Gifts From The Heart

Today I'm bubbling with joy because I'm linking up with Carla over at Comprehension Connection to celebrate gifts from the heart.

It's likely you've heard this before . . .

. . . and it's not just a sweet sentiment.

It's true!

Let's start with the gift of mentoring.

Yesterday our Character Cam caught this PAL pair playing

ring toss with our giraffe friend, Junior.

Oh, what fun, right?

I could just feel the joy.

Whom are you mentoring right now?

What could he or she learn from you?

How could he or she benefit from your wisdom?

And what might you learn in return?

Listening is also a gift from the heart; maybe someone has a problem that you can coach them through. Check out today's guest post about resisting peer pressure at Free Spirit Publishing by clicking our decision-making model graphic below.

I experienced an act of kindness yesterday when I snuck over to the elementary side of our school and found first graders in Mrs. Collins' class writing thank-you notes for their mail carriers. As they attached a candy cane to sweeten their sentiments, they enthusiastically shared that they'd left notes for their garbage carriers the day before. The sweetness spreads ...

Gifts from the heart don't have to be grand to be great.

I've seen students holding the door for a friend without being asked.

I've seen them carrying a bouquet of flowers from the garden.

I've seen them bringing in fresh fruit from their citrus trees.

A kind compliment here ...

My friend {and IT expert} Libby designed these gift tags that we're making available to our staff so they can affirm one another in writing. What a gift!

Click {here} to download the "school family" version 

that you can use on your campus.

Check out these cool Compliment Cards 

if you want a fun template for kids.

. . . a generous gesture there.

How about setting up a hot chocolate bar with candy canes to stir? Or bringing in a batch of your homemade, hand-dipped chocolates to share? Maybe decorating smile cards to put on the windshields of the cars in a parking lot? 

Sometimes the gift from the heart is spelled T-I-M-E and it looks and feels like cozying up with a loved one and a good book or a Hallmark Channel holiday movie. Or maybe it's the gift of a song, either played on an instrument, sung with some carolers, or sent to an inbox via email or text.

I wonder what other gifts from the heart will enrich with special significance 

your celebration this holiday season?