I have come to really despise the holidays. You may have come to that conclusion when I tried to make this this my Christmas card:

Feliz Vodka-dad, y’all

The picture is obviously a joke (note the seal on the bottle, I don’t actually drink), but the message was clear; this was my view of the holidays. I hate the present quotas, the bustle, the stress, the inevitable holiday drama when you are dealing with blended families. There is a lot of back story, but I don’t want to get into that, because I want this to be a positive entry (because I have had THE WORST DAY, so let’s turn it around, y’all). There was a revelation about why I am the way I am, and I’ve made a pact to fix that. This year, I won’t be banning Christmas music or purposely sitting out during the decorating. I took the kids to the parade. I watched Elf (that always helps, though).

It’s coming easily, actually. I’m delighting in shopping this year instead of resenting it. And, spurned by some super awesome people at our church, I’ve decided to RACK people’s Christmas. RACK?

Random Acts of Christmas Kindness

And really, you can’t be grinchy when you’re doing kind deeds for others. On Tuesday I paid for the food for the fellow behind me, but without being able to give him a RACK card, I spent the day wondering if he was offended by the gesture. Did he wonder if I thought he was poor or something? I like a Volkswagen Rabbit, so I didn’t decide based on his make/model; I vowed to print the RACK cards I’d seen for next time. It made me smile, and even if it’s something you don’t really need, someone doing something nice for you for no reason at all is always a nice thing.

Today I went to my hairdresser and felt pressed to ask her if she knew of anyone that could use her services but couldn’t afford it. She said a client came to her mind; she’d been hurt and was off work, and couldn’t afford it. And you know? She deserves to look nice for the holidays; she’s an older woman, and I bet she’s made a lot of people smile. I asked my stylist what the lady normally had done, and wrote a check for a gift certificate for that amount. It felt just as good as my awesome new haircut.

So I encourage you, implore you, ask you – do something kind for someone for no reason. Let it be in a way that they can never thank or repay you, so there’s no pressure to return a favor someone may not be able to afford. My dear friend Michelle paid off someone’s nearly $90 layaway. Just to be kind. Just to show humanity.

Here’s a link to a template to print RACK cards out. And go; spread Christmas cheer, ok?

In the meantime, I’ll be here, FINALLY doing the kitchen remodel and swearing and kicking things.