The Gratitude Project: Day 23

The list goes on!

1. Potlucks -- Ever since I was a child I have enjoyed the excitement and variety offered by a potluck. And not just excitement and variety of food; the people who gather are equally as varied in personality, background and style. And the more, the merrier! What a great opportunity for each guest to share a dish with a personal touch -- undoubtedly also offering a glimpse into the type of food that she or he most enjoys. And there's nothing like a growing spread of food to encourage lingering conversation!

2. Caroling -- Whether participating in the act of singing for others or on the receiving end of carols being sung outside the door to your home, Christmas caroling brightens the lives and the faces of all involved. Warmth and cheer, giving and delight are all a part of the experience, and it offers a chance for neighbours and strangers to become connected in a beautiful way!

3. The Christmas Season -- While I think that Christmas has become, in many ways, over-commercialized, I do appreciate and am grateful for the fact that it serves as a reminder to show love and kindness to those around you. It encourages me to be generous -- not in over-spending on things to keep up appearances or in an insincere attempt to impress; rather, in my words and my actions, and in thinking of others and how I might surprise them with simple pleasures. I have my Grandma and my Mom to thank for much of this: I was raised in an environment in which guests are always invited and welcome, and where hospitality takes on the form of offering food and drink, and encouraging conversation and genuine connection. This sense in me is almost innate, perhaps in part because of the ease with which these two women in my life have so naturally received and entertained friends and family, and in part because of the own value I place on relationships. In any case, I am grateful for the additional opportunities that the Christmas Season offers me to connect with those who surround me and to brighten their day in my encounter with them, however brief or extended that may be.