29-Gifts Challenge *Day 2*

I must have spent at least two hours last night pondering and searching for 'the gift'.  Should I give 'something material', an act of kindness, something least expected.  Am I 'supposed' to put this much time into this process? 

I was playing around with paper (love paper!) in my scrappy lounge and came upon a postcard I had bought myself at the Farm Chicks show.  It read "Keep Calm & Carry On".  As soon as I read it I thought of feedback a colleague has given me on several occasions -- how I'm calm in situations where maybe others might react or have reacted.  I've learned over the years (and Lord knows I certainly don't always do this) to sometimes just sit back, listen, take it all in and ask myself "will my words make a difference at this point in time?".  If I think not ... then I keep my mouth shut.  Trust me ... this has been a learned habit, something I continually strive to be better at. 

I chose for my Day 2 gift to give my colleage this postcard.  It was actually hard, at first, to part with it.  I had been looking for this postcard as a poster so when I found it, I knew I 'needed' to have it.  In my heart though I knew that this person could use these words as she has much going on in her life.  So I added my own words on the back of the postcard, put it in an envelope and was all ready for that to be my gift. 

This morning on my way to work I stopped at the market to get creamer for our office.  Well, I walked in and there I saw the bags of groceries, already packaged up and ready to be given to families in need.  I remember a time when I was that person in need.  I had gone through a painful divorce, was alone during the holidays and didn't have much extra.  That was a year I remember not being able to send my children the Christmas boxes I would have liked to.  That was a year of sadness, disconnect, ambivalence and definitely I had a major pity party going on.  At the time I was attending a Four Square church a block down from my apartment.  One evening a young family from church brought me a small Christmas tree and a basket of groceries --- my heart was touched.  I had some red & white gingham ribbon and decorated my tree with gingham bows & white lights.  It was the most beautiful tree ever. 

So, my gift for today went from being a postcard of 'calm words' for a friend to a bag of groceries for a family in need.