"" Writer's Wanderings: Christmas Caroling

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Christmas Caroling


A week from today is Christmas Eve! I know, you didn't need to be reminded. But if you are reading this, you probably have everything under control or desperately need to sit down for a few minutes and space out online. Turn on some Christmas carols, put your feet up and let your mind drift--just not too far.

Last night, we went caroling with a small group from our church. It was my kind of caroling--indoors. We visited a nursing home and wandered the halls singing the old favorites. It brought back memories of when I was a young girl and gathered a bunch of friends to go caroling in our neighborhood. We started out with the idea of surprising people and just having fun singing. What we didn't know was that people would give us money.

The unexpected income sent me running home for a jar to put it in and we continued on down the street. By the time we were done, we had collected around $25 (a big amount in those days and to our young eyes-a fortune!). As we sat and counted out the loose change and dollar bills, we wondered what to do with it. My mother suggested giving it to charity and mentioned a hospice that was run by a church not far from where we all lived. Our eyes lit up with the idea of giving to families that might not have such a good Christmas.

The next day, my mother and I took the money to the hospice and left it with the receptionist at the desk. A few days later we received a very nice thank you note from the sisters who ran the hospice. It was the first time I remember being directly involved with donating anything to charity and was a great experience in feeling that sense of giving that enriches your life when you reach out to others.

Have you ever gone caroling?

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