A pinch of children's laughter, a drop of happy tears
As I lay there under the small plastic tree that my parents bought in 1995 shortly after we came to Germany and I saw the old Christmas decorations dangling from below, it was as if I could hear the wind in the imaginary forest and as if I were the plastic bird attached to a branch would look at me with direct interest, spread its wings and fly away. It was our first Christmas tree in Germany. It was small, quite ugly and made of plastic. All my friends usually had a big, imposing real Christmas tree. But I defended my sweet little tree like a knight defends his castle.
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Every Christmas decoration is a memory. The dancer, the little ice skater or the gingerbread woman - every figure makes me older, every figure is my memory.

Because as a child, the smallest, cheapest and seemingly most unspectacular things were just magical for me. No matter where I was, who I was with, I was always looking for magic and I didn't even have to look for it because it was there, in my eyes, in my hands and in my ears. Little things, like a nice game day with friends, turned into a great rafting adventure and self-made tents under bunk beds into magical castles. At the time I just thought what an incredibly beautiful life I was leading. And I started collecting and guarding all these little moments as a child. I was as proud of every moment as a mother is of her child. Even when I eventually realized that some children had so much more than me, traveled to other countries, stayed in nice hotels and swam in the sea, I didn't mind at first.
It wasn't until later in my youth that I became sad. I didn't have any of that as a kid, I didn't see the sea or get dinner from a moving toy train. I hadn't visited any cities and taken pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower. And on my first trips I watched the other children and thought how natural these trips must have been for them, how much they must have seen at their young age, much more than I did and I felt betrayed. I felt foolish and stupid for taking so much pleasure in ants in the garden and ridiculous for counting tadpoles in the village pond. Apparently I had no idea what breathtaking places there are in the world, how much more interesting there are than cherry trees and pebbles in our old garden. At the time, as a child, I thought that I would already know the most beautiful places in my world. That was enough for me. And later I felt cheated.
But now that feeling has gone. Instead, I admire children, I admire my earlier childish imagination, the magic of recognizing beauty in seemingly inconspicuous things and enjoying it, be it the mud in Russia or later the tadpoles in Germany.
Little by little I'm cleaning the layer of dust from my eyes, ears and hands away from the last few years until there's room for glitter, smoke and flapping wings again. That's why I really enjoy decorating the Christmas tree every year before Christmas. Each figure is a memory until the tree is full of stories, very difficult and magical. From every trip in winter I bring two things with me - lots of photos and new tree ornaments and each tree ornament is like a capsule in which at least one small memory is hidden - be it just an ant or a self-woven friendship ring - every magical memory is precious, may it be No matter how small and inconspicuous it may seem against the backdrop of this big world, it is part of my world. But something else sweetens the pre-Christmas period for me: the shoebox for Christmas in a shoe box .
The nice thing about it is that I want to give other children similar memories. I want to give the children something to take with them, a packet of joy, a shoe box full of warmth, hope and children's laughter. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being in the world, for being happy about the little things with your joy, for infecting us adults, for motivating us and for being able to learn so much from you. I want a child somewhere to unpack the shoe box and know that they are not forgotten, that they are needed and that caring connects us humans. Far beyond the longest distances. Do you just want to give away joy? You can find out how you can give a child this little happiness in mine Christmas in a shoebox guide, in which you will find the most important information:
Guide to Christmas in a shoebox: Because helping makes life better
1. How can I take part and where can I get a shoebox for the promotion?
Very easily! All you need is a shoe box (approx. 30 x 20 x 10 cm), which you can cover with the wrapping paper of your choice, or you can order the "Box to go" directly from the official website gifts of hope. Last year I didn't have a suitable box at home, so I asked politely in a shoe shop and immediately received a box with the right dimensions. Then I covered the box with wrapping paper. on YouTube and Pinterest you will find many instructions on how to quickly and easily glue the cardboard.
2. How can I pack a shoebox and what can I put in it?
The gifts should always be new and not used. I always try to put myself in a child's shoes and ask myself what they could be happy about. So for me it's a mix of pens, clothes, sweets and of course (very important!) toys! Many children have never received a gift in their lives, just imagine how happy they are when they get such a colorful mixture of new, beautiful things. It is ideal if the content fits the age and gender of the child, although I personally choose the gifts a little more neutrally and do not only orientate myself on whether it is a boy or a girl.
There are countless gift ideas that both boys and girls can enjoy. Although I packed a box for a girl last year, I tried not to choose the contents too “pink”, but also to put in a few gifts (such as a notepad in a faux leather cover or chocolate) that a girl could also be happy about , who may not find dolls and “typical” girly things particularly interesting. But in addition to the gifts, a personal greeting, letter or a lovely postcard should of course not be missing. You are also welcome to include a photo of yourself (or your entire family).
