It's that time of year again. Time for holiday cheer and gift giving around the Christmas tree. It's around this time of year that I wish I could do more for others so that their Christmas's would be just as warm and filled with love as mine is. This is my "Grown Up Christmas List".
Food, for those who don't have a meal this year.
I wish we could all pitch in for one day to help those who otherwise wouldn't get dinner. Everyone sitting down and having a meal together is a beautiful sight.
(How you can help: Contact you localsoup kitchen and volunteer your time this year.)
A warm and safe home for everyone to stay in.
I wish that every family would have a tree to be around. That every person had a safe and warm place to lay their heads this year. That homelessness would cease to exist for just this one day.
(How you can help:you local homeless shelter can always use you assistance, especially around the holidays.)
At least one present per child this year.
No child should be left without a gift on Christmas. If every child were given just one toy I know we would see the appreciation in their eyes.
(How you can help: There's many options for this one. Buy a present and donate it to either "Toys for Tots" "Operation Christmas Child" or "http://beanelf.org/" to answer a child's letter directly.)
For those who are over seas to come home just for the holiday.
It's a time for family, a time for love and being together. I wish that every person overseas could come home for one day to relax with their families.
(How you can help: "A Million Thanks.org" lets you write letters to our nations heroes who won't be coming home this year.)
A home for every shelter animal.
Old or young, dog or cat, well or sick, I wish that every animal got the chance to be part of a loving home this Christmas. Each and ever kind of animal should have the chance to put a bright red bow around their collars and be given to someone who is overjoyed to have them, someone who will love and care for them forever.
(How you can help: Go to your local animal shelter, either help by adopting an animal of our own or by helping around the shelter. They always need a good helping hand.)
A nice Christmas dinner and a lot of compassion for those spending the holiday in the hospital.
Weather a child or an adult, anyone who is staying in the hospital for any reason this holiday season needs to be remembered and supported.
(How you can help: Volunteer at you local hospital or make Christmas cards and deliver them with few friends)
That every struggling college student woke up to loan forgiveness in their stockings.
This way, when you graduate you won't have to spend more than half your life paying off student loans. Now you can be free to take on the world with nothing holding you back.
(The only way you can help with this one is by maybe buying your favorite college student a lottery ticket for their stocking, it has the potential to get rid of their debt.)
That every child waiting for adoption would be brought home on Christmas.
Bringing home a child for Christmas would be the best gift they could receive. Having a loving new family and a nice new home would be the perfect present this year.
(How you can help: Spread the word to your friends and family about adoption this season, you never know who is considering it.)
Lastly, I want everyone to have a wonderful holiday and a happy new year.
We can all help with this. Give a nice smile and a polite "happy holidays!" to your co-workers, give a Christmas card to someone who hasn't gotten any, visit your elderly relatives, and help a fellow human being this season. That will be the best gift of all.
I will forever wish that I could have my Grown up Christmas list be completed. I'm hoping that one day all of these wishes will come true. Maybe not all at once and maybe not in the perfect way I had hoped, but if even one of these dreams was achieved I would be happy. Tis the season for love, compassion, and helping others.
Happy holidays everyone.
