By now you’re either on your way to visiting family, or you’re haphazardly thawing a turkey in the sink, right? Don’t we all have a lot to be thankful for, though? I know I’ve been posting cutesy pictures and silly (but sentimental) things that I’m thankful for this year. I mean how many people put pizza or candy on their list? Yeah. Of course, part of it is that I didn’t have to really work that hard for that pizza. My husband picked it up on the way home from work, and we chatted while we cuddled the girls and it was baking away as a pumpkin ‘feast’. The picture of candy was from my daughter’s Halloween, and goodness, she had SO much fun and that reminds me of that! A lot of it is that I’m thankful for the REAL stuff that goes along with the trappings. No, my 4 y.o. may not remember dressing up like a safari guide, but I’ll remember cutting that paper bag over and over again until it fit just right. I’ll remember the joy of the costume contest #victory, when a paper bag and some hand-stitched felt ears beat out expensive store costumes, and how the baby still says PLEASE and begs for that zebra hoodie! I gave my time and received so much thankfulness in return…
That’s how it goes isn’t it? You give but really you’re the one who receives? Funny how that works.
This musing was brought on by a contest I entered from Cotton Babies Blog <— links to the contest which ends Cyber Monday. It’s a pinterest contest, which I don’t usually do, but I do love me some Cotton Babies (the link on the right sidebar is not affiliate, I just believe in supporting my local workers if I can!) so I meandered around the website and found some cute stuff. Let’s face it, I have an inordinate amount of diapers. We bought, I’ve won stuff, etc. Through 2 kids we’ve gathered over 100 diapers (a lot of them SMALLS of course that don’t fit past 3 months), and all we really need to do is replace the inserts. Should have done it LAST year at black Friday time. #derailed… ANYWAY I do have a point–I saw this little kit and thought, WOW that would totally diaper a baby for a day for someone who really needs it. That would be something great to donate to one of the SHARE THE LOVE sites. I know my friend Mindy is planning on opening one. Hey why not REQUEST that if I’m picked that kit goes to her site?!?
… and so I did.
Apparently it got some raised eyebrows among the elves looking at the pins.
I’m not sure why it should. Maybe no one else has thought of giving? Maybe I was too specific in naming where it should go? It’s the thought that counts, right? What I pinned doesn’t really matter, and whether it raised eyebrows or not (in whatever good/bad way it did), does not matter… and for the record, this wasn’t a ploy to get my ‘pins’ noticed, because it’s a completely RANDOM drawing with dozens of entries. What I pin isn’t going to affect whether I win or not… and maybe that’s why I did it. To be an example? To let Mindy know I was thinking of her site and how much good I know she will do? To show that I care? Just to plain out give when I feel so grateful? I’m not sure.
What I do know is that it is much better to give than to receive. To share your time, talent, or even a pinterest ‘pin’ that might reach out and touch someone, help someone, show them some love. Isn’t that what this world needs? A little more love?
So go out, faithful hoards of ‘NOT bubble wrappers’ and share a little love, no matter what holiday you celebrate, do it with joy. Give hugs, smiles, and high fives. They’re all free. They’ll make someone’s day, and hey, who knows? Maybe that ‘day making’ will actually HELP someone. Give. Receive. Love.
