This Christmas…perhaps…. will mean a little bit more!

So here we are in early December, having just started Hanukkah and with a little over two weeks until Christmas. Walk-in into a store, turn on the television, or drive through town and you can’t help but notice the holidays are in full swing. Which means for someone like me, a self-proclaimed “Grinch”, I would typically spend these next two weeks in a mad rush of purchases, Christmas baking, and holiday parties. Needless to say by the time Christmas rolls around I’m usually sick, exhausted, stressed out and Grinch-ey.

But this year it’s different thanks to my little sister. Because she had an idea. An awful idea. She got a wonderful, awful idea. Okay well maybe it was just wonderful idea. A few weeks I got a message from my sister that suggested perhaps Christmas this year should be different; perhaps it should come without ribbons. Without tags. Without packages, boxes or bags. Perhaps Christmas this year should be about giving back. And with that she asked that in lieu of a gift for herself we each make a donation to a charity of our choice. Needless to say my family loved the idea and unanimously decided that this Christmas wasn’t going to come from a store, because this Christmas…perhaps…. will mean a little bit more!

Now, instead of fighting the mall crowds I’ve spent the few weeks leading up to Christmas researching which charities I’ll be donating my Christmas money to. I have even involved my toddler in the idea and have donated the child benefit he receives. Although he doesn’t understand the meaning of his donation just yet, you can never be too young to start instilling the value of giving.

So, I encourage everyone this year to give the gift that keeps on giving and make a donation to a charity or cause you believe in. Because perhaps by giving back..this Christmas...will mean a little bit more!

The opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of Jacqueline Pennington who may or may not have watched both the animated and Jim Carry versions of “The Grinch” this weekend and do not represent those of the Northumberland Hills Association of Realtors, RE/MAX Rouge River, or Dr. Seuss.  ©Jacqueline Pennington 2015

Copyright © 2015 Jacqueline Pennington. All rights reserved.