The Day Before Project #11 in the 12 Blogs of Christmas



Margaret had one of those Type A planner books with neat lines segregating the day into quarter hours. As Christmas approached those lines would all be full. But on the day before Christmas, every line was set aside for a special project. To give away the full day before Christmas took a lot of pre-planning, especially with the obligation to have everything just right for her own family on Christmas Day.

So, in early December Margaret checked off all the holiday duties and tasks. Not easy to do while caring for a baby girl and an adventuresome four-year-old son.





She’d been doing this Day Before Project every year since she was little—when she’d follow her mom around. Now, after all these years, Christmas Eve wasn’t the day before Christmas, it was an empty day in her planner to do exactly what she wanted—something dear to her heart. 












This year she was excited to bring along her young son. Loading her beautifully wrapped gifts in the backseat and trunk, the two headed to the local nursing homes. Margaret knew the elderly patients without any family. Her son handed out the gifts, bringing sweet smiles to the wrinkled faces. 

Each gift was a blanket Margaret had made during the past year. Mom and son got as much cheer as they gave away.








Stopping briefly for hot chocolate and a sandwich, the two went to two more nursing homes and then arrived at the children’s ward of the hospital before visiting hours were over. 

Special gifts of stuffed toys brought smiles to weary little faces and hope to anxious parents.








The town’s Christmas lights were beginning to sparkle as mom and son went home for dinner. As they walked into the house hand in hand, her son seemed as excited as she was. 

Perhaps the Day Before Project would continue another generation. That was something that filled her heart with joy as she climbed into bed on the night before Christmas.

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