By: Marcia King-Gamble
www.lovemarcia.com
I manifest abundance by being grateful for what I already have
MJ Brown
It's the over the top expectations.
Imagine that
poor mother with four kids working a minimum wage job. Imagine the expectation
as the holidays approach and the disappointment on those four faces when mom
provides only what she can afford. Imagine how that mom feels.
I love
holidays but somewhere along the way holidays went on steroids and galloped way out of control. They've become costly and have lost their true meaning. There are many ways to celebrate holidays
that do not include debt and excessive shows of opulence, Is it that important
to keep up with the neighbors and their elaborate lawn decorations?
Shouldn’t Holidays
be about giving grateful thanks and appreciating making it through another year?
Yes, I know, I’m beginning to sound like
the grinch that stole the holidays.
Don’t get me
wrong, I love a nicely decorated table and a well-prepared meal, but do we need
four entrees, especially if all of those entrees aren’t eaten and a good
portion makes the trash? Do we need five desserts that everyone takes a bite of but never finish?
At Christmas,
do we need more than one gift? Could the money be better spent feeding the poor?
Could we not give back by working in a soup kitchen, visiting an orphanage, donating
food or clothing to the homeless, adopting a poor family or teaching an
underprivileged child how to read?
Is it
possible to spread the abundance of good cheer and seasonal generosity over the
year? Maybe if we cut back a bit on being over the top, we could replace the
material things with kindly actions. Maybe this abundance of loving actions can
take the place of material things.
As the year draws to a close, maybe we should
rethink how we do abundance and make it more about acts of service and about giving
from the heart.
My Holiday novella, Kwanzaa ‘Pon a Time is all about forgiveness, It's available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I hope you enjoy it.
https://amzn.to/3BSRGsC
Happy Thanksgiving all!
About
Marcia King-Gamble
USA Bestselling romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble
originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the
same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive has spent
most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has
penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. She has contributed to Michael Fiore’s DigitalRomanceInc
and served as a moderator on the now defunct eHarmony advice boards. Having witnessed the bad, the ugly, and the
not so good in relationships, she still prefers to write about happily ever
after. Caring for her animal family keeps her grounded and sane.
Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com
or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS
Be sure to join her newsletter mailing
list.
Instagram * Amazon * Website * Facebook * Twitter
7 comments:
Marcia, Well said! Growing up we made decorations for the house: pomander balls and paper chains and we made gifts. I remember tying net around a coat hanger (tedious work for little hands) but then clothes wouldn't slip off. As I'm starting yet another purge (not splurge) aka downsizing I dread the upcoming birthday and holidays as I don't want "stuff". A bouquet of flowers or holiday wreath would be nice but not a plant or living tree. Gift card to my favorite Indian or Thai restaurant would also be great...and a phone call or visit with wrap around hugs would be perfect.
I'm all for kindly actions. Congrats on your writing success too, Marcia!
Judith I made thise paperchains too. My grandmother would sit with me and we made chain after chain. The place looked like a ballroom. About that Indian and Thai restaurant I am right there with you.
Thank you Melissa. I try to do one good deed a day, even if it means letting some person get in front of me in line.
Beautiful post, Marcia! Can't wait to read 'Kwanzaa 'Pon a Time
Thank you Sarah. I appreciate the support.
Marcia, As usual you have great themes for all of us. I love this: "There are many ways to celebrate holidays that do not include debt and excessive shows of opulence..."
Like others, I grew up with all holidays involving homemade things. Home made cards for Valentine's Day and maybe a home made cake. Paper chains for Christmas and home made ornaments for Christmas Tree. Gift giving was one where at Thanksgiving we drew a name. We only gave a gift to that one person, and for most of us it was something home made. I learned to knit and crochet when I was about nine years old and that was often my gift--a scarf, a hat, maybe easy slippers.
Though there have been times in my life when I was more than financially secure, I still didn't see holidays as a time for loading up gifts for me or other family members. It was still one gift--maybe not hand made anymore, but one that I believed was truly welcome.
And I heartily agree that if one has abundance it should be shared with those who don't. There are so many options at this time of year--local toy drives, feeding the homeless, helping at a food bank, giving blankets and clothing to shelters. If one can't donate funds, then time is just as welcome.
Great post, Marcia! Thank you for the abundance of kindness you always display.
Post a Comment