Holiday Spirit

I worry that in the hubbub of preparing for Christmas, that people sometimes lose the holiday spirit. I remember one year being in Bethlehem with my family, and we went to the Church of the Nativity on Christmas, and there were hoards of people. Everyone was pushing and shoving to get into the part of the church where Jesus was born. My grandson was a young child then and he nearly got trampled, and I can still remember him looking up at me with his big eyes saying, “Why are they hurting me?” Everyone was so concerned with being in the right place, doing the right thing, that they forgot the spirit of the holiday. They forgot about love and kindness.

Be sure and keep this central in your theme with children this year as you prepare for the holiday. Talk about acts of kindness they have done, and talk about acts of kindness they can still do. Have a class giving project. Teach them that the greatest gifts come not from what they receive, but from what they give to others.

Have a wonderful day and week.

Maryln