The Christmas Spirit has ruthlessly stalked me, once again, and dug its talons into my inner-elf. Yesterday I spent the better part of the afternoon spending money that has been generously donated to our 3rd Annual Toy Drive at Shamrock Lodge and strategically placing those purchases around our tree in the front office.
![IMG_2455[1]](https://polysyllabicprofundities.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_24551.jpg)
I have never been a big fan of Christmas shopping but the last three years of managing this toy drive have given me a reason to slightly alter my thinking. My dad was a big fan of fighting holiday crowds to shop at the largest malls in Toronto. My traumatic experience with that is described in this post. But I now understand a bit of the glee he felt.
I became immersed in the spirit of giving and the outside noise of the store slowly fell into silence. I was in a holiday bubble and the more I shopped the happier I felt. Feeling like a pinball in an super-sized Christmas pinball game was a minuscule annoyance compared to the immense reward. A few hours of doing something I am not fond of to make a child smile at Christmas was well worth the discomfort.
polysyllabic profundities 
That photo brought a huge smile to my face! I can only imagine the joy you felt knowing how happy the recipients will be!
And we still have money and donations coming in until December 10th! 😀
What a fun experience! There are going to be some very happy children. 🙂
I sure hope so! 🙂
I’m not a fan of shopping either, but like you, this is something I could get ‘out there’ for. How wonderful that you organize it.
It certainly puts me in the Christmas spirit. 🙂
Nice job, Susan! They’ll be a lot of smiling children, thanks to you.
I’m pretty excited! 🙂
Yep. Christmas is all about thinking of others and ignoring one’s own intensifying insanity.
(I am impressed with how much you have gotten done, by the way!)
Thank you! And we still have 11 days to go. 🙂