The Season of Giving

The holiday season is my favorite time of the year. The gift of giving makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. As a child, we made many holiday traditions with my family, and I carry on many of those traditions with my children.

I grew up in a fairly poor household. We weren’t quite “dirt poor,” but we sure as heck weren’t middle class. It didn’t matter how much we didn’t have, my parents recognized that there were others in our community who were always worse off than we were. Every holiday season, the local Arby’s had an Angel Tree. One of my fondest memories from my childhood is selecting a child or two from the tree and shopping for them. My mom would knit mittens and hats, and my sister and I would choose a toy for them. The season of giving meant to us that even thought we didn’t have a lot to spare, we wanted to share with someone who needed something more than we did. It felt good to know that we were helping make someone else’s holiday season.

This tradition is one we have continued with our children. Whether through a toy drive at the collection at work or the pajama drive at school, we encourage our children to give back. It is important that they recognize that the season of giving is not just that people give to them. They love picking out a new toy, pajamas, or warm clothing for other children. When they have ridden the Polar Express, they bring books for children who need them.