness to someone you feel has done you wrong in the past. That will really make you a hero of sorts. It takes courage to take that initiative to make the decision to give. It is purely an act of your doing at your rate to someone you know or even to a perfect stranger.

An extraordinary gift of selfless giving was given by a guy Eugene Yeung who saw a video on his Facebook page of a guy he never met who was pushing himself in a wheelchair wearing a T Shirt that said I Will Walk Again. He found out the guy was Arthur Ranowiski who was mugged, shot and paralyzed. Eugene did some research and found a system made by ReWalk Robotics that gets strapped to your legs and lifts your feet for you while you help balance with ski poles. The problem is that this advanced device costs $80,000 dollars.  To pay for it, Eugene quit his job at a research company to hike   from   California to Canada if he had to in order to raise the donation money to pay for the device. He posted videos on social media and asked people to donate as he walked from town to town. At Washington State he achieved his donation goal and bought the device to give to the guy who just wanted to walk again.

That is an extraordinary gift of giving. You can try it in these next two days by even just randomly give a hug or kiss to someone who just might need one. Besides who doesn’t need a hug or kiss? Have a Merry Christmas and thanks for reading my rants.