Chris DiMaso | November 17, 2020
Having your best Christmas isn’t something that occurs by chance. Like a series of Norman Rockwell paintings, it is a culmination of several factors all coming together to bring about a sense of joy and optimism. In Kansas City, you never know if we will have a white Christmas. During a pandemic, you can’t make plans too far in advance. It is difficult to know when you will begin to feel the spirit. Yet, there are things you can do to make sure when it happens, you are ready. Here are three things you can do to make sure you are having your best Christmas.
They say money can’t buy you happiness, but that is not what a study from Harvard found. “The findings showed that those who reported spending more on others, what the team called “prosocial” spending, also reported a greater level of happiness, while how much they spent on themselves had no impact on happiness.”1 We all know this deep down, but sometimes it is easier to focus on our material wants.
If you want to have your best Christmas, support Villa St. Francis’ #GivingTuesday campaign. It is simple to be a part of it and you will feel great knowing you helped.
The campaign launches today! You can visit our Facebook page right now and share our campaign. You can also make your gift right now by visiting our donation page.
We all know how difficult 2020 has been with limitations on seeing family and friends. We miss our loved ones, and Christmas won’t be the same without them. If we have gained anything from this isolation experience, it is appreciating the little things. Whether you can’t see your family because they are across the country or because of safety, stay in touch.
Using technology might not give you the same warm feeling as their loving embrace, but make the video chat anyway. Seeing and hearing our loved ones can bring about the same sense of Christmas joy that we desperately need. Zoom recently announced that they will be lifting the 40-minute limit for all meetings globally from midnight ET on Nov. 26 through 6 a.m. ET on Nov. 27. This will allow people to safely interact on Thanksgiving.
You likely have a memory of a favorite Christmas or two. If you close your eyes you can still picture the lights on the tree, Perry Como singing in the background, the smell of something sweet in the oven. The ways we celebrate haven’t changed this year. Decorating your tree is a great family activity. Take a drive to see house lights and listening to Christmas music. Bake a cherished family recipe or learn a new one and begin a new tradition. One of the most joyous sights and sounds is celebrating Mass. Even though we all can’t meet together, we are still having Mass every day. You can read more about how we are, here.
You can have your best Christmas even in 2020. You only need to make the decision to do so.
From all of us at Villa St. Francis, we wish you an early Merry Christmas!
1Colleen Walsh (2008, April 17) Money spent on others can buy happiness. The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/04/money-spent-on-others-can-buy-happiness/