Blogger with a cause #1

Do you know that feeling, the one that stirs up out of the blue and there’s nothing else you can do then acting upon that feeling? I had that kind of feeling a couple of weeks ago and today I’m sharing with y’all what that feeling was about.

For some days I felt the need to do something special during Christmas. Something different then the things I’m used to do. Here in Holland we celebrate 1st and 2nd day of Christmas (Boxing day) and I spent every 2nd day of Christmas with my family from my mother’s side: the Pinas family and no you don’t pronounce it like Penis but [Pee-nas]. Funny fact about my last name. We go out to a restaurant or rent a space were we come together,  bring food, enjoy each others company and celebrate the birth of Christ and the fact that we can come together as a family.

In order for people to understand how big my family is, I always say: my mom has 2 brothers and 7 sisters. My mothers oldest sister has 6 children and her children have average have 3 kids and that’s only 1 of the branches of our family tree. I haven’t counted everyone but I think we passed 65 members and still these are only my grandparents their offspring. So our Christmas celebrations can be crowded, loud and hectic but also: fun, crazy but most of all filled with love.

While I was thinking of how I am blessed to have all those family members around something said: Cherish that but don’t forget that there are a lot of people who don’t have a big family. There are those who are lonely during that time. There are those who would really want to go to a restaurant and go all out but the €35 euro pp fee they have to pay, is equal to a week groceries.

With those thoughts in the back of my mind I created the idea to post a message on Facebook saying: Who out there will be alone during Christmas and doesn’t have anybody to celebrate with,  and/or doesn’t have the finances to celebrate Christmas? Would you like to spent this day with the funniest, craziest familie of Rotterdam: the Pinas Family. Sent me a private message. I will pay the expenses for three people and will make sure you will never forget this Christmas. The first ones to enlist gets chosen.  #spreadlove #spreadwealth #shineyourlight

I received a lot of likes but no one sent me a message. Was it because they were ashamed, was it because they were too proud?? I even asked people to share my message on their Facebook wall because this is what I’m called for: to give out of my overflow, to bless others with that what has been given unto me and with #Ichallenge1toinvite1 I tried to infect challenge others with the same thing that caught me.

A couple of days later my phone rang and after hearing a voice that didn’t connect with the name on my screen I got connected with one who put away shame, pride or maybe the one who felt he/she deserved it! It felt good. It felt great and I’m happy that with this idea I can brighten up someone’s day. I’m looking for to Christmas and pray my family behaves themselves……

Would you open up your house/Christmas celebration to strangers or to those who have less, during the holidays?