Life is Full of Disappointments

Life is full of disappointments.  It either comes from us having our expectations too high or from random roads we take in our lives.  We can't help experiencing disappointment.  It's a part of life.

I can remember as a young child all the lean Christmas's, and I vividly remember the time when Santa never came at all.  I remember having to run to school in the winter as I had no coat. Running, I thought, would help keep me warm. Heat in the house?  No, there wasn't any of that.  We used the oven to keep warm. Did I ever talk to my friends about this?  No.  It was easier to listen to their magical night of treats from Santa, and to check out their new coats, or go to their house and enjoy an afternoon of playing -- and heat.

Today, although I'm not in any means a financially rich woman, I am fortunate to be in a better position than I was as a child.  I have a supporting family and a talent for creating fabric with my own two hands.  Was life disappointing then?  Sure it was.  But a lesson was well learned.  No matter how hard it was then, we always had each other.  The memories of our times together are precious to me, just as the times are that I spend with my family today. 

Yes, life can be filled with disappointments, but I believe we don't need to dwell on it.  Instead, we can turn the experience around and help someone else who wears those same shoes, or worse, no shoes at all.

Even though I have already crocheted & donated 30 scarf, hat and mitten sets, along with many new toys to our local Salvation Army, I have decided to help one more organization this year.

The Harmony House.  The Harmony House provides shelter for 16 homeless women and their children while providing skills and resources to help them live a more stable life.

I have been working on what I call "Scrap Scarves."  What that is is scarves created in blocks of color until I no longer have any left.  The end result is a scarf that is a rainbow of color. I have finished three, and will match them up with hats and gloves to complete the sets.  I will be donating them to the Harmony House next week along with various children's beading kits I happen to have a little stock on.

Yes, life has it's disappointments -- but through our actions and good hearts, we can let the goodness shine through.

Here's ways you can lighten up someone's holiday experience:

Pay the toll for the car or person behind you.

For every person that cuts you off in traffic, let three people get in front of you.

Make a donation to a local charity in the name of a loved one that has passed on.

Go grocery shopping and fill a small basket with various non-perishable food. Then take it to a homeless shelter or church for distribution.

When you're holiday shopping and there's a sale of "Buy One Get One Free," take the free item and donate it.

The end result will be that your heart will sing knowing you've done a wonderful deed, and that someone in need will smile knowing someone in the world cared.

If you're doing something to help lift the feelings of disappointment, feel free to post it here.  Lets spread the feeling of giving this holiday season.  :)