It is the season of giving. It does not take much to put a smile on a person's face. Show up with cookies and candy, folks just light up. One tradition we have is to bake cookies and breads for our neighbors, local business and banks. This year I wanted to try a new cookie, Grammy's Chocolate Sugar Cookie. It called for sanding sugar. I went to a local, popular and successful business, Party Favor's
which has delicious cakes, treats, everything and anything party and baking. Although they had many colored versions of crystal sugar, no sanding sugar.
As the man rang up my order, I inquired about sanding sugar. He asked me to wait a minute. When he came back, he placed a plastic bag of sanding sugar in my bag saying it was from the baker, on the house. So taken, by this random asked of kindness, I promised to deliver sugar cookies. He smiled and said he would love it. His generosity of spirit really struck me. Here it was packed with shoppers and a few people waiting in line and he went out of his way to give away some sugar. It was a sweet gesture. Clearly a reason they are so successful.
I love to bake, it's meditative like yoga; soothing, repetitive. My grandson and I baked a dozen breads and made up 7 cookie trays and a few muffin tins. He did not have the pleasure of seeing the smiles on the peoples face when I showed up unexpectedly with cookies and candies. What I learned is next year he will come with me so that he truly understands that the season is more about giving than receiving. Generosity of the spirit, giving without expecting is something that needs to be cultivated earlier and earlier in our lives.
When you hear people who volunteer or give back often say, they themselves receive so much more than they give, I get it. There really is not feeling like being able to make someone happy with a random act of kindness. It provides you an opportunity to appreciate the small interactions and connections we have.
In the spirit of the season, more kindness in 2016 is my goal , we need it!