1. Sharing our story was a good decision. I hesitated while trying to decide whether or not to share our story with others. We like helping others and serving others in secret. The decision to share our story came mostly so that we could document our Christmas so that we could remember the Christmas we gave away and the thoughts and the feelings that came with it. With sharing our story came more wonderful ways to help others. We had a neighbor who knew a family whose home burned down right before Christmas and they lost everything. One of my good friends knew of a family with five children who lost their mother to cancer. We were able to help with both of these projects and would not have had those opportunities had we not shared our story. I am so thankful for great friends, family, and neighbors who are great examples of love and service.
2. Children are exponentially more grateful when they expect nothing. It has been a family tradition of ours to open one gift on Christmas eve. That gift is always a pair of pajamas. I decided to continue this tradition and added a few more small gifts this year since Christmas morning would not have gifts at all. I wrapped a pair of pajamas for each member of our family, a new blanket for each of the kids, a family game, (Headbands) and a family movie. When my Children saw gifts under the tree with their name on them, they were not only excited, but extremely grateful. They thanked me a hundred times before they had even opened them and were even more grateful when they unwrapped them.
3. Our focus this Christmas was more on family than it ever has been in the past. Because giving gifts was not the focus this year, we focused more on family activities. This was not a conscious effort, just a natural result of the decision to give our Christmas away. One of the most amazing family activities was Christmas Eve. We were so blessed to spend Christmas Eve with our extended family. We had a wonderful dinner followed by reading about the birth of Christ from the bible and a great movie about the birth of the Savior. After our perfect evening with extended family, we went to look at Christmas lights as a family. This is something we have done many times, this year however we took a Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt list found HERE with us. We decided that if we found all of the items on the list, we would treat ourselves to hot chocolate. We had a blast driving all over town looking at the lights and trying to find all the items on the list.
4. My children are capable of being happy on Christmas without any gifts. I never heard one word of complaint or second thoughts after our initial decision to give Christmas away. I was a little worried that one or more of the kids would change their minds. I also worried that they would be fine until Christmas morning when there were no gifts to open. My children were amazing during the entire Christmas season. They were content with the few items they received on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning was not a disappointment. Instead of unwrapping countless gifts, we shared why this Christmas meant so much to each of us and how we can continue serving others throughout the coming year.
5. Children are capable of finding ways to serve on their own. My daughter came home from school one day and told me that she had used her own money to donate to the quarters and cans. My boys had seen an angel tree and asked if they could use their money to buy something for one of the kids on the tree. At school, I give the kids quarters for a prize machine we have in our class. One of my students asked if he could donate his quarter to quarters and cans instead of buying a prize from the prize machine. Kids are great examples of service and love.
6. I see my children in a different light. Sometimes as a mom (and a teacher mom at that) I focus on the things in my children that I would love to see improve. Short tempers, bickering, etc. I found that while those things still bugged me in the moment they were happening, I was more focused on how proud I was of my children and the good things they were doing instead of nit picking at the little things they were doing that bothered me. I could not have been prouder of them and their decision to help others and forget themselves this Christmas. My middle son even said he wants to give his birthday away as well.
7. Giving is SO much better than receiving. This is something I especially wanted my children to learn. True happiness never comes from a package or things. Those things always get old, wear out, break, etc. True happiness comes from loving, helping, and serving others. Those memories and feelings never get old, wear out, or break. They are what make us truly happy. What a powerful lesson for my children to learn!
8. You don't have to search very hard to find people who are in need of a helping hand. We were never without opportunities to help others. Each day we found new ways to serve. There were so many opportunities to help that we wish we could have done more. We have committed to helping and serving more in the coming year (not just at Christmas.) One of our future projects includes putting together comfort bags for children who are taken from their homes awaiting foster care placement.
9. The true meaning of Christmas is much clearer without all the brightly wrapped packages and bows blocking the view. Christmas has become way too commercialized, focused on Santa,and getting, getting, getting. Take all of that away, and the true spirit and meaning of Christmas is abundantly clear. I ask each of my children today what their favorite thing about this Christmas was and this was their responses. My youngest son replied, "The true meaning of Christmas and the birth of Christ." My middle son's response was, "The feeling and spirit of Christmas." And my daughter said, "Spending time together as a family." It doesn't get better than that! In the past those responses have been about a certain gift they received. This year we all had a much clearer view of the true meaning of Christmas.
To quote the Grinch: "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
10. The "Best Christmas Ever" was still not "Perfect." Yes this was absolutely the best Christmas ever! Undoubtedly! But I am not here to say that it was perfect or that we are somehow perfect. In fact Christmas Eve day, I wanted to run away! My car had broken down, I had last minute errands to run and couldn't, my children fought about 80% of that day, and I had a headache the size of Niagara Falls! By the time my husband came home, fixed my car, and reprimanded my children I was better. This was not an isolated case. We had our ups and downs just like any other family. It was the ups that were amazing this Christmas. It truly was the Best Christmas Ever!!
What a great Christmas. I love the idea. Now, how to implement something like it :)
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