Sanguine

Turns out I couldn't wait 'til Christmas to open my envelope from my paternal grandmother, Lettie. I had been standing in my closet putting Ro's solstice basket together while Zack sat on the bed and chatted with me. I tucked the gift from Grandma Lettie into Ro's basket and held up the creamy white envelope for Zack to see.

"You wanna see what we got?" I asked him. "Sure," he said. So I opened it up and I couldn't exactly properly describe to you my delight when I realized it was a booklet from Heifer International and that instead of gifts this year, my entire paternal side of the family is doing farming/hunger aid. I was so excited, standing in my closet, flipping back and forth through this little book, so proud. Not to say I was, prior to this, not proud, but I was filled with such happiness that someone else I know is choosing to stop being materialistic during the holidays and turn their sights towards giving, and helping, and charity.

I admit, the little girl inside me was excited for a gift card so she could go shopping, but I was a thousand times happier with what I actually found inside. I would rather know that someone chose to give a beast or pet that could provide milk or wool or eggs or honey to a family, and eventually a village, than to have something tangible, that I could keep in my house and let get dusty.

I am partial to seeing the true holiday spirit at work, and this was indeed it.