Santa is Not a Man

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

 - Melody Beattie

Thanksgiving... Christmas...  They're here!  We, of course, know this holiday season very well.  But our little ones likely don't understand much beyond the fun of wearing pilgrim hats at school, or the beauty of stringing Christmas lights.  This became very apparent to me when my child told me that Santa Claus was not a man, but a "gift-giver".  And I thought, well where in the heck did he get that?  We haven't even talked about Santa Claus yet!  But now I have to, because for me, the holidays are SO MUCH MORE than the man in the red suit and gift-giving and receiving!  So, I've been pondering ways I might share the value and meaning of the holiday season and its traditions to my son, and when it comes down to it the lessons I really want him to get - are charity and gratitude.  

The first lesson on charity is coming right now for my (newly) 3 year old son, as sharing his toys (or not!)  This reminds me - charity really does begin at home!  Being in preschool and playing with the neighborhood kids are great ways for us to expose our kiddos and teach them the basics of giving and generosity.  We can also teach our kids through our own behaviors, charitable giving and selfless action.  Asking our kids to help us with tasks like baking cookies for our neighbor or gathering food to donate to the neighborhood food pantry shows our kids that they can be helpful to others. 

We can also teach that charity is not just about giving money or giving things, but also about giving of self.  By taking our kids along as we help others, we demonstrate to them that we are all responsible for the well-being of our community.  From small actions like helping the widow down the street set up her Christmas tree, to inviting a new neighbor and her kids over to share hot chocolate during playtime, or even buying a toy to give to a child that otherwise would not receive a toy... We can cultivate a gratitude habit by little things: talking over dinner about what we're thankful for, being lavish with our "thanks" to everyone we encounter (including the kids!), helping our kids write (or scribble) thank you notes to gift-givers, or by volunteering together.  Because their little eyes that are always watching us, action can be a wonderful way to teach charity and gratitude.  And we can impact their lives for good by teaching them to see gratefulness in the smallest of things and to act charitably to those around them.

So reach out and touch someone this holiday – and help your child grow as a giving member of the community at the same time.

O my God, I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all good and worthy of love.  I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee.  I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.