I admit I have been completely turned off the seasonal holidays by the TV commercials, the lack of personal compassion and real thought behind gifts. this year--maven of the holiday trees, stuffed animals, and toys bedecking the halls--I left all the "stuff" in the attic. Eric and I simply feel disconnected from it all. The hubbub is so distractingly irrelevant to us.
Still, there are some wonderful things that warm the heart and get me excited. Arranging for my teenage grandchildren's gifts is one of them. I can't say much right now because Mikayla might read this and spoil the surprise for herself, but I'm just sayin' I like what I did! Finding the right way to say to those two young people "You are so talented, and have all the possibilities of life at your feet!" makes my day. I hope it makes theirs.
The other tradition I am keeping is the family donation to Heifer. Mikayla and Bradley help us go through the Heifer catalog and pick out our family gift to people who really need it. I think last year it was chickens, ducks and goats. Maybe sheep this year? I don't know. I'll have to wait for Christmas to see. If you are not familiar with Heifer, follow the link and see what great work they do. I like that they give to families, get the kids involved and build on the promise that the breeding animals will result in gifts to others in their community to do the same. I think this makes a real difference. This year they have gifts which can be ear marked for families in the US given the rising level of poverty and need found in our own borders. In either case, Heifer will send gift cards to your friends and relatives if you give in their name. That's what we do. The adults in our world have enough stuff and are truly blessed. We take what we used to spend on gifts people didn't need and give the money to Heifer.
In addition to the family gift, each year I follow the lead from Nathan Bransford's Third Annual Heifer International Fundraiser and offer to match hits on my blogs or this year on my Facebook writer's page that reply to this post. I will donate $2 up to a $500 cap (total) for each hit on these announcements. Just reply below with a word about who you are, a wish for the New Year and whether or not you have ever heard of or given to Heifer International. Matching your gifts is over and above the donation our family does, so call me on it! I'll make good! Solstice Blessings to all. Have a blessed holiday where ever you are and what ever you celebrate. (Give me a few minutes to get the other blog posts up.)
Find me at:
Anemone's Assays or on Facebook at Dorothy L. Abrams-Writer
Still, there are some wonderful things that warm the heart and get me excited. Arranging for my teenage grandchildren's gifts is one of them. I can't say much right now because Mikayla might read this and spoil the surprise for herself, but I'm just sayin' I like what I did! Finding the right way to say to those two young people "You are so talented, and have all the possibilities of life at your feet!" makes my day. I hope it makes theirs.
In addition to the family gift, each year I follow the lead from Nathan Bransford's Third Annual Heifer International Fundraiser and offer to match hits on my blogs or this year on my Facebook writer's page that reply to this post. I will donate $2 up to a $500 cap (total) for each hit on these announcements. Just reply below with a word about who you are, a wish for the New Year and whether or not you have ever heard of or given to Heifer International. Matching your gifts is over and above the donation our family does, so call me on it! I'll make good! Solstice Blessings to all. Have a blessed holiday where ever you are and what ever you celebrate. (Give me a few minutes to get the other blog posts up.)
Find me at:
Anemone's Assays or on Facebook at Dorothy L. Abrams-Writer
Hooray for Heifer!
ReplyDeleteMy wish for 2012 is for more peace and happiness in the world.
It's great of you to do this! I've donated to Heifer after Nathan talked about it a few years ago on his blog. My 2012 wish pretty much echoes Nathan's.
ReplyDeleteI'm a writer here via Nathan's blog. I wish for people to show more compassion to one another.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've given to Heifer before and am doing so again this year.
Happy holidays!
Love your Robert Frost poem.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for doing this. I've donated to Heifer before as well. I think their organization is amazing. My wish for the New Year is for worldwide sanity.
Happy Holidays to you!
I love Heifer International! I look forward to getting their catalog every year and handing it to my daughter so she can pick out what we should get this year. (She's 20 now, and still likes picking a gift "that won't get eaten).
ReplyDeleteI like Mira's "worldwide sanity" wish-- yes, everyone, more common sense and courtesy, and no more fighting!
Enjoy your holiday season, everyone!
Thanks for being so generous to Heifer. I love their catalog too!
ReplyDeleteMy wish for the new year is for health and peace.
Happy holidays!
Our youth group at my church first told us about the Heifer Project many years ago. We still get a heifer or a goat or two. Wonderful program.
ReplyDeleteLove the Robert Frost poem. One of my favorite poets.
Love Heifer for allowing people to survive while maintaining their dignity. My wish is that we humans hit the tipping point in compassion and thereby create super fluidity and its accompanying positive new age.
ReplyDeleteHeifer! Huzzah! I donate to Heifer every year (usually through the blog of fantasy writer Patrick Rothfuss because he has a remarkable matching scheme. More bang for my buck!).
ReplyDeleteI'm Bryan, a jolly Canuck. Sort of like one of Santa's elves, but I couldn't hack the cold and had to move some place where it was only -15 every winter.
Wishing for peace on earth and good will to all. And chocolate. For me. What can I say?
If you're a pagan philosopher, would you be at all offended by my Merry Christmas greeting? Hope not as I can't think of anything elso to say. Happy holidays is not part of the Australian culture whereas the former, is. Always loved Robert Frost and read with great interest your insights on his poetry and him. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm here from Nathan's blog too, a writer hoping to get published in the New Year. My Sunday blog is dedicated to charity service and I'm glad I learned about this one. Now I know what to do for next Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI just found this and hope the cause is still open. Heifer is one of my long time charities, Ilove the idea that a cow or chicken (or even a water buffalo) that I purchased is enriching someone's life.
ReplyDeleteThank you all, the gate way is still open! I'll put a reminder out in all my venues tomorrow. @ Wendy, no offense taken on a hearty Merry Christmas!May we all enjoy the merriness!
ReplyDelete@ Sher, I wish you well on publishing! I hope to find a publisher for my novels in 2012! "Whistle and touch wood!"