3. Which age groups pack the fewest boxes?
Experience has shown that children, especially boys, between the ages of 10 and 14 are the least likely to receive a parcel. On the other hand, shoeboxes are packed most frequently by girls between the ages of 5 and 9. So this year I'm packing my box for a boy between the ages of 10 and 14.
4. Where can I find an acceptance point and when is the submission deadline?
On the side gifts of hope you can easily enter your postcode and find out the delivery locations in your area. Until November 15th can you still join It is recommended to include a small donation of eight euros per gifted child when handing in the gift card or in advance via Paypal.
5. Where does my packed shoebox go?
The shoe boxes go to Georgia, Lithuania, Latvia, Montenegro and many other countries. You can find a list of the countries to which the shoeboxes will be sent this year here: gifts of hope
"Always remember: Only what you gave away remains in life." Robert Stolz (1880-1975)
if you more questions have or would like to get involved, then I can give you the FAQ's from “Gifts of Hope”. There you will find all the information about it Christmas in a shoe box. Otherwise, I hope you have a lot of fun crafting, packing and choosing your gifts. For me, the “Christmas in a Shoebox” experience in 2017 was definitely one of the most beautiful activities and experiences I have ever had before Christmas.
You wrote the text very well. The idea of Christmas in a box is really nice.
You can bring so much joy to someone with very simple things. I'm considering doing that too, because it's just nice to do something good.
Best regards,
Luisa from https://www.allaboutluisa.com/
Thank you very much Luisa! That's correct! Even if we can do something good all year round, I think it's nice around Christmas to think about what the festival is really about 🙂 I'm happy if you're there too #schenkenmachtdaslebenschöner
Wow, great!!
I've done it a few times, but my box didn't look that nice..
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https://bedeutungsvolle-momente.blogspot.com/
Thank you! I'm sure your box looked nice too 🙂
Good idea!
I'll take a look and see if I can join.
It's already fun just to buy a few things where you
knows whoever gets this package is happy about it.
Thank you for this great post!
Sanja from https://made-by-sanja.blogspot.com
Thank you very much dear Sanja <3
I feel like this every time I give something away 🙂
Dear Lina, how wonderfully you described your relationship with Christmas decorations. For each piece there is a memory, a souvenir of a journey, an experience - just decorating the Christmas tree with these pieces is a great experience and a review of wonderful moments. A wonderful ritual for Christmas.
I also think your commitment to “Christmas in a shoebox” is great!
Have a good start into the week and all the best
Thank you very much for your warm words!
I also wish you a wonderful start into the new week and all the best 🙂
Wow – what a great text! I know the feeling because I felt the same way. Before I went to kindergarten, I never watched TV and could play with my horses and cars all day long. In kindergarten I got to know the TV, soft drinks and later the computer. Thank God I never lost my imagination - but the fact that others were more often allowed to use the technical gadgets at an early age often led to arguments and discussions at home. But I appreciate my childhood and I certainly learned better that way without the technical gadgets to entertain me 🙂
The project you write about is awesome! I've just found a spot near the Swiss border where I'll be dropping off a package on Saturday - which I love giving, a thousand times more than anything! 🙂
Dearest greetings
Janine from https://www.vivarubia.com/
Dear Janine,
I am very pleased! I feel the same way 🙂 As Albert Einstein once said so beautifully: “Imagination is more important than knowledge, because knowledge is limited. But fantasy encompasses the entire world.” And we were really lucky as children in that we grew up largely without being exposed to too much technology.
I wish you a wonderful start into the new week and lots of fun with “Christmas in a Shoebox”!
Best regards,
Lina
What a beautifully written text is that please, Lina. I think it's great that you're getting involved, I grabbed a shoe box right away and am now going to pack!
Thanks Barbara! You don't believe how happy I am when more and more people join in 🙂
Oh yes, that soon became something of a tradition for us - I know that we packed and sent small boxes when I was a child. A really nice action 🙂
Larger employers in Germany often have a central collection point for this campaign or offer their own.. ♥
xxx
Tina
https://styleappetite.com
That's true and it's so nice that more and more people are taking part in the campaign 🙂
Best regards,
Lina
This looks so good! I just picked up some frozen acai packs yesterday at Trader Joe's and I was so pleased to make a smoothie but then fell on my blender last night and broke it!
That's a great idea, I'm really interested in it now - thank you very much for the nice suggestion 🙂
Best regards,
Jimena from littlethingcalledlove.de
Gladly <3
thank you for the kind words!