Day 34

I'm hella excited about this task!! Tonight, Jen, Alaina and I rang the bell for the Salvation Army at the local Walgreens for two and a half hours and it was sooooo much fun. I didn't think it would be fun because the people always look so gloomy, but we had an incredible time. We danced around, sang a ton of Christmas songs and talked to several people. Also, the most incredible thing happened. Ready to hear about it? We had been ringing the bells and singing for about an hour and this sweet lady left the store, smiled and said that we were doing a great job. We smiled, thanked her and wished her a Merry Christmas. She left and we continued doing our thing. Half an hour or so passed and we were really starting to get cold and began talking about getting hot cocoa when we got back to the dorms. We started to sing again and while we were singing, the lady came back and brought three hot chocolates from McDonald's. Our jaws dropped and then we had huge grins on our faces. She said that our singing and happiness blessed her, so she wanted to repay the favor and give us a little something to stay warm. Best. Woman. Ever. I was completely dumbfounded and we thanked her several times. She said it was no problem, to stay warm and to have a good evening. We thanked her and she was off. The rest of the night was filled with joy and disbelief. People like her understand the true meaning of Christmas. It isn't about the gifts and money. It's about showing kindness to others, helping others whenever you can and spending time with your loved ones. Sigh. That made my night. People like her give me hope.

  The three of us 

From L to R: Jen, me and Alaina

Alaina and me

 It was soooo chilly, but completely worth it. 

Jen and me