“The journey to the light starts with a candle. Once it’s lit, darkness has gone forever.” ― Adriano Bulla 
Merry, Merry, my friends!
As you know if you’ve spent any time at the party known as my blog, I’m here on Planet Earth to change the dominant paradigm. My mission is to spread the news to anyone who will listen that life is constantly conspiring to send blessings.
Which is why I loved interviewing the Kansas City Secret Santa who passes out $100 bills. People magazine sent me out to interview him. Twice. It was a hoot and a half to join him, to see the expression on people’s faces when he’d peal a couple hundys off his stack and hand them over.
So in the interest of continuing my long-standing journalism career, here are 20 additional reasons to be of good cheer this illustrious holiday season:
1. A 9-year-old boy from Ohio decided that instead of the $300 X Box, he wanted to buy 30 blankets for 30 homeless people. **
2. Two former Wall Street tycoons started a free ride share service for families of cancer patients. Think Uber, but without those annoying credit card bills.
3. A woman in Pennsylvania built a life-size Snoopy dog house (complete with our favorite beagle wearing a Christmas hat) at her desk.
4. A Milwaukee man transformed an abandoned mall into a Winter wonderland for 100 kids from the Boys and Girls Club. He created a gingerbread house, an ice-skating rink and a sledding hill.
5. A police chief in Massachusetts who impersonates Santa learned sign language so a hear-impaired girl could finally talk to the jolly ole soul.
6. A flight attendant and two passengers entertained passengers after their flight from Denver to Virginia was delayed for an hour because of snow. You can listen to their mandolin/ukelele performance here.
7. The Pope who just turned 81 threw a huge pizza party for sick kids. As he told his fellow revelers, “A joyous spirit is like good land that grows good fruit.”
8. A reporter showed up for his interview with an autistic student who had been suspended for wearing a banana costumer wearing a grape costume.
9. An opthamologist from Grand Rapids, Michigan not only gave up his Saturday to treat an elderly patient who needed an eye injection, but because the snow plows didn’t run that day, he carried her from her car into the office.
10. A major league baseball player donated his $9 million mansion and 100 acres of land to a charity that provides camps for children with special needs and chronic illness.
11. When a middle school in south Dallas put out a call for volunteers to help with a “Breakfast with Dads” event, 600 men showed up.
12. After a Texas first grader sent a letter to Santa asking for food, blankets and a ball for her brothers, 900 people (at last count) from around the world responded by sending blankets.
13. In Fort Collins, Colorado, an anonymous donor bought every single toy at Goodwill so that each child shopping with parents got one free gift.
14. An 8-year-old New Jersey boy collected more than 1000 Christmas toys for children of Puerto Rico. NBA manager Brandon Eddy alone sent 11 boxes.
15. A convent in eastern France took in 56 African refugees.
16. An anonymous donor dubbed Santa B paid off $40,000 of layaway holiday bills in Everett, Washington.
17. A diner in Scottsdale, Arizona left a $2000 tip on a $17 bill.
18. Policemen in Shawnee, Kansas, instead of giving out traffic tickets are giving out, $10,000 in cash.
19. A senior in Lancaster, Texas gave away two pair of Vans tennis shoes to special needs students after they complimented him on his stylin’ footwear. The thing I like most about this story is that the video he posted on Twitter has been viewed more than 3 million times. Who says people don’t want good news?
20. The Innovation Show, a podcast in Dublin is giving away a free interview with yours truly on Christmas Day. Aidan McCullin, who recently read E-Squared and received blessing after blessing (a crisp 50-pound note on the ground next to his car, for starters) said it was his gift to spread good cheer to the world.
**Microsoft heard of his good deed and gifted him with the Xbox anyway. Proves my thesis that the more you give, the more you receive.
Have an extraordinarily epic holiday, my friends!
Pam Grout is the author of 19 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality and the just-released, Art & Soul,Reloaded: A Year-Long Apprenticeship to Summon the Muses and Ignite Your Daring, Audacious, Creative Side.
16 Responses
Merry Christmas Pam from way up northern Ontario Canada.
