Spreading Christmas cheer...it's easier than you might think.

Yesterday I was talking to my friend (two doors down).  She is a younger mom with younger children (all under 12 with youngest not even two yet).  With children who were out of school all last week thanks to the snow...and then were out again this week due to illness.  And will now remain out of school thanks to the Christmas holidays.

When we spoke she was overwhelmed.  She was behind on gift buying, gift wrapping, house cleaning...she was behind on all of it.  She wondered how I seemed to be ahead of the game.  I laughed and said, "I've been on vacation and don't have small children."  We chatted about other things and hung up.

And as I was telling The Husband about our conversation, I remembered how it was back in the day, with a small child.  Snow days, sick days, holidays,,,being stuck in the house for days with a child.  It could be SO overwhelming!  And here I was, with an evening stretched out in front of me and no small people under my feet and no one making demands of my time.

So I sent her a text right then and there asking if she wanted to sneak out of her house and come on down that I would help her wrap gifts.  She was amazed and grateful.  She came bearing various gifts, wrapping paper and ribbon.

We spread out on the living room floor - with Christmas music in the background - and wrapped, chatted and laughed.  When she left a couple of hours later, her relief was palpable - that one task was done.

And it's that simple...look around and see what you can do to help.  Buy food for the food bank.  Help an overwhelmed mother.  Open a door for someone whose hands are full.  Smile at strangers.  Slip a couple of bucks into the Salvation Army bucket.  It really isn't that hard.

And it really shouldn't only happen at Christmas...