Secret Santa Stockings

What are secret santa stockings? Just that...And they're simple too. My favorite stories are those of St. Nicholas leaving gifts in people's stockings out of kindness. Can one man in a sleigh make it around the world with a gift (or many) for every child? The child in me says 'of course' and 'well, duh'. The reasonable woman in me who looks at where these stories began know the lore is much more rich than the bribe that Santa has become today. I much prefer St. Nicholas, or Kris Kringle who dropped coins in girl's stockings so they could have a dowry(not that they should need one, but its a good safeguard), and who made toys for the children of the village. What really inspires me is not the gain from these people, but the kindness that drove their actions. There are still people in the world who believe in giving for the sake of giving. There are people who give of themselves everyday, while asking for nothing in return. To me, that is the true spirit of the Holiday Season-to keep it holy, not to keep it ego-centric around the 'right' religion of the day. So, what do I do about it? Since I have brow-beaten my friends into filling my stockings for years to come, and I fill theirs for them as well. I have moved to a new level. This year, I am combining two said gifts of love, the stocking and a stress relief kit that I learned of in a class. If you search 'stress relief kit' on the internet, you'll find dozens to hundreds of variations for this. I'll go over some of the basics here that make my stockings Christmas-y. However, these stress relief kits can be made and put into small pouches anytime of year. Yuletide Stress Relief Kit 1) Hot Tea- a person never knows how strong they are until they get into hot water. 2) Hot Cocoa- a person never knows how strong they are until they get into hot milk-it's stickier. 3) Hugs & Kisses- it takes many to get through the tough times. 4) An eraser-for life's mistakes 5) A band-aid-for life's boo-boos 6) Lifesavers-for when you need to be rescued 7) A sucker-for when you feel the life is being sucked out of you. 8) A Candy Cane- for when you need to get a handle on things. 9) A bell(or two)-for when you need to be reminded to believe. 10) A string-for when you are at the end of your rope-tie a knot and hang on (optional). Variations: A penny-for positive thoughts Marbles-for when you feel you have lost yours Anything else that fits in the stocking and holds meaning to the gifter/giftee. The simplicity, put each item into an 8" felt stocking, a 4"x6" pouch/baggie(or whatever size you have on hand), and write or print the list of items in it with their meanings. The key is to give this gift in total secret, to someone who has known hard times, often in the recent past. If it cannot remain secret, its best to keep it as secret as possible for as long as possible until the recipient guesses that you did it. Then just say "Yes, I did." If they ask why, the answer is simple: "I thought you could use it," or "I was just thinking of you." I find the gift of caring is one of the best gifts one can give, and it should not be done with ulterior motives.