I’ve been busy.

I’m not going to give you a list of all of the tasks I have accomplished as a measure of my productivity. Partly, because the thought about writing it all down exhausts me even more.

The other reason is because of what I have been busy doing.

I have spent a lot of time doing good. 

In a world where many people share the minute details of their day and life via various social media networks, I have found myself sharing less publicly about my daily life since our epic family road trip  in June.

I took pictures of my adorable kids and fun family, but I didn’t post them on Instagram. I tweeted a couple of times, and shared a couple of moments and pictures with friends on Facebook.

I intended to blog about our adventures, and one of my boys helped me create a  shareable slideshow video of our trip.

Something held me back.

I share a lot about my life here on my blog. I’ve revealed intimate details of past  traumatic events, I’ve voiced and defined my 40 fears, and shared some of my victories.

I’ve always been the type of person to share who I am openly with strangers as well as close friends, but there is a point where every writer must decide how much of him or herself to publicly expose and share.

I’ve decided not to write about some parts of my life, even when it means that there is an opportunity for a fantastic blog post. One that might have a catchy title, and drive traffic to my blog.

I’ve decided not to write about those things, because sometimes the personal growth and satisfaction lies not in the telling, but in the doing especially when it comes to doing good.

Be good for goodness sake. #FocusOnJoy Click To Tweet

As a child,  I loved to sing and perform.  Audience size didn’t matter. It could be one stranger in line next to us at the grocery store, or an auditorium full of hundreds of people. I loved it all.

My favorite Christmas song to perform for people was Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I even had hand and body motions to go with the lines of the song. My favorite part is when I would shake my finger in a scolding motion and sing, “So you better be good for goodness sake”.

Those words have been echoing in my mind for the past week. I have asked myself,  Do I do good simply for goodness’s sake, or do I do good for personal gain?

I fundamentally believe that most people are good, and kind. I believe that most people want to help others. I choose to believe that the world is a good place filled with good people, and that is what this holiday season is about for me.

Christmas is about kindness and doing good for goodness’s sake.

It’s not about the “Expectation Elf” hiding in a magical spot and doing Pinterest worthy antics.

It’s not about caroling at the senior center and ignoring the elderly the rest of the year.

It’s not about what you want as a gift, and why you deserve it.

Christmas is about listening to your heart when it tells you to offer a stranger $1.32 that they are short at the post office without expecting repayment.

Christmas is about taking time out of your busy to be still. It is sharing time with someone who is going through a rough patch mourning the death of a loved one, and helping however you can.

Christmas is about opening your heart to acknowledge the physical and spiritual needs in others, and blessing them through your generosity with out expectations.

Though I have struggled with it in the past, this year, I love Christmas.

My Christmas wish for you is that you will see the joy that surrounds you. That you may feel and see the good in others, and that you may make the world a little bit better through the good that you do.

My beautiful town is full of amazing people. Last Friday, at the post office, I met the grandson of a remarkable man Gino Bartali. (That’s what happens when you talk to random strangers about family history and genealogy. )

As a famous cyclist Gino, saved the lives of countless Jews during World War II by smuggling documents in his bicycle frame. There is a book and a movie about his life. He didn’t share the good he had done with his own children, and didn’t seek fame or attention for his service.

  His story is an example of how to be good for goodness sake.

Genealogy Jen’s Challenge of the Week – Do good for goodness sake. Perform an anonymous act of service for a stranger without any expectations. (Not even a thank you.) Doing good brings me joy. I am sure that it will help you #FocusOnJoy more this holiday season.

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