IT IS THE TIME OF YEAR FOR GIVING AND GIFTING

IT IS THE TIME OF YEAR FOR GIVING AND GIFTING

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Ines



Some of you already know that I also maintain my warrior blog site starvingwarmachine.wordpress.com, one of my American sisters and I decided to give it a try as we felt enough people were ready to sacrifice a few lifestyle changes for Peace. If you don’t know about it, please visit it and find a way to contribute towards Peace, whatever suits your lifestyle and way of life.
Personally, after leaving home at the age of 16, I never celebrated the holidays, it was too much of a reminder of the home I left behind, and eventually I forgot about the purpose of Xmas. When my children came into the world, they visited their grandparents and respected their continuing traditions but they basically grew up bragging to their friends that we shopped on Boxing Day and got double for our money and that way got twice the amount of gifts.
Now that I live in Croatia, a very Catholic society, I have noticed over the years increase in marketing hype and more people buying trees and gifts. It was not normally part of the Xmas tradition. Xmas was always about families gathering and Church.
Today, while I was updating the Instructions page on the warrior blog, a thought occurred to me. There will be people that will not feel complete if they don’t buy a gift or two or three or do something good. To starve the war machine we are not buying any gifts this year from certain corporations, it’s one of the actions on the list, but I for one have a ritual each year around that time and put together food baskets for some poor families in my neighborhood.
If you really feel compelled to do something kind, instead of buying the usual gifts that you do, why not do the following either one or both?
I was shocked to read how many families are homeless and living in cars, vans and tents, it’s not just the single person anymore, so I thought about buying something for them that would last and was inexpensive. For single homeless people buy a backpack and fill it up with non-perishable foods such as jam, peanut butter, honey, saltless crackers, things that will last a while and not go bad in the extreme heat or cold. For $20.00 I believe you can get the backpack and the items listed. I read that these families try and park their cars/vans where access to public washrooms are, so a backpack would be great for them, they would not stick out and they can put their toilletries in the packs.
or,
invite a single person or family if you can afford it for Xmas dinner to eat with you. Give them the gift of love and caring by allowing them to have access to a bathroom where they can have a real shower, if you have some second hand clothes, dress them for that day. You can change a life or attitude by that simple act of kindness. They won’t remember the food as much as they will remember the day they spent with you, the act of love.
I’m already thinking about what to place in the baskets this year, since I had a very successful harvest in the garden, I am going to start with jars of tomato sauce, jars of strawberry jams and instead of baked cookies and sweets, going to replace them with dried figs, peanuts, walnuts and pumpkin seeds as they are much more nutritious and last longer than sweets.
Last year I gave my old tablet to a family with a 9 year old girl, she hugged me for an hour and cried from joy since they didn’t have a computer I was able to do this for her and since we lived so close, she could even access my wi-fi connection so internet didn’t cost her anything.
So it doesn’t have to be a season of spending anything, the items you buy can come from smaller stores family owned instead of Walmart and they are essential items so not considered part of the gifting items that stores stock up on to profit during that sales season.
By spreading your love and kindness, you are increasing the positive energy around you. My jam goes bad in the fridge before I eat it, I have abundance and forget about it, whereas, it will be long term survival food for the homeless, a comfort food as it is sweet and will provide some energy as well.
Think about it, you don’t have to go out all the way to feed the war machine corporations and the items you do purchase are essentials that we need to survive when you are homeless or living out of a car or van. A jar of jam and peanut butter can last a few weeks for one person not if they eat it everyday, but it would last longer than a loaf of bread.
Let’s make this year spreading love to the ones in need and starving those that want war!

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Thanks to Ines at: http://inesradman.wordpress.com