A Holiday Wish...

Today I started writing a short blog about how the holiday season seems to not only bring out the best in people, but also the worst. How people who only know each other superficially can pass judgment on someone, hurting their feelings and either don't realize it or just don't care.

I wrote my thoughts on it all, and the more I wrote, the more angry I became. Why? Because today some of it was directed at me. Someone decided to criticize me for no good reason other than to hurt. It did. Then I deleted it.

I do my best to be supportive of everyone and the decisions they make. I try to treat others the way I would like to be treated. And then someone with nothing better to do decides to point a finger when they shouldn't.

After waiting a whole day, I decided that my real thoughts on this don't matter at all. There are more serious things in this world than someone finding fault with me. Like my friend who has to put his elderly father into a nursing home this week and somehow feels like he's failed him. He hasn't-he's a good son-but he still feels really terrible about the changes in their lives. And my sister's homeless guys who are suffering through a really cold winter with only each other and a handful of others who care about them. Or the many people who are facing this Christmas without the loved one who passed on to a better place this year. Or the woman who's husband walked out on her, leaving her with 6 kids under 16, and he's having no contact with the kids at all. And now they feel so abandoned that one of the children is currently in the hospital because of severe depression.

My life is good. I have my family and a warm place to sleep at night and food in my stomach and a hot cup of cocoa when I need it. I might not have a lot of money, but I have enough. I might not feel good today, but in a few days I will. I'm lucky. There are many people out there who don't feel well today and WON'T feel well in a few days.

So the next time you think about saying something hurtful, don't. Instead, treat that person the way YOU would like to be treated. You'll be doing yourself a favor and will be giving that person a gift by your kindness. And then think about all the people who are less fortunate than you are. You know them. You know someone who's lonely or hungry or sick. If you can't do anything else, say a little prayer for them. You'll be better for it.