Festive, Buy? Cry? Give?

As I sat drinking a warm cup of green tea to my left sat a lady who was in a heated state talking 'AT' not with her man. She called him 'stupid' and then continued to rant on and on about how much everything was costing her over Christmas. She looked like a misery-guts as she poured out her spirit of bitterness towards her husband. It was at that point she pulled out a list as long as a toilet roll and began to go through endless requests for MORE that most of those that had asked already had somewhere in a corner from a previous Christmas. It's festive, Buy? Cry? Give time? "Next lets go get mum's bread-bin, although she already has two so not sure why she wants another" She whined! "I have no idea what to buy dad so I am getting him more underpants and more socks and more gloves and more movies, he'll be fine with that" As her husband sat there with his back hunched, a puffy jacket on, old jeans, black nothing shoes, his hair (as groomed by his wife) a grey, tired, resentful, hen-pecked, over-whelmed and over-dominated look on his face he simply nodded with his mouth open, agreeing to anything his wife threw at him for the sake of a peaceful life. She then said... "and what do you want?" He replied... "I would like ..." and before he could reply she screamed..."and you're not having play station so don't even ask" That stopped him dead in his tracks so before the word PS3 left his mouth he changed it to..."a new spade so I can dig that nice garden into what you have always wanted" She finished her 2nd large chocolate muffin and hot chocolate. She stood up quickly with her frown, ready for more Xmas warfare and now added chocolate mustache that only enhanced her already manly looks. He stood in silence, pick up the haul of 10 bags plus. Without saying a word he followed her like an Ecuadorian pack mule ready to climb another 2000 into the unknown. Around 30 minutes later I left Starbucks laughing secretly at the almost sitcomic scene being repeated  time and time again, hour after hour, minute after minute, second after second as time races towards December 25th. Ahhh ... the spirit of Christmas... lol. So it isn't for me to preach or teach even, I am just offering my own iconoclastic observations. I then left Starbucks, stood at the end of the main street and watched as the masses ran around buying and devouring almost everything in sight in preparation for the big day. OK so we are creatures of routine, we love our rituals and we cling to embedded habits and that is a good thing. I wonder however how much time, effort or resources we can give to others that have not got the time, money, health or even love to share with anyone right now? Their lives are not wrapped up in the consumer rush of endless storing, buying and wanting, their lives are wrapped up in survival on a daily basis. They need food. They need love. They need kindness. They need smiles. They need warmth. They need something as simple as a hug from someone that may not know them but can give as much care to them as possible. Can we take a moment out of a minute... that's all it takes, seconds ... to do that? Will you? When you go buy a sandwich today, buy two and give one away. When you go buy a hot drink on this cold day, buy two and give one away. When you go buy some new gloves to replace the old ones, take the older ones with you and give them away. When you see someone sad and lonely, desperate and down offer them a word of kindness, give them an ear to hear, a simple touch on the hand or arm, give away some humanity to another. When you see charities that NEED help, give what you can to help. Do you have a friend that will be alone this holiday season, will you ask them to join your family? It really makes a difference. And this endless buying of more. Does it really create happy people? Do we really need it? Do we really want it or do we just go 'along with it' for the sake of peace like the guy in Starbucks? Lets not forget, we are human beings. That makes us special. We thrive and grow on love, on relationships with other humans. People need people. People need love. There are people out there that need something from YOU. Maybe you don't care? Maybe you do care? Maybe you've heard it all before? Maybe you are enclosed in your own drama, own life, own self-created bubble. It's festive, Buy? Cry? Give time? I do know this. It takes one second to give away some happiness... one single second... and you can make someone else feel even just a little bit better. Will you?