caring for others:
In a world where people are often sad, disappointed, and hurting – let’s be honest, we’re all going through something – it’s a true and genuine holiday spirit booster to give back in any way possible. And while this may not seem like a ‘caring for others’ post, it truly was a way for John and I to participate in, and give back to our community. What started as a fun way to bring Christmas joy to others turned out to be an end-of-year Christmas surprise for us. Here’s what happened…
It all started as simple holiday decor…
Anyone who knows us knows we love to decorate for the Christmas season as soon as the last trick-or-treater leaves the premises. That means November first for us. I thought this year would be different because of home is much smaller and we have really pared down our belongings. Still, November 1 came and our pencil tree went up in the corner of our living room. It was almost two weeks before we decorated it with ornaments. But slowly and surely, little by little, the remainder of our things began to appear….
Slowly, the stockings, the placemats, the mercury glass candles all took their rightful places. Red velvet ribbons were tied to, well – anything I could tie them to. Then came the tartan plaid ribbons and bows, the reindeer, the little train diffuser, bowls of ornaments, and so many other little details that made our little apartment feel like home.
Then the neighborhood announced a contest…
One day about two weeks ago, our community manager announced a contest. A Christmas DECOR contest. Out of 1,000 residential units, twenty-eight neighbors participated. We could choose to participate with outdoor decor, indoor decor, or both. John really encouraged me to participate. I probably would have simply sat back and watched the fun.
But, since we had put so much work into our tiny 1,200 square feet, I agreed to join in the fun. One day last week a couple of the girls from our office came for a little ‘photo shoot.’ Photos were taken of each participant’s apartment. Then, on Wednesday, December 17, neighbors were asked to vote on their favorite unit.
Votes were tallied on Facebook for our neighborhood, and also analog votes were taken at the neighborhood Christmas party for neighbors without the Facebook app.
Votes were tallied and the winners were announced…
Thursday, December 18, we were notified via text message that we had placed first place in the decor contest. We started out simply participating to bring joy to others, to share our little home and a bit of Christmas spirit. But what we received was an end-of-year Christmas surprise.
I thought I would share a little collage with you here in hope it will bring you joy, as well. I’m taking the remainder of 2025 off, but I will see you again bright and early in the new year. We have so much to discover together: Caring for home, caring for others, and caring for yourself. See you soon.
Merry Christmas, friend!
