Keep the Christmas spirit alive the whole year. This is the theme of the following poem, which was originally written during the Christmas holidays in 2016.
I have updated it each year and will continue to do so in the coming years.
Keep the Christmas Spirit Alive the Whole Year!
Christmas has come and gone for another year.
People will soon stop spreading holiday cheer.
Children have new toys to play with, and the magic of Santa has passed.
It’s too bad that these feelgood feelings don’t last.
The hungry and poor might have had one day of reprieve,
Invited into homes they will soon be asked to leave.
The homeless are still seeking shelter and food,
While the rich discard leftovers in a way that is lewd.
The happiness of the season will change on January 1st and things will go back to the same old way as before…
Even though we’ll all begin the new year with resolutions galore.
Not everyone is as fortunate as you or me.
And so, before this year ends, I want to make a plea.
I want you to help just one person today.
I want you to make that person’s life better, in some small way.
Smile at someone, provide a meal to them, donate clothing, help an elderly person with a chore, rescue an animal, or do a different good deed.
My plea is to do this on a daily basis, too, because there are many people who are in desperate need.
As 2018 winds down, reflect on how much you have helped others this past year,
And resolve to make 2019 much better, for both strangers and for those whom you hold dear.
It takes only a small amount if effort on your part,
And your kind, loving action may just give someone a new start!
It may fill them with hope, when, before, they had none.
It may give them a new lease on life, or rekindle their belief in humanity, when, before, they thought they were done.
Remember, a simple gesture can go a long way,
And you might find yourself in their shoes, somehow, someday.
You would, then, want someone to do the same for you,
Even though you became a shell of the person you once were and knew.
Treat others with respect and love, and do a good deed every day from now on.
Don’t wait for tomorrow (tomorrow never comes for procrastinators); do it today, before today is gone!
Promise yourself you will continue to be helpful and kind all year,
Because that is the only way we can keep these feelings alive, these feelgood feelings of cheer.
And do it now, while you have the chance; keep the magic alive while you are still here.
Hi Lorraine,
I enjoyed reading this and I agree and hope that all who do read it take your advice.
It seems like flipping a switch. December 1st and everyone is so kind and happy and the day after New Year’s
the power gets turned off and back to the negative and mean-spirited ways.
I hope it does change this year, even for a bit longer.
Monna Ellithorpe recently posted…Welcome To The New Year 2019
Monna, thanks so much for sharing this message on Facebook and on your blog.
I wish people were kinder to one another all year. Maybe this is what they need… a reminder.
Hopefully, by sharing this post throughout the coming year, they will.