Messing about with empathy
There is a week left in 2019. How did your goals and resolutions go this year? Are they all completed? If not, can you finish them in the next week? If you can, do so. Obviously, if you gained ten pounds from Halloween to Christmas, you aren’t going to meet your weight goals in a…
I hope you have the best Christmas ever. I listened to a different Christmas CD every day of December. Some I already owned and some I got from the library. Most years, I get my Christmas music from the radio or listen to the same two or three Christmas CDs over and over again. I…
Day 24 – On Christmas Day, ring bells to celebrate the birth of Christ. Such a glorious day calls for a glorious noise so ring all the bells you have loud and long. While I think this is a good idea, I don’t know why I didn’t suggest something for today instead of tomorrow. Even…
Day 23 – Tonight, read a Christmas story. “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry is one choice, but there are many others. Perhaps you could pick a children’s story from the library and read it out loud to your loved ones. In Iceland, everyone reads books on Christmas Eve. I think that is…
Day 22 – Today, do something kind for an animal: put some birdseed out, walk a pet a little longer, give some money to your favorite animal charity, etc. Every nativity scene I’ve ever seen has animals in it. This makes sense since it takes place in a stable where the animals live. Plus, there…
Day 21 – Today, show more patience than normal. God has a lot of patience with us, so work on showing a little to those who need it most. It’s the Saturday before Christmas, and I imagine a lot of people are going to shop today. Dealing with crowded parking lots, harried retail employees, and…
Day 20 – Tonight, turn off the TV and everyday lights, and eat by Christmas tree lights. Talk about why this tree is the best tree ever. Yesterday, I wrote about the history of Christmas tree lights, and on my second podcast episode, I talked about the science of Christmas trees. (Have you heard the…
Day 19 – Tonight, take a walk through a neighborhood and admire the Christmas lights. Come back home and have hot chocolate with mini marshmallows in it. I love putting lights on my house, and I love seeing other decorated homes. It’s such a happy sight. I also love learning cool history, and the history…
Day 18 – Tonight, call someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Wish them a Merry Christmas and tell them to do the same to someone else. I do not like talking on the phone, so if I was writing this activity today, I would suggest connecting with someone in whatever way works for…
Day 17 – Say yes to a crazy request. Does someone want you to have a snowball fight? Say yes. Enjoy doing things you don’t normally do. One of the hallmarks of time management is learning to say no to things that are not priorities in your life. I believe this is a good idea.…