Benevolence



Kindness Jar



Tis the month of December.  This cursor blinks as I think about the magnitude of responsibility this month carries with it.  It is not a month to take in lightly.  It's not February ~ Black History Month.  It is not March ~ good 'ol St. Paddy's Day, nor is it July ~ the celebration month of our nation.  It is December --- the month of benevolence, kindness, compassion towards others, goodwill, altruism, etc, etc. 

December stresses me out because this is the month, as a parent, that I feel I need to ramp up all the good things we are supposed to do.  My money to my local charities are padded and even my garbage man leaves me an envelope, enticing me to fill it with Christmas cash. 

When December rolls around, I try to plan for "family moments" to share and embrace.  I ask questions like, "What play should we go see this year?"  "How can we volunteer to help others?"  "What needs in church should be filled?"  and the end result is stress.  I am stressed and I don't need to be. 

Why is it that the month of December needs to be a time to remember others? 

Why am I asked in the month of December is I want to add an extra dollar here, or add in a $20.00 donation there?  Why do I feel the pressure to place my kids under the miscroscope of "positiveness" and "charitability"

This year, I inducted a "Kindness Jar." and I told my kids that they only thing I want fof Christmas form them is a significant act of kindness.   The "Kindness Jar" is a glass jar that sits upon our table with color coded pieces of paper and when they do an act of kindness, they are instructed to write it out and place it into the vase.  These will then be all read on Christmas day.  In theory, it sounded like a solid plan.  My children will be encouraged to do 'kind deeds' during the giving month of December...but on January 1, this is all supposed to stop?  The 'Kindness Jar' will be emptied and put back into the cupboard, the sales clerks will stop berating me for those few extra dollars, my extra donations to church will come to an end and my children and I will no longer need to be attentive to those in need.

(note: i had three additional paragraphs that closed this little segment off quite nicely....but somehow they disappeared.  I will not be fixing this now...hopefully in the near future)

Thanks for listening and if you find this blog and you find yourself to be in the 'giving' frame of mind, please look at David's page and click on the 'donate' button.
http://davidplaisted.bbnow.org/