You always put a smile on
my face and make my day.
Merry Christmas and thank you for changing the world one word at a time❤️❤️❤️
😻
Cat
So GOOD.. I’m Always a fan of your mail and your 3 books.
CHEERS
Del
You’re awesome, Pam!
Sent from my iPhone
>
Thank you for sharing those wonderful stories of kindness, generosity and hope. It’s so good to hear good news for s change and to be reminded that there are many many wonderful things going on every day in this world of ours. Blessings to you dear Pam for all you give and share with our world – you’re awesome! 😁
The world is a good place and people are kind. Our view of mankind can be skewed by negative news and your post reminds me of the blessings people can give one another. Merry Christmas Pam and family and thank you for your wonderful books and posts this year.
Thank you for posting this. I have always been of the mind that there is more good in the world than bad, yet is suspect it is somewhat balanced since we live in a duality. I, too, get tired of hearing all the bad, so it was sweet to read your balancing act. Much love!
Thanks for all the fun stories! Much love and an Extraordinarily Epic Holiday to you, Jim, Taz, and all your adoring fans and readers. Maybe you’ll get back to Durango, in 2018?
Thank You & Merry Christmas, have a perfect day!
Thank you yet again! Merry Christmas and continued blessings in the New Year!
Blessings to you, Pam! I get loads of emails, but yours are the only ones I ever look at, ( other than work ones, of course!). You brighten my day, and they always arrive just at the perfect time. Have a lovely, festive season…which I know you will! With gratitude, Alyssa
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
Thank you for compiling the beautiful stories and doing all that you do. You rock!
Merry Christmas all and my wish is for you to have an abundance of love throughout the coming years.
I read the following a few weeks ago to help put views as Pam reminds us can be upside down.
Jason White left a $450 tip for his waitress — and a message about what makes America great.Busboys and Poets/Twitter
The INSIDER Summary:
• Jason White left his waitress a $450 tip, along with a heartwarming message, in a Washington, DC, restaurant.
• She said that it reshaped her perspective and gave her hope.
• At a time when the country seems divided, small acts of kindness can go a long way.
Jason White, 37, left a hopeful message for his waitress in a Washington, DC, restaurant — along with a generous tip.
He and two friends, all Trump supporters, were in town from Texas to witness the inauguration, and stopped into Busboys and Poets for a bite to eat. The restaurant, decorated with African-American art and photos, is known for promoting social justice causes. Their waitress, 25-year-old Rosalind Harris, noticed one of them wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.
White, who, along with his friends, is white, suggested that he might want to take it off.
White is also a dentist. He complimented Harris’ smile, and they continued chatting.
When White and his friends received the bill for $72.60, he added a $450 tip along with a message to Harris:
“We may come from different cultures and may disagree on certain issues, but if everyone would share their smile and kindness like your beautiful smile, our country will come together as one people,” he wrote. “Not race. Not gender. Just American. God bless!”
White didn’t even tell his friends what he’d done. He just wanted to do his part to bring healing and respect into the deeply divided political climate.
“As I sat there I thought about the entire weekend and I thought I don’t know her, she doesn’t know me, but if most Americans have a preconceived perception about people then we’re never going to get better,” he told The Washington Post.
Harris heard the message loud and clear.
“This definitely reshaped my perspective,” she told The Post. “Republican, Democrat, liberal are all subcategories to what we are experiencing. It instills a lot of hope.”
Peace my friends,
Mike
Just opened, perfect for Christmas Eve, my favorite day of the year. Thank you Pam for all you have given this year..you are amazing!
Here is another one Pam. Philadelphia Eagles football player Chris long donated his salary for the first six games of the season to create scholarships for kids in Charlottesville, VA in response to the violence there earlier this year. Then he donated the rest of his 2017 salary to four charities dedicated to improving education opportunity and equality. Here is the story: https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/10/18/eagles-chris-long-donate-salary-education-charity Pretty cool!
Ah yes Pam, if folks would only focus more on the reasons for the seasons there will be more good feelings all over the planet. Many thanks!!