December 17, 2025

On The Upside with Marley

The Magic Of Christmas That We Should Extend

There’s something about Christmas that cracks us open. Maybe it’s the lights, or the music, or just knowing everyone else is feeling it too, but suddenly we’re softer. Kinder. We actually stop long enough to notice each other.

Sure, we buy presents. But what we’re really giving is harder to wrap—our time, our attention, the part of us that says you matter. It’s like the season flips some hidden switch, and for a few weeks, we remember how to be the people we wish we were all the time.

Here’s the thing: giving doesn’t cost what we think it does. The stuff that actually matters? It’s free. A real smile for the cashier having a rough shift. A text to someone you know is struggling. Sitting with a friend who just needs to vent, even when you’re tired. Letting someone merge in traffic without cursing them out. Small stuff. Ordinary stuff. The kind of thing that might be someone’s only bright spot that day.

Christmas makes it easy because everything feels magical. But that magic? It doesn’t vanish on December 26th. It’s always there, buried under our schedules and stress and the million reasons we tell ourselves we’re too busy.

What if we didn’t wait for December? What if we gave someone a reason to smile in March or looked for ways to help in July? The world would shift. People would feel less alone. Hope would have more room to breathe.

Every time we give, whether it’s money, kindness, or just showing up, we become a little bit of light in someone’s darkness. And light spreads. It makes other people want to shine too.

Christmas shows us who we could be. But the real magic happens when we stop treating kindness like a seasonal thing and start treating it like breathing.

Because here’s what nobody tells you: when you give, you get something back. Not in some cosmic transaction way, but in the way it feels to know you made someone’s day suck a little less. That feeling? That’s worth holding onto.

Every single day of the year.

When we give, we don’t just brighten someone else’s world; we brighten our own. And that is a gift worth sharing every day of the year.

This is why Shetland Ponies Never Caught On In Canada

Editors Quote Book

“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.”

—Robin Sharma

Fix My Cat For Christmas

A mom takes her excited little girl to see the local mall Santa, and after a long wait, she finally plops herself down on Santa’s knee. Santa says, “And what would you like for Christmas, little girl?” The little girl replies, “I would like a black and white cat leg—but just a black or white one would be okay too!” Santa, looking quite horrified, turns to the mother, and the mother whispers into Santa’s ear, “We have a three-legged cat.”

Christmas Ideas

What do you get the person that has everything they need? The last couple of years, as a family, we felt the difficulty in finding or discovering what to get each other for Christmas when really, decluttering and toning it down was more the goal. One of our close friends said, ‘Why not do a secret Santa?’ So we approached our local Community Living and Salvation Army to help identify a family in need that wasn’t getting a Christmas this year, the age of the children and interests… We bought enough presents to fill under the tree and all the groceries needed to furnish an incredible holiday dinner with enough left over to last a week. We found this infinitely more satisfying than buying trinkets for ourselves. – Just a thought for those that have everything.

Christmas Trivia Quiz

(Click Question For Answer)

Beaver Crossing – Christmas Edition

Your Horoscope

For Amusement Only

Santa Therapy

The mall Santa smiled as a small boy climbed onto his lap. “What would you like for Christmas?” Santa asked warmly. The boy leaned in close and squinted at Santa’s beard. “First,” the boy said, “are you the real one?” Santa chuckled and nodded confidently. The boy sighed with relief. “Good,” he said, “because my mom says you’re cheaper than therapy.” Santa paused. The line went silent. Santa handed him a candy cane and reconsidered his life choices.

I Have A List

A little girl marched up to Santa with absolute authority. She didn’t sit down, she stood and crossed her arms. “I have a list,” she announced. Santa nodded, ready to listen. “It’s mostly things for my mom.” Santa blinked. “She needs sleep, patience, and maybe a new husband.” The parents froze. Santa cleared his throat loudly. “Let’s start with the toys,” he suggested gently.

The Last Word

Rudeness is the weak person’s version of strength.