The following is a guest post from momAgendaCOMM leader, Heather Reinhard.
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many of us have so much to be thankful for and the approaching holiday season is a perfect time to count our blessings and give thanks – especially to those in our lives that emphatically deserve it. Many will be offering assistance to the East Coast, so if you’re looking for ways to give thanks this season and show your appreciation, here are some ways to go about doing it:
• Offer your time. Instead of a gift or donation, offer your time at your local church or special club within the community. If you live near an affected area of Sandy, offer to help rebuild lives in any way that you can. Even if you only have an hour to spare here or there, provide some needed assistance because sometimes your time is more valuable and better served than even a donation.
• Volunteer at your child’s school. Whether it’s stuffing goodie bags for a school party or giving some extra reading help to some students in the classroom, I guarantee your child’s teacher will appreciate the extra hands in the classroom – and the children will be glad you helped as well. If you live near an area affected by Sandy, donate clothes and items of need and offer to help children in distress dealing with the devastation.
• Suggest a Carpool. Sometimes, moms can be frazzled when it comes to being the taxi cab driver to many different afterschool activities. So, show your thanks by offering up a car ride for a friend or neighbor’s kids to relieve some of the added stress that motherhood (and the taxi meter) can often bring. I can’t think of a better way to offer thanks by reaching out to another mom in need.
• Send a thank you via snail mail. I believe the art of the thank you note is slowly diminishing. There is so much to be said for a traditional thank you note sent via snail mail these days. In an age where technology, apps and evites flood our inboxes, it’s a nice change to walk out to the mailbox and hold an actual handwritten thank you note in hand.
• Host an impromptu “night in” with close family and friends. Especially in the wake of tragedy, celebrating the holidays with loved ones is a great reminder of what we are thankful for each year, but it doesn’t have to be a special occasion to host an impromptu gathering with some close family and friends. You don’t have to plan anything elaborate either because just offering up your home for some quality time together speaks volumes.
So grab your favorite momAgenda and jot down some notes and ideas as to when you’re going to plan on showing thanks this season. And before the holidays are through, be sure to send out a few thank you cards in the mail or just let those you love know you love them – I guarantee they will be glad you did.
Heather is the Leader of the Council of Media Moms and owner of the popular parenting blog Theta Mom. She also owns her own business at Theta Mom Media. Connect with Heather on Twitter and Facebook.