With Christmas around the corner, it’s easy to look at the pile of things to get done and feel a little overwhelmed. Between wrapping presents, cooking meals, traveling and/or hosting visitors, it all adds up to a seemingly endless to-do list.
But if you push the chaos and noise away, the holidays are also a great time to stop and reflect on what really matters.
Recently, a New Jersey man did just that, going out his way to give others an amazing gift, reminding us what the holidays are all about.
No time of year keeps us running around like crazy people more than the handful of weeks before Christmas. No matter how we celebrate, the one thing we all seem to have in common is the rush to get a thousand things done before December 25th. Just thinking about the litany of seasonal traditions is enough to leave even the most organized types longing for a winter nap.
Whipping up holiday confections is the name of the game for many holiday enthusiasts. There are cookie exchanges, big dinners, and office parties, all of which need sweet treats. Add on trying to find the perfect tins to package everything in, plus a special batch of sugar cookies for Santa, and it’s easy to see why holiday bakers get exhausted.
Decorating dozens of cookies takes time and effort, but it’s nothing compared to the anxiousness some of us feel when it comes to get-togethers. While a lot of people thrive in social settings, there are others who get so stressed out at the thought of making it through another festive dinner or cocktail party that it’s easy to overlook the spirit of the season.
If baking and socializing aren’t enough to have our heads spinning around the holidays, the quest to find ideal gifts will do the trick. We’ll probably spend too much, overthink our choices, and make some exchanges, but we forge ahead anyway. This is year is the year we finally pick that present that special someone will adore, and nothing’s going to stop us.
Before we let ourselves drown in the cacophony of holiday noise, many times, it’s beneficial to take a timeout. Stopping and reflecting on the meaning of the season can be the difference between a mental breakdown and actually enjoying ourselves. And when we stop to remember that kindness to others is what drives the wonderful time of the year is all about, it can help take the pressure off.
Sometimes other people do things that are so generous, we can’t help but say, “Wow.” Going only by the name Charlie K., a New Jersey man just became the latest human being we have to look at in awe. While he was out shopping for his son and nabbing Black Friday deals, Charlie got the bright idea that he’d love to help others buy their toys as well.
So what’s an extremely generous person to do, when they want to help out in a big way? They buy $10,000 worth of toys, of course. That’s right, Charlie K. had a pretty great budget to work with and decided it could cover not only his own needs, but those of about 60 other people. That meant that almost all the toys that had been put on layaway were bought and paid for.
Paying for all those toy orders on layaway is obviously in the realm of astronomical generosity, but Charlie didn’t call it a day until he’d done one more thing. After he covered the other orders, he asked that all the patrons at Toys “R” Us pick out three toys, so he could donate them to Toys for Tots. Yes, you read that right. His heart might be bigger than Mount Everest.
Walking in to pay off your Christmas gifts and find that someone has already footed the bill is a dream for some people, but for those at the New Jersey store, it was a reality. Stephanie Dawson was one of the lucky shoppers who had her gifts taken care of, and she had nothing but kind words for Charlie K.
“I want to say thank you very much and I appreciate it and thank God for you,” she said of her modern-day Santa.
Like any amazing deed, the story of Charlie K. and his generosity quickly hit the internet and went viral. Followers of the story were touched by such a selfless act. This Twitter user was quick to point out that there are still good, nay, amazing people out helping the world, and Charlie is certainly one of them.
It’s definitely true that the world just saw the best of Charlie K. In a season that, at times, seems overwhelming, it feels good to remember that when the presents are opened, the dinner’s eaten, and the decorations come down, it’s our good deeds that others take with them. Hopefully this wonderful deed is just the first of many we get to see this holiday season.
