I’ve spent the last two days finishing my Christmas baking (well, almost!) and getting cookies ready for the neighbors. I live in an over 55 mobile park, and most of the residents are widows and so don’t do much baking. Getting Christmas cookies gives them something not only to enjoy, but to share with others who stop by for the holidays.
This has been a tradition for me ever since I lived here (this is my 6th Christmas). I have learned to enjoy baking, and love sharing my goodies with others. Since I have little money, this is a good way for me to give.
This cookie giveaway has come to mean a lot to me. For the first time in years, I live in something approaching the neighborhood where I grew up, where everybody knows everybody else, and we all help each other. It’s a very special place for me, and I enjoy having the chance to give back. It’s the one time of the year when generosity comes naturally to me.
I’ve also crocheted about 30 tiny little hat ornaments to pass out to friends along with their Christmas cards. What fun!
This is part of my spirituality – the giving of simple gifts to friends and neighbors. I’m grateful for Christmas time when that becomes a priority.
I agree completely! I have had such a great time over the years giving in various ways and I have come to look for opportunities to do that all the time, but it has also become a very important part of my Christmas celebration. Most of the time throughout the year I hand out blessing shawls. I started when my mother-in-law's mother died. She cried on the phone when she called to thank me. But over time, it became something that I just did as a result of hearing my inner voice say, "Make her a shawl." Sometimes I would try to talk myself out of it, but I never can, so I have learned to just pay attention and make a shawl and that has always turned out to be the right thing! This Christmas we have a tree in the narthex at the UU Niagara and some of us are making hats, scarves, and mittens to hang on it and pile below it. These will be given to a group called NIACAP on January 3. I have already made some hats for them and hung ornaments for congregants to take, but since there are still 2 1/2 weeks left to make stuff, I put out a call for unwanted yarn on Sunday so I can keep on crocheting! I have had a couple of women tell me they will bring in some yarn! I am currently working on a scarf done in Tunisian crochet using some leftovers from a--you guessed it--shawl that I made for my daughter as a Christmas gift. It makes me very happy to have this project to work on as I listen to Christmas music--I seem to be into the older choral stuff this year! I am glad that you are happily engaging in creativity as service! And those little hat ornaments are really cute!
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