Caroling

Alice asked if we could go caroling at a nursing home this year. It was totally out of my comfort zone, but I knew it was a good idea, so we made plans. I invited everyone I could think of. We had about 10 families sign up to sing with us, but a seriously slippery ice storm hit us last night and only 6 families were able to make it in the end. That's okay. That was enough.

I had never done anything like this before. I learned a few things. We ended up singing to a small group in an activity room before moving out into the halls. One family had prepared cute Christmas cards with handwritten notes and the kids were passing them out to the residents. The cards were a GREAT idea. Also, a friend had loaned me copies of song lyrics. Another great idea! That way, we all knew all the words and could just pick a song from the list. Any kid who could read was able to participate. Brilliant!

Was it a valuable service? Worthwhile? Well, most of the residents didn't acknowledge us in a way that I could recognize. Some were genuinely touched, some sang along with us. On the surface, and in the end, I felt happy for having done it, but I wonder if it made a difference to anyone besides us. Most people were happy just to see all the kids :)

Anyway, Alice loved it! She wants to make it an annual tradition. That's not a bad idea, actually. Now that I kinda know how it goes, it won't be so intimidating.