Traditions... and holiday acts of kindness.

As the holiday season approaches, I find myself thinking about some of my family's traditions.. trips to go picking apples in Mexico, NY in the fall... Mom's special Halloween pumpkin cookies... and especially spreading holiday cheer to those around us.

Every year for Christmas, after opening presents with my parents and brother, we would pack up and drive to Western NY to see all of our family. One thing we always made sure to pack for the trip was the jar of candy canes and everyone we came across on that trip we would give one to and wish them a Merry Christmas. The lady in the tollbooth on the interstate, the man working the gas station, our waitress at lunch... anyone working the holiday while others were home with family and friends. You wouldn't believe the effect that the simple act of taking the time to acknowledge someone, give them a little something and with them some good will has. Many people will stop, give you a smile, thank you, tell you about their holiday plans... and their whole demeanor changes.

In the past years when I have traveled for the holidays (usually flying) I would pack the side pockets of my backpack with all kinds of candy canes and continue with the family tradition. The ladies at the ticket counter (who said it was the 1st thing they had eaten all day because they were so busy), the guys scanning luggage who stopped to smile and wish me the same, the people at security, the ticket counter, all stopped and thanked me and their demeanor completely changed. Some asked for an extra couple to give to their friends & coworkers working with them and in some cases they remembered me later on.

Remember that huge fiasco some years back with the luggage getting piled up at airports and flights being canceled over and over during Christmas? I was stuck right in the middle of it. I arrived at the airport here at 6am expecting to be through Laguardia and at the airport in Buffalo by late morning. I lost count of how many of my flights got canceled that day, sometimes within minutes of being re-booked they would take my tickets back (because that flight canceled too) and put me on yet another one. I had to pick my baggage up repeatedly and haul it all over with me and I was moved back and forth between flights & airlines. On the umpteenth flight I was put on they finally accepted my bags and I went to go through the HUGE line at security for my 3rd time that day. As I approached the end of a very long line, 2 airport security people I had given candy canes to and wished a Merry Christmas many hours previous on my 1st trip through security actually remembered me. The girl stopped me and thanked me yet again, asked for my boarding pass and told me to follow her. She took me to an alternate line and told them to stamp my pass. I didn't realize what it meant until I was moved into a much shorter line for military people and the like and they grinned and processed me through. She accompanied me, thanking me again for brightening their day and explaining that since I was so nice to think of them and as I had made it through security twice already that day, she didnt see a reason for me to stand in that long line again.

Because I work for a place that never closes I don't have the chance to travel for the holidays alot so I do what I can to spread the holiday cheer right where I am. After my semi-annual cookie baking marathon I make up smaller bags and take them with me when I am around town. The UPS guy at staples actually giggled and then hid his cookies under the counter so his boss wouldn't walk off with them. The guy at the UPS store who is rarely friendly actually stopped and cracked a smile. After giving me a 'what is wrong with you' look, the cop sitting in the strip mall parking lot actually grinned and said I made his day. There are so many people that you come across, drive by, or who are right there every day that we don't see... and especially during the holidays when everyone is overworked, stressed out and just fed up, its the perfect time to do something about it.

Take me for instance this weekend. I took my dogs out to walk around the flea market at the fairground (no, we didn't buy any fleas)... and it was cold! Not like up home cold, but still,,, 40 windy and rainy.. miserable weather to say the least. After I had enough I took the girls home, passing my some of the many Christmas tree lots in town to get us back into the warmth of the house and out of this crappy weather that was jsut getting worse as it got colder and started to rain harder.

After I got home, it hit me.. having just heard on the news earlier that day how all these people are struggling to make a living selling Christmas trees with the economy so bad... this is their one shot for the year and they have alot riding on it. Here I am racing home to get some warmth and I see them out there sitting huddled under tents... sleeping in pop-up campers and using port-a-johns in this weather, just to make a living... I needed to do something.

I headed out to Wal-mart and loaded up on hand & foot warmers and dug out my envelope of coupons from the latest Citypass book. The coupons are generally for buy a sub, get one free.. things like that.... and if you aren't familiar with the warmers... they are little heat packs that are air activated and you stuff in your boots/gloves to keep your fingers and toes warm for up to 10 or 18 hours.

I hit 7 tree lots over the course of the next couple hours... most of them were guys in their late 20's, early 30's.. wearing carharts and huddled up out of the rain however they could be. Of all the places I hit I only saw 3 people actually there and buying.. the weather wasn't helping at all. The reactions were great.. the guys knew what the warmers were and were so happy, thanking me while the others hollered over wanting to know what I had given them that they were cheering about... some started right off deciding who was going to go get everyone some food... their eyes lit up and they actually smiled. I didn't stick around.. just gave them the pile of things, wished them a happy holiday and left. Many of them stood there smiling and waving while I drove out. The last 2 lots I hit weren't near any coupons I had so I made a stop at burgerking (they just loved me) and bought a pile of burgers and fries. I hit the last 2 lots and passed the food out, along with more packs of warmers. One guy just stood there looking at me, not sure what to say... I smiled, told him to have a good day and hopping in my truck to leave. As I pulled out I saw him in my rear view mirror stuffing fries in his mouth and waving. At the last place, one of the guys was so unsure of the whole thing he stood there with an odd look asking questions... "But why? Who is it from? How come?" he honestly couldn't process why someone would do something like that. I told him it was a crappy day and I appreciate what they are out there doing and wanted to brighten their day. He was still standing there when I left, looking puzzled.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well for a couple reasons.

Like the last guy I came across, people today just aren't accustomed to others being nice to them for no reason, especially around the holidays and there is something inherently wrong with that. Its called a random act of kindness.. and far too few people practice them. I have had huge "free-sales" in my yard (a yard sale, except everything is free.. and it is advertised as such) and have had people tell me they felt wrong just taking things that someone is giving freely. We should be much more open to doing things for people... beacuase we appreciate what they do and the sacrifices they make, because they need it and we have the ability to do something about it... or just because!

The second reason I have told you all of this is to inspire you.. I think more people should have traditions like this and should do random things to help others or simply to make someone's day a little brighter. While you are out running errands, shopping, or doing whatever you do this holiday season (and every day) see what you can do to make a complete stranger's day better... because it feels good... and you never know what your actions will do for someone else... or how they might come back around to you. :)