It is nice to feel a part of home when you live so far from your childhood home, even though this is home now and my friends here is like a family, it is still something else when parents are visiting.

On one hand I were able to mix my family from home with my family from here, and we had such a good time and it is so important to cherish those moments, and after living away for years, I do not take those moments for granted anymore. Because I do feel we sometimes take our parents or friends or home for grantes.  That was what I think did the Christmas a bit different from back home and here. When we are home, we are surrounded by gifts, food and decorations, friends and family  Everything is pretty much good! Having Christmas in New York, you are faced with a lot of sadness and a lot of people that do not have it like we do in Norway. It gives you a perspective on life. It is not even a few that struggles, it is many. 

Its not an unusual thing here to see people who suffer, but in a time like Christmas, where focus should be family, love, food and celebration, and everybody is rushing home for food and overload, it makes it sad to see the ones that can't do that. Knowing what you have, versus them that have nothing or so little, hurts to think off

During Christmas, we were able to give one homeless guy some extra dessert and buy another guy some hot tea. And it might not be that much, but small things can make such a different for some people. Its something everyone could do. I personally prefer to buy or give food, cause it is always a need and you know where it will go and that you actually help someone, by doing so little.

In the end is not only those people that are visible that need some extra. I mean in NYC it is kind off clear sometimes if a person need help, comparing to Norway, where these problems are more hidden "because we assume everybody is rich and wealthy and are celebrating" it does not need to be. There is a lot of people in Norway feeling alone during the holiday, So encourage everybody to take a look at the surrandings around you, either its your granny, a person on the bus or at work, are the ok? Could they need an extra hand during the holiday. Sometimes it is so little that need to be done to make a change.

Not only should we do this for Christmas: but all year. See a little longer than our own nose tip and give a little extra. Even if it is just a smile!

I wish everybody a Merry Christmas and I wish everybody the same for Christmas that i had! At least we can do it a little better for someone else ❤️

Here are some few pictures from my Christmas:

xxx