I found this a while ago, while looking through notes on my phone:

To many people, Christmas is a day to wake up early and run to all of the presents that await you. Many of my friend’s stories on Snapchat were pictures of things they got, like a Hydro Flask, new phone, drum set, AirPods, and more, with the caption “Merry Christmas.”

Unlike many of my friends, for me, today was not a day focused on gifts. I spent the day with my grandparents and parents. We did not exchange physical gifts, our gift was being together as a family.

Instead of being sad or mad that my family doesn’t celebrate Christmas, I took a different approach. Today reminded me of all I have and all I can do to give back. Christmas is about giving, so I did, but a little different that most people did today.

This evening, I spent over two hours signing petitions, calling senators, and sending letters to change the injustice happening today.

This evening, I sent, signed, and made over 105 petitions, letters, and calls.

No, today I did not wake up to an abundance of presents. No, today I did not celebrate Christmas like most people do.

But today, I used my power to make a difference, in my opinion, and learned my ability to express my beliefs is better than anything that could be under the Christmas tree.

Take advantage of your gift. Make a change today.