I have always loved Christmas. As a child, I always looked forward to Santa visiting and to the smell of freshly baked cookies made with love by my momma. The aroma of cinnamon and spice enveloping your nostrils on a cold winter's day was enough to make your mouth water!
As I got older, Christmas was focused on the joy in my young children’s eyes as they excitedly tore into their presents and the smiles and appreciation when they realized Santa brought their favorite toy! We would always have a big turkey dinner with all the fixings including mouth-watering mountains of pillowy mashed potatoes! Oh, and the apple pie homemade straight out of the oven ...mmmmmm.
Christmas for me now is no longer filled with excitement and joy. It is a time of great stress and worries. Do I pay power or put food on the table? Do I put up a tree only to have no gifts under it or do I still decorate in the hopes of a miracle?
Unfortunately, my family’s struggles are the same struggles millions of families face this time of year. With so many people unemployed, taxes constantly on the rise and food costs ever rising, making ends meet seems to be a thing of the past. Even families with two working incomes are having to choose which bills they will pay and which will fall behind each and every month.
Yes, there are services for the needy, however, it has come to my attention that if you make more than $300 a month, many of these services you will not qualify for. 300 bucks...that can be the difference between social assistance and no help at all. Food banks are also a way to help with groceries in times of need however most local food banks provide food baskets with 3-4 days of food inside, however you may only receive a food basket every 14 days. So apparently 3-4 days of food better last you for two weeks.
If you live in a rural environment access to these services is even more limited as you also need transportation and fuel to get to the closest food bank which can be upwards of over an hour away from your home.
With so many people struggling where is one to turn for support? Suicide rates always skyrocket during the holidays as more and more fall into severe depression in the knowledge they can no longer live this way.
This world is no longer the world of the past, no longer a supportive community structure where neighbors help neighbors and the misfortunate receive the help they need. It has become one of greed and self-satisfaction with no regard to the homeless man on the corner. Someone else will help him right?
Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration of family, faith, and humanity however it has become a commercial product that is unattainable by many people. A time of great sorrow for millions of people around the world. No one should be forced to choose between food or heat in a country as developed as Canada, however, the poor are becoming the norm in our country and with the way the economy is going, no help seems to be in sight.
I ask that everyone take notice of the people surrounding them. Is there a co-worker who seems to wear the same pants every day? Is the person in front of you in line at the grocery store asking the clerk to put items back as they cannot afford it all? Are your neighbor’s children always playing with the same old, broken toys or wearing clothes that are a tad too small? Does your local store clerk seem irritated by the busyness of the season?
Perhaps all these people just need some help? Maybe a kind word, an anonymous donation of clothing? A basket of food? Not everyone can enjoy the holidays when the thought of losing their home or the knowledge their power will soon be cut off is all that is on their mind. Perhaps they lost someone close to them and they will be spending the holidays alone. We cannot assume to know everyone’s past or present so be kind, be honest, be giving.
Be the meaning of Christmas to someone who needs it most.
Written by: Bobbi-Lynne McGarry