Starting Small

It's my favorite time of year- Christmastime!

My heart teeters between being so remarkably light and so extremely heavy during this time. For one, I have all I ever need or want. Health, a warm home and an amazing family. And lots of chocolate. Seriously, there is so much chocolate around here I'm in heaven.

#pantsoptional

One moment of giddiness came when my oldest, Charlotte (2 years 9 months) moved a chair to the front of our Christmas tree. She climbed on it and started rearranging ornaments saying, "Mama, I'm just fixing stuff." This is so amazing because what she doesn't know is that, long before she was born, I would rearrange the tree so that ornaments were placed in their most optimal locations. It's genetic- my mom does it, too. My husband really loves this about me. #sike

But my heart also aches and has moments of complete despair. From refugees carrying their babies across borders to the immediate needs of my community, life just isn't the way it ought to be for so many. And that's putting it lightly. Our world appears to be falling apart at the seams. Is this how every generation feels at one point or another or are things really this bad?

I'm left with this sense of being stuck. What do I do? How do I proceed from these moments? Where do I even begin to express the gratitude I feel and also the despair? I'm dying for action but I just can't even move sometimes.

But then I think about my daughter moving a chair to the tree. She's too small to get to the ornaments she really wants. She climbs her sweet little body up the chair, stands on her tippy toes and fixes stuff. It's nothing big, sometimes just a candy cane she hasn't yet examined or a star she wants to twirl around. It's important work to her. Toddler work.

She moves the chair, she climbs and she does her task.

In these moments that I have, both of delight and despair, I must choose to act. Following Charlotte's example of starting small (for she is small), I have to proceed.

So here's a little of what I'm doing - won't you join me?

Mine is from Pottery Barn

• Advent Calendar: I received this amazing calendar from my sister-in-law last year. It has pockets and in them, I've placed notes with tasks for the day. They range from making garland to visiting our elderly neighbors to taking a winter walk. I want to be intentional this season about how I'm spending time with my beloveds in addition to teaching my littles how to be generous out of the abundance we have.

• Carry the Future: Hopefully, you've heard of this organization doing wonderful and practical work for Syrian refugees in Europe, specifically Greece. Started by a Californian mother, this organization outfits Syrian parents with baby carriers to keep their wee ones close. In addition to this practical and thoughtful endeavor, they've also expanded in providing relief packs to refugees. 

• Building a Habit of Kindness: The theme of "building new habits" has dug in and stayed in my heart these last few months. We can build ALL SORTS of habits. We can stop biting our nails, floss (for once!), work out more, eat better. Why can't we build a habit of kindness? Start small. Maybe a kind word to a friend (why don't we tell our friends how much we root for them?). Or a meal for a family in chaos. It doesn't cost us much to be kind and the more we are kind, the more it becomes WHO WE ARE. Think of the Grinch: grow your heart three sizes. That grumpy little sucker carved the roast beast at the end, people. 

I hope and pray you have a wonderful Christmas season! May we greet each day and each person with open hearts. May we operate out of abundance rather than scarcity. May we be so brave as to open our hearts to those around us so that we might bear some of their pain and joy.