It’s officially the holiday season, which, to a lot of us, means shopping, eating, and partying. While all of these activities are great and more than acceptable to experience, it’s also important that we take time to reflect.
A couple of weeks ago, I was walking by one of Marist’s Giving Trees. I stopped and looked at all of the ornaments, thinking of ways I can give back to these families. The tree was abundant with red, green, and white ornaments, however, one in particular caught my eye–a young girl asked for a movie gift card. I was nearly brought to tears as I glanced upon this simple request. I thought of how many things I had complained about that day that really weren’t important. I thought about how many times I’ve taken going to the movies for granted. I thought of how many times I had gone to see a movie that I didn’t even really want to see. I grabbed the ornament right away, determined get this young girl a movie gift card.
This moment was a huge wake up call for me. It’s easy to get lost in your own life and problems. However, we must remember to take a step back and realize how many people could use our help and how much of a difference we can make in the lives of others. This holiday season, and for the rest of my life, I am going to remember this moment, and use it as a reminder to give back as much as I can. I urge you all to do the same.