Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Christmas is well and truly under way here in Bahrain and how lucky we are to be living in such a diverse and accepting community.
Family and friends around the world are surprised and in awe at my shared photographs of the beautiful Christmas tree lighting ceremonies we have attended across the island.
I proudly tell them that we are surrounded by the spirit of Christmas and the shops are brimming over with goodies and gifts.
The festive season for me has always been a time of giving and not just about giving in to our children’s request for the latest iPhone!
I have seen so much giving from the expat community here these past few weeks that is has truly touched my heart.
A dear friend of mine has ploughed hours upon hours of her time into creating festive goods to sell at the various Christmas fairs and has raised a staggering BD1,200 for UNICEF.
Many of the schools have been busily raising funds for charitable projects with students and teachers giving up their free time for a greater cause, not forgetting the GulfWeekly’s Wrap-up for Christmas Appeal collecting blankets and socks for Syrian refugees in partnership with DHL.
Amidst the commercial trappings and over indulgence of Christmas, it’s a joy to see so much giving, as the phrase rings through my ears: ‘it’s better to give than to receive’.
Every December, we sit down as a family and make a list of people who have given to us throughout the year so that we can give back something in return. Once our list is done, we all come up with ideas on what to give. It can be big or small; the importance of this task is in sharing with our children the act of giving and remembering those less fortunate around us.
Christmas is about doing a little extra for someone-else.
