For many of us, the festive season is a time of over indulgence. The very meaning of ‘festive’ is of feast; joyous; jovial. We indulge ourselves with alcohol, food and gifts, in the company of colleagues, friends and family. We congregate and celebrate over so many days or weeks that it is referred to as a ‘season’.
I often take for granted the abundance this season brings to me and my family and whilst we are all aware that many aren’t so fortunate, to actually see these people and reach out to them is not an experience which I have previously undertaken. Like you, I have dropped many a bag of unwanted clothing in a Salvation Army bin, and taken old toys and books to garage sales held for charitable causes, but I have not served on the front line. I’m normally motivated by a desire to clear out my house and have done so knowing the cupboards and toy boxes would still be brimming with clothes and toys, and that new would replace old in time.
I consider myself a community minded person and volunteer what spare time I have to be on committees and boards. I am in training to become a foster parent to provide emergency and respite foster care. I undertake legal aid Family Law matters which usually take twice as many hours as private matters, are often far more complicated while paying up to three quarters less. However, all of my philanthropic activities are connected in some way with my own life and don’t usually take me too far out of my comfort zone.
As we cleared the bottles and cans from our Christmas Eve party, in preparation for our Christmas Day lunch, after watching the children open enough presents to satisfy a children’s ward in a large hospital, it became clear we had also over-catered. We contemplated our navels and just how much we required and realized we were faced with two options; we could stuff ourselves silly on rich and expensive food for several days, or we could eat moderately (though still amply) and give the excess to those less fortunate.
The decision was not difficult and we drove to the city in the general direction of a centre for homeless people, with a basket loaded with a fresh baguette, prawns, lemons and cocktail sauce and a bottle of cordial. The centre was easy to find as the footpath out the front was lined with people who looked like they’d seen better days. Or perhaps they hadn’t. I felt ashamed as I arrived in a shiny imported car, fresh out of the shower and cooled by air-conditioning to see the faces of these people who looked at me curiously. It was easy to find a park as most people had not driven there, they had walked or ridden on public transport, to be greeted by the welcoming spirit of the centre’s volunteers.
I went inside to see tables of people, some chatting, some staring emptily into space but seemingly content to at least have somewhere to be today. I rushed toward an official looking man in a red t-shirt who was clearing some plates of crumbs from a very small table in the corner. I asked him if he worked at the Centre and he confirmed that he did. I asked him if they would like some unopened bags of prawns and some bread. This man, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Santa looked both shocked and delighted as he immediately stopped what he was doing and ushered me toward the door so as to help me unload the car. He thanked me profusely and offered to send me a thank you card. I declined his kind offer and thanked him for enabling me to provide food to these people, and for the service he was giving.
We returned home to prepare our own Christmas lunch, ignoring our significantly diminished appetites and the feelings of unworthiness that descended upon us. I was overwhelmed by my experience this morning and had to quell the desire to race home and empty the fridge and return to the centre, strapping on an apron. Both Tubs and I vowed to return next year with more, but it won’t take until Christmas for us to think more about the plight of others in our community. After recovering from the initial shock of the experience at the centre, I am enormously enriched and grateful, resolved to begin the New Year with a sense of purpose that reaches beyond my own four walls.
I am sorry if you were hoping for a witty tale of Christmas antics but hope that you have found laughter and joy with your friends and family this season. May the abundance of the season be in your hearts and minds this year. Merry Christmas.
*Abundance: plentiful; more than enough; affluence; wealth; over-flowing emotion (of the heart).
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