Day 13 – 16

We have many wondrous gifts to give when they come from the heart. On Day 13 give the gift of kindness! According to the Cambridge dictionary ‘kindness’ means being generous, helpful and thinking about others feelings. Doing these small acts of kindness can change the path of someone’s day – so go out an be kind! Share your cookie, shovel your neighbors snow, hold the door, help with the groceries and be kind today.

On Day 14 give the gift of warmth! If you are in NYC, Newark, Philadelphia, Camden or any other city where you see the homeless – give out gloves, hats, scarves, blankets and hand warmers. You may also want to offer a hot coffee or hot chocolate with marshmallows. Giving someone the gift of warmth in these cold winter months could help warm their hearts and prevent the nasty effects of the winter. Give the gift of warmth this season!

On Day 15 give the gift of joy! Joy is one of my favorite gifts because when you have inner joy, you can spread it, so easily to others. What is joy? According to the Cambridge dictionary it is “great happiness or pleasure, or it is a person or thing that brings happiness”. So be that person that provides happiness to all. Be the office optimist, smile at everyone, sing in the rain, share your inner peace and make the world a better place. If you want to really understand joy, read “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World” by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This is one of my absolute favorite books, I have listened to this book on audible three times already. It’s hard to ignore this book, lots of insight and love.

On Day 16 write a thank you note! But when I say write a thank you note, I mean to a soldier, police officer or fireman. They put their lives on the line everyday for our safety. They make our country a better place to live. So today, stop what you are doing grab a piece of paper and start writing to them. Tell them all the reasons that you are especially thankful for what they do. Running into burning buildings, stuck in a crossfire of war, preventing the detonation of bombs, taking gun shots from gang members, helping accident victims and most importantly thank them for risking their lives for us.

Remember every day is a gift! Day 16 is dedicated to Officer Seals of the JCPD. May you rest in peace and may the Lord watch over your family in this time of need.