Editor’s Note: Good morning. Marcie Dumais is here discussing ways in which her family implements giving, generosity and gratitude. She also shares ways in which people can get involved in the community throughout the holiday season. Here she is:

With the newest holiday mumbo-jumbo at the front-line of most stores, it’s not surprising that Christmas is already on my mind. Okay, I admit that it might have something to do with the twenty-six gift bags that I’ve just sewn for the preschool fundraiser.

We’ve already heard some chatter from the little boys about the oncoming season. I’m partly to blame for this because in “negotiating” to put away the spooky decor, I mentioned that we needed to clear space for our Christmas stuff. Miraculously, we managed to leave our tacky treasures in the crawl space, but conversations about Christmas prevailed.

I asked my eldest what he liked most about Christmas. “The presents and my stocking,” was his quick reply. The idealistic parent in me hoped to hear something about looking forward to spending time with his grandparents or something about the magical feel of our house during the holidays. Who was I kidding? I mean really, he’s 5 (4 and ¾ actually). Have I forgotten how exciting the whole Santa thing is?

No I haven’t. In fact, experiencing Christmas through the eyes of my children has rekindled my joy and excitement for the season. Even so, the conversation made me think that my family and I have a bit of work to do in terms of understanding the true spirit of Christmas. I don’t want to dampen their joy, but I do want them to think about giving, gratitude, and the blessings that we have as a family. I want them to grow up understanding the importance of these virtues and really live them.

Giving makes me feel good. I want my kiddos to feel this warmth inside them. That got me thinking of things we could do as a family, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, to teach and practice the virtues of generosity and kindness.

Operation Christmas Child, through Samaritan’s Purse, came to mind immediately. Over the past years, we have filled shoe boxes with toys, hygiene items and school supplies for children around the age of our own kids. This year, my son’s preschool is filling boxes and he is at an age to really understand. He’s learned about the different conditions that children live in and, through pictures, has seen the joy on their faces when they receive their shoe boxes. November 16-23 is National Collection Week and Jacob’s Well on 5th Street in Courtenay is collecting boxes until November 20th.

Another charity that is all about kids giving to kids, but that is closer to home, is the Courtenay-based Santa’s Workshop. New and gently used toys can be dropped off at 301 Puntledge Road this year (former location of Island Ink Jet). The “elves” ask that donors remember that Santa can only fix what is fixable and clean what is cleanable.

At our house, we go through the kids’ toys with them and have discussions about what they would be willing to donate with some set criteria on quantity and quality of items. Santa’s Workshop is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3p.m. and an outdoor drop box is also available after hours.

The “Giving Tree,” beautifully written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein will be dusted off and brought back into circulation this month. It’s a tender story that offers an interpretation of the gift of giving and an acceptance of another’s capacity to love in return.

Another literary gem that focuses on the virtues of generosity, kindness and gratitude is “The Smartest Giant in Town,” expertly written by Julia Donaldson and brilliantly illustrated by Axel Scheffler. The last page of the book opens to a card that was made by the animals in the story to thank the giant. We’ll use this book as a springboard to talk about how we can show our gratitude at Christmas and at other times of the year.

I want my kids to know that generosity is not just about giving in a material or monetary sense. Giving of one’s time is just as valuable. There are so many important causes that families can get involved in at this time of year. We have committed to helping deliver Christmas food hampers.

I’m also seeing an opportunity to focus on a variety of other virtues through the age-old tradition of advent. In addition to the boy’s advent calendars, I’ve been thinking about adapting the concept of the advent wreath. Historically, an advent wreath with its four candles and boughs symbolizes the passage of the four weeks leading up to Christmas. On the first of four Sundays, a candle is lit and subsequent candles are lit on each of the following Sundays, so that by the last Sunday before Christmas all four candles are lit.

My plan is to light a candle and introduce a virtue on each of these Sundays. I will use a candle holder that I already have, decorate it and set it in the middle of our table. I like that this little ritual will be done during a family meal. We’ll choose virtues that are important to us, that are associated with Christmas, or that we just need to work on. Generosity, gratitude, gentleness and patience, come to mind as our four likely picks.

We’ll focus on the virtue throughout the week. Given the age of my kiddos, I’m talking pretty simple stuff—saying the word, reading related books, talking about what the virtue means, acting it out, thinking of examples of the virtue in our lives, printing, and drawing about it.

While our advent candles will be a learning tool, the boy’s advent calendars will be all about the fun! Little treats each day to count down the days until Christmas will keep the virtue of joyfulness alive and well at our house because that is a big part of the true spirit of Christmas, too.

To wrap up, I want to tell you about our Santa note tradition. Each year, Santa leaves a letter to the children under the tree. His brief note acknowledges the kids’ special talents, hints at what they’re working on, and focuses on family virtues. The Santa letter is a great way to reinforce the virtues that we have been working on with our kids. When the jolly guy says it, boy, do they listen!

So it may be a long time before my munchkins say, “It’s the giving not the getting.” But my hope is that through focusing on virtues they learn, there is a lot more to Christmas than what’s under the tree or in their sock.