In the midst of all the brouhaha over Christmas — the gift buying, the dinners, visitors, travel plans, school programs, tree trimming, and more — there is a good chance there is someone that you have forgotten.
There is the mom who calls because there is a Christmas program, and she has no way to do laundry so her son will have something clean to wear. Not something new or snazzy — just something clean.
There is the person who lives alone, who has no family, no transportation, and few friends, who is eating alone.
There is the family who has no gifts under the tree. In the middle of the chaos that is poverty, they have misplaced immunization records, Social Security cards, identification papers so they could not sign their children up for adopt-a-kid programs.
There is the person who is struggling with addiction. They have family who has cut them off, and so they spend their holiday with people who do the same, letting drugs smother the feelings of depression and isolation.
There is the single parent who has sent the children off with another parent or a grandparent so their children will have some kind of holiday. Sometimes they work the day away. Sometimes they sit alone in their home and feel like failures.
There is the elderly person who has seen many Christmases come and go. They long for a visit or a phone call from family or a friend. Sometimes their spouse is still with them and not in good health or neither is in good health. There is a constant worry of money and not outliving their funds. They spend a quiet Christmas dozing off and on, wrapped in warm blankets, the TV on loud, neither able to hear it.
There is the young person, living away from home, trying to learn how to make their own way in the world and feeling the sadness of a Christmas away from family.
There is the person who has worked overtime, hoping to give their family everything they could possibly want. Who sits in the middle of the room, littered with the wrapping from gifts that took 5 minutes to open and be discarded and wonders what just happened.
There is a child, who causes havoc or seems overly shy. This child has a secret that they cannot share. They are the most alone when they are surrounded by their family.
Christmas can be a wonderful time of year. A time that for some is filled with moments for true happiness and joy.
Feel every joyful moment that presents itself to you. Treasure it. Feel all of the love that your friends and family offer you. And for those that maybe, just maybe, in all of the hustle and bustle of this holiday season we have forgotten, always remember that to every one of us, kindness matters!
Especially now, kindness counts
