Physically, I don't feel any better, but mentally I feel fantastic. I get to buy presents for a family whose children otherwise wouldn't receive anything for Christmas. We usually do Toys for Tots, but this is so much better because they are gifts the children want but wouldn't have been able to have. And they are asking for such small things that it almost breaks my heart. Every child deserves the opportunity to believe in Santa. I know it's only one family, but as Mother Theresa said, "If you can't feed everyone, feed one person." Or something profound like that. Maybe it's wrong that this is giving me so much pleasure? Does that make it a selfish act? But once you have a child, it's like every child could be yours and you just want to make them all okay. Children don't ask to be brought into this world. They have no say into what circumstances they're born. They can do nothing when their parents fall on hard times.
We are so lucky, because our son is healthy and he asks for so little (he sat on Santa's lap and asked for two toys) and we are lucky because we have a steady income and can make certain Santa brings him those two toys. We are lucky because we have all we need and don't want for any gifts, or food, or clean water, or heat.
And I will gladly trade any gifts I might receive every single year so that I can make certain a couple of children I don't even know get to believe in Santa for just a little longer. In that, I guess it is a huge gift that I'm giving to myself, because my child has the luxury of knowing that when he awakes on Christmas morning, there will be presents beneath the tree, and our family can extend that luxury to other children who don't believe that Santa will be visiting them at all.
I am so very humbled and grateful for this life with which I've been blessed.
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