A Christmas Wish

You usually find a recipe here on Fridays, but today I'm veering off course.   With year end approaching I have been working overtime this week.  More time in the office means less time in the kitchen, which means no Foodie Friday. 

In addition to a crazy work schedule, it was 5 years ago,  on December 10, 2008, that my Mom passed away and today would have been her 82nd birthday.  I love and miss my Mom always, but especially so during this week of two important dates.

This year I didn't remember the anniversary of her death until my oldest brother mentioned it.  I had been focused on work and not paying a lot of attention to the calendar and what date it was.  Over the last few years, as this week has approached,  I felt bad about feeling melancholy around the holidays, but just couldn't help it.  This year I felt bad that time got away from me and I didn't realize what date it was. 

Having a Type A personality is not easy. 

I was trying to figure out what I was going to write about when a story came together.  

I listen to a Christian radio station during the day while I work.  This Christmas season they are encouraging people to submit needs they have, and they are asking listeners to help fulfill those needs if possible to brighten up Christmas for someone else.  I've looked at the list several times.  People have asked for help with various things:  gifts for kids or grandkids, a stove, a used freezer, help with a car repair, etc. 

I wrote a while back that it has been an expensive year for us - just one of those years. Everyone has them now and then.  We are very blessed and we know it.  We have each other, are relatively healthy, have a home we love, we are warm and well fed (when I do find my way into the kitchen), we have a wonderful family, and two spoiled bassets who think we are the best thing since sliced bread.  Since we decided to cut back on our Christmas spending this year  I have been looking at the list off and on to see if there was something small we could help with. 

And then I saw Connie's request:

Christmas cards.

I honestly did a double take.  

Christmas cards?  

I opened her bio to read more.

She receives just a few Christmas cards each year. She remembers how many cards people used to send years ago and she misses that.

Of all the things she could have wanted or requested she simply said.....

Please send me a Christmas card.

I immediately thought of my Mom and smiled.  She  LOVED sending cards!!  No matter what the occasion was she sent a card.  And if there wasn't an occasion, she sent a card anyway!  I saved cards she sent over the years and love to go back and read them and see her handwriting.  They are like a big hug from Mom.

Well, I couldn't respond to Connie's request fast enough.  

Before long I received a message from her, with her address, and a thank you.  I emailed her back and asked if I could share her address with some friends, so she would receive even more cards.  She said yes!  So I emailed our connection group at church and some friends I thought would be interested in taking part.  

What an easy thing to do for someone.

I love when a good story comes together like this.  

I'm glad God had me go back and look at the requests one more time to see if there was something small we could do to brighten the holidays for someone else. 

And I am thankful for Connie.  

Instead of feeling sorry for myself that my Mom isn't here for her birthday or Christmas,  she had me smiling and remembering what a wonderful Mom I was blessed with.  I know Mom would have loved taking part in the card sending. She would have been all over it!


I was reminded that the smallest gesture can make a difference to someone. 


And I was reminded that when you do something nice for someone, that kindness finds its way back to you sooner or later.  This time it just happened to be much sooner.

So my Christmas wish this year is simple.

My wish is that Connie's mailbox has Christmas cards spilling out of it.

If that brings her even half the joy she has brought me this week,  she too will feel blessed beyond measure.

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Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns. - Author Unknown