I am a firm believer in always smiling it forward. A simple gesture of offering a smile to another is so simple and painless and you never know the impact that it can have on another person’s life.

I am also a firm believer in paying it forward whenever I can. I try to instill paying it forward in my children as well. We have given holiday gifts to the less fortunate during the holiday season. We provide food to the food banks when we can. My children have also given and witnessed us give money to the homeless we pass on the street.

I am blessed with all that I have so I am usually the giver of paying it forward, but two years ago, karma found its way back to us as a family.

Christmas of 2011 was a stressful year financially for us and while the days were counting down, we did not have the funds to purchase our kids presents.

Hubby’s co-workers, unbeknownst to us, pulled together and collected donations and provided hubby (and us) money to purchase the kids Christmas gifts.

To this day, two years later, my heart fills with joy of the kindness those people did for us.

I have never been the recipient of something so kind and so generous and I have never been more thankful in my life. It was the most memorable Christmas to date and really showed me and my family the real reason for the season.