But I can't afford to give!!

It's the holiday season, the time for presents and tinsel and lights.

It's the holiday season, the time for giving.

A lot of us are struggling, trying to get by and not sure how we're going to afford to pull off the holidays financially. But maybe we'd like to do something for others--help in some way. Not that we can afford to, not if we're going to manage to take care of our own family, too.

A friend just facebooked me and is doing a great thing tomorrow--a day devoted to giving.You should totally go check it out here. Sure, there are tons of links to give financially and if you can afford to do that, I'm very happy for you and I think it's great that you're doing that. But not everyone can.

So, what can you do?

Everyone wants someone to SEE them. The old veteran at the grocery store? Have you stopped and said thanks for serving our country? Shook his hand. Paused in your busy day to ask him how he's doing or listen to him tell a story?

How about your parents, grandparents, other older relatives? They've been around the block a time or two and I bet they have tons of really funny or interesting things they could tell you. Do you have the time to listen?

Do you have the time to see the woman struggling to get out the door with bags and a child and keys and maybe give her a hand for a minute? You don't have to know who she is, just lend a hand and go about your day.

Do you have the time to stop and listen when the random cashier starts to vent about her horrible day? You've been there yourself--such a shittastic day that you just have to tell someone, even a stranger, just because you are going to explode if you keep it inside for a moment longer.

I'm pretty sure there are people all around you, ones you pass everyday or maybe just once in the entire span of your lifetime, who you can help, who you can SEE and make a difference. Sometimes, a smile and a few words can lift a person up. They can be the thing that keeps them from breaking when the weight of the world is almost too much to bear.

If you give of yourself, you reap the reward of knowing you helped. If you're feeling empty this holiday season, give and see if it fills you up. See if making a difference for someone else ends up making a difference for you.

Or, for just a brief moment, stop thinking about you and think about someone else.

I'm not asking anyone for money, I'm asking you to remember to share your time--more valuable than any money you could ever earn and more precious than diamonds--while you're hustling and bustling around trying to get things done.

Let me know if you make a difference for someone?

Also, the full link, in case you missed it, to my friends post about giving is this:
http://governingana.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/givingtuesday-and-making-a-difference-advent-calendar-day-4/

Happy Writing!