Messing about with empathy
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.…
Day 16 – Go to the mall and wave at Santa. Sit on his lap if you want to tell him what you want for Christmas or at least wish him a Merry Christmas. I think a fun variation to this idea would be to take a child to see Santa. Perhaps a grandchild, or…
Day 15 – Try something old. Is there something you used to do as a child that you don’t do anymore? Do it again. Revive an old tradition and feel young again. I can’t think of anything to suggest. Much of what I do at Christmastime is the same as what I did when I…
Day 14 – Go out on a snow-covered day and build a friendly snowman. No snow? Build an ice cube man with toothpicks for arms. He can live a long time in Freezerland. I have never lived where it snowed every year. Growing up, we visited Sequoia National Park after Christmas to get our snow…
Day 13 – Go to a Christmas concert. A fun one is Tuba Christmas. Tuba players join together and play free Christmas concerts. It is a great sound. A town nearby you may have a Tuba Christmas concert soon. You can also go see the Nutcracker or your school’s winter concert, but if you have…
Day 12 – Give someone the day off. Do they normally do the dishes? Tell them that they have the day off and do it for them. Whatever it may be, do it for them cheerfully so they feel like they can enjoy their day off. In my Girl Scout Brownie and Junior Handbook, published…
Day 11 – Learn to say Merry Christmas in another language. Teach it to everyone you see. By coincidence, this Friday’s Footle and Grok podcast* is about this topic. I had originally planned to say Merry Christmas in various languages. However, as you will hear, I quickly discover that I can’t speak any other languages,…
Day 10 – Pop a big bowl of popcorn and join your loved ones for a showing of “A Miracle on 34th Street.” Only the original, black and white version, please. I feel I’ve talked about Miracle on 34th Street a lot this season, so I won’t mention it again (but seriously, only watch the…
Day 9 – Do something special today to show someone you love them. It does not have to cost money and can be as simple as doing a chore for them that they usually do. Be creative. If I were going to do something special for my hubby, I would give him a day of…