Editor’s Note: December 2010

When it comes to the holidays, my kids couldn’t be any more different.

My 10-year-old daughter doesn’t bother making a gift list or, indeed, even asking for anything. If pushed, she’ll mention a few things she might like — if we feel they are appropriate for her and if we have the money to buy them, she’s quick to add.

My five-year-old son, on the other hand, circles everything in every toy catalogue that lands on our doorstep between Halloween and Christmas. Well, OK, maybe not everything: in one catalogue, he X’d out all of the pink stuff and made a point to tell me that he didn’t want “anything stupid like a make-up kit or a doll”. Unless, he added slyly, he could blow them up in a volcano…conveniently found on page 37 of the current toy catalogue.

When our daughter was little, we really did think her level-headedness with regard to the holidays was related to our superior parenting skills. “Look at how well we’re raising her,” we’d comment proudly to each other.

And then our son bounded in and smashed that pretty little picture of pride. Which, if I look on the bright side, probably is a good thing, given that pride is one of the seven deadly sins.

Then again, so is greed.

The holiday season tempts us to so many deadly sins, though, doesn’t it? When you’re not side-stepping greed, envy rears its ugly head. And don’t get me started on gluttony…

Despite that, I really do believe the holidays offer us the perfect opportunity to respond to the better angels of our nature.

It is no secret that children are the most generous among us — even the grabby ones. Tell them someone has a need and they want to fulfill it. It helps that kids don’t take no for an answer: it’s one of the things that drives us parents crazy, but also what blinds their eyes to the roadblocks we adults see when it comes to effecting change.

Too often we grown ups think we can’t make a difference — we don’t have enough money, or enough time, or enough…something. But kids see every small action as meaningful.

And it is.

Imagine if every person who picked up a copy of Parent:Wise this month donated one can of food to the Capital Area Food Bank: that would result in some 32,000 cans of food!

Or what if 10% of the people living in ZIP code 78731, where this magazine is based, donated $1 each to the Adoption Coalition of Texas? They’d be looking at a $2,746 windfall.

Or how about if 5% of the people living in that same ZIP code each donated one old towel to the Town Lake Animal Shelter? That would result in 1,373 towels.

Sometimes it’s best not to look at the big picture—not only can it be overwhelming, it can be defeating. But if we concentrate on the little things we have to offer, the seemingly inconsequential, we stand a shot at making a real difference.

If ever there were a time to put this into practice, it’s during the holidays, when excess and extravagance threaten to overwhelm us all.

So this year, why not try something out-of-the-ordinary, something avant garde, something so completely different it could very well send shockwaves through the countryside. Why not think….small?

As Vincent Van Gogh once said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”

How about we do something great this holiday: scuttle the big overtures, dump the massive cash outlays, and focus our energy on the small things. And I don’t mean a million small things, either. I mean simplifying our lives by noticing one or two little things we can do to make this season especially bright.

Each of us has amazing gifts we can contribute to make this world a better place. If you don’t believe me, just ask your kids.

After all, where do you think I got this idea, anyway? Yes, the catalogue-hoarding toy miser.

The kid can’t pass a Salvation Army kettle without throwing something in. But last month, I was fresh out of cash when we came upon the bell ringer outside of the grocery store. My son glared at me, “Don’t you even have some pennies?” I did, actually — about 30 cents worth, but I didn’t think it was enough to throw into the kettle and I told him so.

“That’s just silly, Mama — every little bit helps.”

I gave him the money. Because he gave me my first gift of the season.

Now, I’m passing it on.

Happy holidays…may the blessings of the season wrap you in warmth, comfort and love…and may you share them with the world.