Holidays 2020

What a whirlwind the past 8 months have been! As we are a one week from embarking on the 2020 holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s; we do so in the midst of a pandemic and an election. UGGGG! It is a first in my lifetime and I pray we can resume normalcy soon. Like most, I have done my fair share of whining, fussing, venting and last but not least-praying. Why do I pray after I exhaust all other actions? I wish I had the answer to that question, but I do know that only I can change the way I respond to life. I know many of us make resolutions or set goals for a new year and recently I have felt God impress upon my heart that I need to react in kindness. What does that look like for me? Kindness is not just how I treat people but how I react in situations that do not necessarily go as planned. (I am super impatient, jump to conclusions and tend to find the negative.) I can have kindness in my heart and be positive, or I can get anxious, fuss and vent. I know what God wants of me, and my 2021 goal is to first be kind and then respond.

In the meantime, the giving back blessing for Hidden Treasure Soap this year is to donate gifts to the residents at my mom’s assisted living facility, Northern Lakes Senior Living in Baxter, MN. COVID has restricted much, but especially our seniors as they are so isolated, denied human interaction and most of all physical touch. I understand the need to protect, but as the daughter of a resident, I know the despair and loneliness they experience. Nothing takes the place of hug and personal interaction. Growing up, my mom always said that we needed 3 hugs a day to be healthy. This obviously isn’t a scientific fact, but physical touch is critical no matter your age.

This holiday season, I hope you can see kindness in others, respond to the lonely with compassion and most of all, see the beauty in the birth of Christ.