Some words are just worth repeating...like the story about the white envelope. It's not my story, but it's a good one. I shared it last year, and I'm doing so once again. It will be new to those of you who haven't read it, and a great reminder for those who have. So inspiring... here goes...

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it...overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma, the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.

As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.

Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, 'I wish just one of them could have won,' he said. 'They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.'

Mike loved kids - all kids - and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.

On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition...one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there.

You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.

Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing to take down the envelope.

Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

***

I hope you enjoyed this story, which was originally published in the December 14, 1982 issue of Woman's Day magazine by Nancy W. Gavin. It was the first place winner out of thousands of entries in the magazine's 'My Most Moving Holiday Tradition' contest in which readers were asked to share their favorite holiday tradition and the story behind it.

The story inspired a family from Atlanta, Georgia to start The White Envelope Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating youth about the importance of giving.

There is now a White Envelope on our family's Christmas tree. Is there one on yours?

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GON Article: 5 Tips for Finding the Energy to Declutter
getorganizednow.com/organizing-article-energy-declutter.html



GON Guest Article: Christmas Clutter: 6 Expenses You're Probably Overspending On

getorganizednow.com/guest-article-christmas-clutter.html



GON My Life: Being organized is... Here's a new perspective

getorganizednow.com/mylife-being-organized-is.html





Dirty Little Secret: I do this one thing, just for me, on Christmas morning every year...
getorganizednow.com/dirty-little-secret-christmas-morning-me.html



Mini Challenges: Even though Christmas is coming, it's important to stay organized in your normal day-to-day life. Here are this week's mini challenges.
getorganizednow.com/organizing-challenge-batch-christmas.html



In ADDITION, on our home page, you'll also find lots of NEW and featured STUFF including...

Social Media Spotlight: What's your storage style? Behind closed doors.or in cabinets and drawers? Comment and let us know.
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Theme of the Week: Peanuts. Not the legume...and lovable characters. Check out our home page quotes that reflect our theme.
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GON Monthly Checklist: It's easier to be jolly when you're organized. Start today with our December 2017 Organizing Checklist
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What do 19 year olds and 60 year olds have in common? Find out. Also learn how many hours kids are sitting in front of a screen. The answers to both are on our home page.
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1) Don't forget to STOP this holiday season. With all the hustle and bustle happening, it's important to stop and savor. Why not sit down and have a cup of hot cocoa using a peppermint candy cane as your stir stick? How about just people watching for awhile in a crowded mall, instead of shopping until you drop. Maybe skip the very intricate dessert this year, and make a dump dessert instead so you have more time with your family? It's easy to get caught up in everything there is to do...but very pleasant now and then to simply stop.

2) Zero out an afternoon. Have a peek at your schedule and wipe an entire afternoon free for yourself. Reschedule any appointments. Move any TO DOs to tomorrow's list. Decide what you're going to do with the time you freed up for yourself. Do something you enjoy!

3) Vacuum thoroughly. With all the Christmas decorations and sparkly gifts, there are bound to be pine needles, glitter, ornament hooks, and other debris on your carpeting or flooring. Run the vacuum to pick it all up.

4) Donate decorations you're not using. Once your house is all decorated for the holidays, donate any decorations you didn't use this year. It's a good time to weed out your collection.

5) Organize your baking supplies. You'll likely be pulling out your baking supplies this holiday season. When you do, don't just toss it all back in a jumbled mess when you're done with it. Instead, weed out tools and supplies you're not using while it's all out in the open. Sort like-items (like cookie cutters) and put them in one place (preferably in a bag or basket if they're loose), and put everything back in an organized fashion.

A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer.
--Seneca, Moral Essays: Volume III




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And remember...Being organized creates a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!

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(c) Copyright 2017 by Maria Gracia, Get Organized Now!

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