Tuesday, December 21, 2021

The Gift of Giving

Each holiday season I place an emphasis on giving. I place an emphasis on this all year long, but I make sure we donate toys, food, clothing, and our time to many local organizations this time of year. This year, my cousin called me and asked if we would like to adopt a family. We as in my extended family on my dad's side. Knowing we had the help of family and friends to fulfill everything on a family's Christmas List, I instantly said yes.

My cousin is better prepared than myself and kept track of the family's wants and needs on a spreadsheet. In a little over a week, we had gotten the gifts from the list and enough money donated to get everything else on their Christmas list. I could begin to brag about how this family of three now has brand new clothes, winter gear, etc. 

Instead, what stuck out to me was their Christmas list. Specifically the mom's, or as I have been calling her, 'our Christmas mom.' On the kid's wish list were simple things such as board books, coloring books, new crayons and markers, building blocks. Things that children should have access to and can help grow their minds. I would nearly put these under the 'needs' category for children. But our Christmas mom. Her "wants" were all for her children: diapers, wipes, and a double stroller, so they could go places. She had absolutely zero wants for herself.

My heart clenched when I saw those things. Things so many have easy access to and are considered needs, are another person's wants. After making sure those things were secured for the family, my cousin and I made sure to spoil our Christmas mom with extra new clothes. A daycare mom came through with a double stroller for our Christmas mom. My heart was full as we spent an entire evening last week wrapping our Christmas family's gifts. Everything on that list was crossed off and I'm hoping we made their lives a little brighter and a little easier too.