Goodwill, good cheer, good people and such are all what Christmas is about for me. I remembered being a kid and how happy I was when I got something special, like a rifle, or a boat, so when my good friend offered I could get her kid a bike, my decision was made.

I very nearly was overcome with emotion when Olivia told me the bike came without a seat. I imagined the little girl so happy about the bike, suddenly realizing she couldn't ride it, couldn't even sit on it, and I started finding ways to get someone at Walmart to get a new seat to her without delay - and I couldn't get through to anyone at all! It was enormously frustrating. But then Olivia said she could put the seat of her bike on it, and the problem was (at least temporarily) solved.

That was a great relief. I am nearly as happy this made you realize how much you have to be grateful for. I don't know if you're aware, but gratitude has special effects on our health. It reduces cortisol, which reduces inflammation, and that is one of the best things we can do for our health. Gratitude is good for our health in a lot of ways, especially mentally, but then it also impacts our relationships beneficially too. So I am happy to have sparked such a good thing for you.

I am having a very merry Christmas with so much happiness and gratitude surrounding me. Thank you very much!

Edit: This rolled around in the back of my head.

"I really wanted to expand on this topic with my personal experiences..."

Man, this is social media. You enjoyed my post because it was personal. Please share your personal stories here. That's why I'm here, not to post old songs from the 40s. I'm here because I want to learn from people. From you personally. That's not getting in the way of Christmas, it's what Christmas is all about.