We cut out and decorated circles to make an advent calendar Christmas tree. We call it The Giving Tree. On the back of each circle is an act of giving that we can all do that day. It starts out simple - give a hug - and gets slightly more involved each day - Pick up trash at the park... Give money to an organization that helps the local community (Planned Parenthood is at the top of my list)... Talk to someone you wouldn’t usually talk to... Visit a neighbor you don’t know... Clean up someone else’s mess... Skip a meal to see what it’s like to go hungry. Give the money you would have spent on food to a local shelter... Write a letter to a lawmaker asking for a more peaceful world.
I don't know if the kids will want to do them each day, but I'll do them and I hope that they choose to also.
It's not that I think these small things are enough. It's that I need to do them to live in this world.
