In Donna Wilson's Dec. 23, 2009 Out & About column, she talked about how the "feeling of Christmas began during the performance (of the Old Fashioned Christmas Concert) and grew more after the show." Until then, she had struggled to get into the spirit of the holidays.I understood completely because I had an "epiphany" of sorts myself this year.
This year was especially hard for me to get excited about Christmas. Our kids are older now and I don't think I realized how much my excitement was tied to theirs. Call me a cynic, but I've become hardened to "the commercialism" of the season. Life is busy, work is busy, kids keep us busy and all I was looking forward to was the few days off.
Then something happened. It started slowly with a box I received through our inter-branch mail. Inside were three gift bags with tags, depicting "The 12 Days of Christmas." The first bag contained a can of pears (partridge in a pear tree); second bag chocolate turtles and a bar of Dove soap, etc.
It was exciting - and best of all it was anonymous. It was fun, and I waited excitedly for the next day's "gift bag" to arrive. I was curious to know who was taking the time and making the effort to do this. Then on the fourth day something changed. This day the gift bag was tiny and flat - and it contained "four messages left by the calling birds before they flew off." The messages were simple, heartfelt and very personal. Someone who cared about me wrote them to me.
All of a sudden it wasn't so much about "Who's doing this for me?" but more about the spirit and beauty of this holiday. I continued to receive gifts depicting the12 days of Christmas but I no longer "needed" to know who was sending them.
The beauty of this season is in the giving - not the receiving. I spent a wonderful Christmas with my family and friends and I feel truly blessed. Miracles happen every day of our lives by what we do and say - it took a "Christmas angel" to remind me of that.
Thanks Donna for the opportunity to put my feelings into words. I hope the magic of this Christmas spirit stays with us all through the year.
Have a blessed New Year!
Kathleen Ropson
Branch Manager
Thompson
