The twelve days of christmas

Christmas is expanding. It is rapidly becoming a world holiday broadening itself beyond the “christian” belief. It is becoming a holiday that celebrates the virtues of peace, and charity and good will. It is a world holiday celebrating HOPE.

There is so much said on the subject of world peace. And yet the real solution is so simple. It begins with acceptance that we are all different, and that different isn’t really bad.

It is an acceptance that, in spite of our own differences, we are all one family of the earth. It begins with the acceptance of each other as we are, one person at a time.

Christmas is coming soon. This world celebration of the concept of Peace and Hope. There is something we can do, something as individuals to promote this celebration and spread the joy of the fruits of Peace all around us.

It is the individual celebration of the “Twelve Days of Christmas”.

In a nutshell, the celebration involves us choosing an individual or family we would like to share this joy with. Then, beginning on December 13th (the first day of Christmas), we package up a simple gift with a simple verse of greeting. We take this gift and leave it on the doorstep of our chosen family or individual, ring the bell and RUN!!

The key to the magic of this exchange is that the recipient of the gift is never to know the identity of the giver of the gift. That is what ultimately makes the exercise so fun and successful!

Continue to deliver a gift to this chosen family or individual for each succeeding night until December 24th (the twelfth day of Christmas), when you encourage this family or individual to share this same experience with someone next year as you have done with them.

This is a tradition my little family has carried on for almost twenty years! We have enjoyed the mystery and excitement of watching from a distance the happy expressions of those we treat!

Here are a couple of responses left on the porch for us in years past:

“You came for 12 nights

Filled our hearts with delight

We felt Christmas Love

That smiled from above

Loved the joy that you brought

The Christmas Spirit you’ve got

Christmas will never be the same

Because of special gifts that came!

Bless you and yours on this special night, and always and forever know: We love you!”

And another response:

“Thanks so much for making our Christmas so much fun and special. We have loved your nightly visits and gifts! We have been touched that someone is thinking of us. We have felt a little blue every now and then about not being with our family so far away. But as soon as the doorbell rings and we find another surprise, we forget our blues and excitedly run to see what awaits us! Thanks so very much!”

For information and suggestions on getting started yourself, e-mail us at nexushelps@gmail. com.

It is amazing what an anonymous gift of joy from the heart can do for the hope and peace of a longing soul!