SANDY SPRINGS: Turn down giving gifts, turn up acts of kindness

The recycling box in the carport is starting to overflow with colorful flyers offering all manner of “must-have” gifts for the holidays. And if I’m not careful I get caught in that retailing undertow that grips us all every year, convincing us that Christmas just isn’t complete until the gift boxes block our view of the tree.

Can I be so bold to suggest that this season we give the gift of random acts of kindness? I thought about this when I ran across a story of a woman who was at a foreclosure auction. She happened to meet a person whose home was being auctioned off and who was understandably in tears.

The woman bought the house, and then worked out a deal to allow the former owner to move back in. She put up a portion of her own small business to secure the mortgage.

Now it would be great if we all were willing to extend ourselves to that degree for our fellow man, but that isn’t always an option. There are other ways we can give without making a run to the mall.

> When a young child says “watch me,” stop and give him or her 10 minutes of your full attention.

> Hold the door open for the person behind you when you’re going into a store.

> Bake some desserts and drop them off at any fire station around town.

> Slow down and let that other driver ease in ahead of you.

> Drop your pennies into the change box at the convenience-store cash register.

> When you drive through the “change” lane at the Ga. 400 toll plaza hand over a dollar and pay for the car behind you.

> Make some time to visit with the folks at the Dorothy Benson Senior Center off Vernon Woods Drive.

> Buy some extra groceries to donate to the food drive that every supermarket in town has this time of year.

> Pick up those random pieces of trash you see around your neighborhood when you’re walking the dog.

> When you sit down for dinner, turn off your phone.

> Fill three big boxes of stuff and take it to the Goodwill next to the vacant Target.

> Leave a really huge tip for someone who deserves it, but only if you can exit the restaurant before they catch you.

> Haul out the lights and give your front yard a good, old-fashioned tacky decoration.

I have nothing against giving and I sure love getting —-but maybe this year it might make us all feel a little better if we turn it down a notch.

> Jim Osterman writes Around Sandy Springs, a blog at ajc.com/metro/northfulton.