Yesterday, me and my team at work headed out to an Adult Day Center that we visit every year at Christmas time. We have been doing this event annually for about 10 years now and the experience really puts a smile on your face and joy in your heart. The center holds daily activities for mentally challenged adults. They provide a place for them to come daily to socialize with one another, play games, watch movies, listen to music and they feed them lunch and snacks before they all return home in the evenings.
Each year our team brings in a Christmas Tree, stand, lights, tree skirt, plastic ornaments, candy canes, bows and ribbon, to allow them to have their very own tree trimming party. We set up the tree and put on the lights for them, and then we pass out the ornaments to each one of them individually so they can all have a hand in decorating the tree. We also bring in a CD player with Christmas music and we bring punch, cookies and party snacks for them to enjoy. Although all of the men and women are grown adults, they have the spirit and excitement of children at Christmas. Their faces light up at the simplest thing of decorating a tree, eating cookies and drinking punch. It is really a simple gesture on our part, we all just delegate in advance what we each are responsible for bringing to the party, but it really means a lot to them and to the managers at the Center and they are so gracious and so appreciative.
I usually recognize some of the people from the year before, but there is always someone new to meet. They give you hugs and are just so excited about the whole thing it is very contagious. It really puts you in the spirit of giving and is a reminder of what Christmas is really about, doing for others.
How do you spread holiday cheer during Christmastime ?
Thoughts ? Questions ? Comments ?
Beautifully Complex
