Christmas spirit

Carolina's challenge this week is to show what Christmas is like where you live.  It's normally warm here and our Christmases are often spent swimming or at the beach but the weather is unseasonable this year and it has been cold.  There are the usual Christmas lights and other decorations and, as I suspect around the world, you really wouldn't to be out in the shops this week as it is madness.  Just trying to get a car park is enough to lose any sense of the Christmas spirit you might have. 

But speaking of the Christmas spirit, this year I have noticed a lot of thoughtfulness and random acts of kindness.  Paying for someone's groceries when their card didn't work at the checkout and insisting on remaining anonymous and then that person passing it forward.  I have read of other similar acts.  It reassures one's faith in people.  Today Maggy and I visited the nursing home.  One of the residents (who would probably have the mental age of an 8 year old) asked to have his photo taken with Maggy which I did and will have printed and give to him when I go back.  He rushed off to his room and returned with this scrap of paper.  While he does know Maggy's name, he thinks I am called Wendy.  it really touched me that he would give me a note like that.  It came so much from his heart.  His nickname is Tex.  That I think, the thoughtfulness for others, is what the Christmas spirit is like here.