Many people assume to do something to make someone happy who they don't know requires a lot of time and money, but that is far from true. Especially when it comes to writing letters. You don't need to be crafty, creative or have a group of friends! Today one of my best friends of 15 years came over and we made cookies, caught up on life and made some cards. We made 18 cards between the two of us that will go to make 18 kids happy. We made our cards out of construction paper and markers I had in my house and listened to Christmas music in the background. I personally wouldn't consider myself the best at making cards. I like to doodle sometimes, but I never know what to put in the cards. I feel the suggestions online are not enough and it needs more! I thought of an idea of a fun little joke. I looked up some kid jokes on Pintrest and drew a picture that related to it. One joke was "What is a rabbit's favorite kind of music?...... hip-hop!" I found a bunch of jokes to put on all the cards. It took us less than an hour to make all of the cards and it will probably bring lots of smiles for not only the child, but the parent and nurses as well. Being crafty and creative is not necessary and you don't even need another person to do it with. Just put on some music and doodle with encouraging messages to make someone smile :) It's very relaxing, almost like coloring books to me! It doesn't take a lot to make someone happy and the little things like this are always overthought. The website shows where to send it and suggestions for cards. It's the little things that can bring the most joy! If you're interested in bringing a smile to a child in a hospital, you can! You can also bring a smile to a soldier with Operation Gratitude or someone in a retirement home with Love for the Elderly! There is so much out there! Just google letters for ______ and it should come up with something. To send a card or two or even fifty to children in hospitals use the address below: Cards for Hospitalized Kids 7290 W. Devon Chicago, IL 60631 I hope you can have as much fun as we did! Another suggestion is making one or two cards everyday leading up to Christmas and then send them after! They accept Holiday cards all year round so it wouldn't be late. That way it wouldn't be tiring one after another and you can start or end your own day with a smile of your own.
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Today was day one of twelve of making others happy! I was able to go with Honey Brook Presbyterian Church to carol at Tal Hai! There was a good group of people and we had songs and scripture planned for those we sang for. Seeing the smiles of everyone watching us definitely brought joy to my heart. I even got to have a conversation with two ladies who lived in the retirement home and that made my heart so happy. If this is something you're interested in doing, it's not hard at all! You can look for an organization to go with or plan one with a group of friends on your own. All you need to do is call ahead and ask the retirement home if it is okay for you to come. It is one of many ways to spread some joy!
I personally love "old" people. They always make my heart so happy and are so excited for whoever is visiting them (most of the time). I had the opportunity to volunteer with hospice care my senior year of high school and then help with bingo and caroling at my college this semester with hopes to continue! Circle K, a service club, had caroling for Elizabethtown Manor Retirement Home and I had the opportunity to organize it. I felt it was especially special at Elizabethtown Manor because I have made relationships with some of the people from bingo. Being able to come in and have them remember you and give you hugs is such a warming experience. They always say how much it means to them that we come and spend our free time with them, but I don't think they know how much it means to me. Being able to form a relationship with someone and see them around every other week makes me so happy. It makes me excited to go back and tell them how college is going and what the weather is like outside. Once I told someone I had a big test coming up and the next time I saw her she asked how it went and that made my heart so full because she remembered something so small about my life. I feel like everyone assumes retirement homes are filled of negativity, smells and sadness that no one ever wants to visit, but it is really so much more. It has stories, smiles, love, laughter and personalities that can only be found with those people. Caroling doesn't give you all of the fun experiences that other things can give you, but it does give you their smiles and they mean the world (at least to me). The fact that I was able to take an hour out of my day to make someones day or even week, makes mine. Don't be too quick to judge retirement homes before you give it a chance. The relationships you can build will not only impact their lives, but yours tremendously. Merry Christmas!! One of the first things that comes to my mind during the holiday season is the "12 Days of Christmas" so I decided to put a twist and do "12 Days of Making Other Happy!" My hopes are to do things that I can't normally do in college because they're a bigger project, but also to do ones that are all accessible to you! Maybe you could even give a few a try in your own neighborhood and let me know how it goes :) They won't all be in a row, but there will be a blog post for each of them. Be sure to follow social media to see when they're coming out!
Here are the 12 Days of Making Others Happy for this year: |
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August 2022
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