Some feel good for December 1st

The first day of December has always meant to me that Christmas season has started.

I love giving to people. I love seeing the smile even a small gesture of kindness can bring to someone's face.

Please make an effort this holiday season to make at least one person smile every day.

Hold a door, buy the person or people behind you in line their coffee, compliment someone, etc...
A small random act of kindness can mean the difference in someone's day.

I like to give the Tim Hortons drive through $50 and tell them to hand out a cookie for the next 30 or 40 people and tell them to pay it forward.

On Christmas day my family and I will be handing out gift bags to the elderly at a local hospital on behalf of my company.
Were only going to be there for an hour, but I know that hour will mean a lot to the residents there.

Theres a channel on Youtube that I love watching this time of year, East Idaho News.
They have a Secret Santa Campaign every year and end up giving away around a million dollars in gifts to families or people who need it.

Here are a few to get you started.
Warning you may have tears of happiness from some of these!
But it helps remind us that each and everyone of those faces we see out on the street, or while we're going about our day's, has a story behind it.
Often, on the outside they don't look like they are hurting, but inside could tell a completely different story.

Be kind.
Tell someone you love them.
Put a smile on a strangers face.

a reply to: Macenroe82

great thread! We need so much more of this!

a reply to: Macenroe82
a reply to: network dude

Absolutely. No cameras though, just make people smile

a reply to: ThatDamnDuckAgain

I dont even have a cell phone. lol

Im always no camera lol.

a reply to: ThatDamnDuckAgain

totally agree. Do it because it's good, not because it brings accolades.
Seems I heard that somewhere before...Macenroe82, how about you?

a reply to: Macenroe82

This is what life is all about.

Good on these Guys. Also a very pleasant change to see some random acts of kindness these days.

a reply to: network dude

I try to do it all year round - bring a smile to peoples faces.
But it especially means more to people this time of the year.

A lot of folks are alone or stressed out because of financial woes.
Something that takes their mind of the situation, even for a couple minutes could be the entire difference in a persons day.

I used to be what some would call self centered, when I was younger.
Now that im older and see how stupid I was, I try to do whatever I can to give back.

I enjoy making people feel good. Or helping to take a burden off someone.

@Macenroe
@network dude

I did not want to imply you would record it

It was more about the question I had in my head why someone would want to record a situation like this. Maybe it's just silly me though, not judging here just want to understand.

For myself I try to hide it when I do charity. Mostly because I feel awkward when the one(s) I want to help thank a lot. I know socially I should grant that but it just feels awkward and wrong. I see it this way, if it had hurt us(daughter and me), I would not have done it, therefor, its not a big thing. It's a relative thing.

Someone that gives away half of his meal for the day even though the person will know it stays hungry, counts a trillion time more than me, who can afford fresh cooked warm food daily, sharing one hundred meals.

And that happens daily so many times, nobody approaches them and tells them well done and thank you.

a reply to: Macenroe82

I enjoy making people feel good. Or helping to take a burden off someone.

It may not fit perfect but here is a strong guidance sentence (Is this a thing elsewhere?) in my family. It's not a self found truth but a universal one:

Love is one of the few things that doubles, when shared.

And I think joy belongs to this too. I too think we all forget sometimes to value the simple things. Even stale bread tastes amazing if you had no food for days. It's a feast then.

And sometimes it's not even financial things but just listening to someone. Or holding a door like you just said. Or running after the one that just lost the purse and hand it back. Letting someone pass you at the cashier because they only got a few things to buy or it's lunch time and you know every second counts for the construction worker that buys his lunch and would have to wait minutes for my stuff to be processed and paid, when it costs me half a minute to let the one pass.

Arent these little things what makes life precious? That we're not alone and everybody does their thing day by day, but that we care for each other, are able to see through someones eyes. It's a balance thing, because there are people out there that abuse these good hearted approaches.

And I am sure some just do charity to boost their egos and is often tax deductible anyways. That I never once used, ask my accountant he thinks I am crazy. He says it's money thrown out the window but I always ask him if he sees it that way to help other people. It's his job so I do not blame him for this mindset.

a reply to: ThatDamnDuckAgain

This guy records most of his charitable actions.

His alias in BI phakathi.

But there’s one catch, only the people he interacts with, know sort of what he looks like.
Try searching him online.
No one knows his true identity or what he fully looks like.

He goes around South Africa and changes peoples lives daily.
There are videos of him going to villages and delivering groceries to the entire population there.

He posts these videos to inspire others to do the same and to spread love.
This man deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

Being in a majority Buddhist country it never surprises me when Christmas trees are in every mall and signs of the coming day are easy to see when driving. (Something I never saw in a Muslim country)... While Christmas is not an official holiday many places celebrate the day by exchanging gifts and or bonuses for their employees. I usually give staff and others at my two favorite golf courses a Christmas gift of money which would take them at least a week to earn at their jobs. Sounds like a lot and it is to them but it is not that much in the big scheme of things.

Gifts for people who appreciate and need your gift is all the reward anyone should expect IMO.

I used to get paid to do a robust Singing Santa with Mrs Claus too in a mall setting. I still will stop by those old shops that liked that the mall had hired me and just sing a carol or two and wish them Merry Christmas and off to the next one. I will also sing carols at local stops I frequent. I don't ask for anything I sing and leave.


a reply to: Macenroe82