Give a little, get a lot. Count down to 2017, with a daily act of kindness
What does Mrs. Claus do when Santa is busy making toys for all good girls and boys? She runs a club to support women who are undergoing cancer treatment.
The Mrs. Claus Club started in Bentleyville, Pa., with the realization that the holidays can be a particularly difficult time for women with lives already filled with stress and anxiety from their diagnosis. Club members provide food baskets and other holiday cheer.
This November, I attended the Mrs. Claus Club event in my hometown. The club extended its reach to children and families in our community, as well. I can best describe the event as overwhelming. I was overwhelmed at the attendance—the local social hall was filled with women. I was overwhelmed with the scale and organization of the event—no detail was left untouched. I was talking with one of the organizers, complimenting the scope and scale of the event, and her humble response struck me. She said, "Oh, this is just what we do when we get together," as if it were no big deal.
I was overwhelmed with the generosity of the community. I’d been planning to bid in the live auction, and every time I put up my hand, the bid was beyond, far beyond, what I’d planned as my highest bid in a matter of seconds. The live auction total alone was impressive.
Kicking off the holiday season with a grand event focused on kindness and philanthropy was wonderful. I had a delightful evening with my mother, sister-in-law and the women of my community. The fact that kindness binds communities was reinforced to me once again.
Kindness isn’t only for the holidays
I try to focus on kind acts all year, but during the holiday season, I really enjoying doing them with family. One tradition my husband and I have is taking a tag from the tree at church and having a shopping trip with our nephews to buy a gift for the person on the tag. Our nephews are thoughtful and meticulous in their choosing of the present. With their parents, my nephews take a meal to the local fire department during the holiday season.
Together, let’s close out 2016 with kindness. We’ve developed a calendar of kindness. You can do many of them with your family and friends. Try one, try many or try them all, and let us know how you ended 2016.
