It's easy to get so swept away by all the Christmas excitement and certain things can get slightly forgotten. Your usual routine gets dropped at the mere sniff of a mince pie, and as soon as that wonderful out-of-office is in sight, you've mentally checked out of work.
But one Redditor has reminded us all that it's important to take a step back and think about those that might not be enjoying all the boozy parties and family get-togethers.
The Reddit user said their wife had found out that a whopping 60 percent of seniors in nursing homes don't get any visitors - let alone presents - for Christmas, which is frankly nothing short of absolutely heartbreaking.
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But rather than sitting around moping about the difficult reality that is Christmas for many people, their wife decided to do something about it.
The post explained: "My wife found out that 60% [of] seniors in nursing homes have no visitors and get nothing for Christmas. So she held a small fundraiser and put together 61 gift bags for a local nursing home. Each bag contains chapstick, lotion, tissues, a word search book a pen, and a blanket."
My wife found out that 60% seniors in nursing homes have no visitors and get nothing for Christmas. So she held a small fundraiser and put together 61 gift bags for a local nursing home. Each bag contains chapstick, lotion, tissues, a word search book a pen, and a blanket. from r/pics
What. A. Hero.
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Many fellow Redditors jumped in to praise the wife for her kind actions, with one writing: "What a beautiful soul your wife has, bringing joy to those that often feel lonely and left out. The world is a better place with her in it."
But what's even more brilliant is that the thread instantly became a place for people to find out how they could help in a similar way.
A hospital nurse, who works with 'lots of old people' advised: "Speak to a director of care or nursing manager, or even an activation coordinator if they have one. I'm sure they will welcome it. Nursing homes are in dire need of some sort of activation for seniors.
"Just be careful of food type gifts. The possibility of allergies, risk of choking, interactions with their meds (diabetics) is very real, and please no grapefruits, all the best and Happy Holidays."
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Another shared their own poignant anecdote, writing: "My dad used to be a land lord and there was one older couple, Charlie and Rose, that rented from him for quite some time. After Charlie died we would always go over and visit Rose around Christmas time, even long after she moved out of my dad's rental house. I never really knew why we did that but this all just reminded me of it and I realize that she was always alone."
Someone else wrote: "I do not celebrate Christmas with my family, so I'm spending the 25th at the center with my dog and any residents who want to be with us. I'm just a front desk worker, but several of the residents come down several times a day to talk to me because I'm one of the only people they talk to on a regular basis. Which sucks because I'm being paid to be there... Literally paid to just sit there and make sure they're okay and all they want is some company.
"If you wanna get into it, see what kind of activities they have and if it's something you can get in on. I think you'll find there's a lot more genuine "feel good" stuff out there than you would think."
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It's good to see the world has some good people in it. Now, go forth and make some time for anyone who might be feeling lonely this Christmas.
Featured Image Credit: Reddit/CarbonReflections
Topics: Christmas, World News, News