I saw the post that Scottchelf made about the 2005 Christmas exchange and eventhough I do not know what it is about it reminded me of a story from Last Christmas. I want to share it with you. We are so truly blessed.
A friend of mine has a daughter that every Christmas season she adopts a family and does Christmas for them. The family she chooses is someone who is refered to her by friends and or family. A family who is truly in need and who might otherwise not have Christmas. Well the family that she selected was a mother of three who was in the midst of a divorce. The husabnd had gotten into drugs and mortgaged the house, maxed all the credit cards, etc. When the wife found out what was happening it was too late. Too late to salvage their credit, but not too late to remove her children from the situation. She left her husband and took a tiny little apartment and a retail job at the local mall. She had a son who was a senior in high school. A daughter who was a jr. in high school and an eleven yr. old boy. Cindy approached the lady and explained what her intents were. The lady cried and thanked her because otherwise there would be no Santa this year. No, not even a Christmas dinner. Cindy spoke with the children and asked them if they could have anything they wanted for Christmas (a material thing) what would it be. The oldest boy, the high school senior, said he would like a package of new razors so that he could be clean shaven when he went to school. The girl (high school jr.) said she would like some eye liner and or mascara. She said she would like to look like the other girls her age and not so plain faced. The 11 yr. old said her would like a new jacket because he was cold standing at the school bus stop. When I heard this I cried. I only had $100 in cash in my purse that day but I gave it to Cindy and told her to buy whatever it would buy. I did not want any change. Cindy bought then all some nice things from their lists. We had a really cold snap (cold for us anyway) about a week before Christmas so Cindy called the lady and asked if she could go ahead and give the 11 yr. old his new jacket so he could use it during the cold days. She went over that night and she said he was so excited and that when she left the little boy was asleep on the couch wearing the jacket. The next evening this mother called Cindy to say that the teacher had called her and said that the boy had worn the jacket the entire day. He would not even take it off during class becaue he was afraid that something might happen to it. That someone might take his new jacket. He was so proud and happy to be warm. I prayed for the lady and her situation and I know in my heart that taking her children and leaving the drug situation was the right thing to do. It must have been so hard to look at three children who were used to living the "good life" and seeing them so tattered and torn. But I know in my heart that they will make it. I still cry when I think of the story, but I am happy I had the chance to help that family. I do not know where they are now (my friend has moved to another state and I never see her daughter.) I know that no matter what kind of Christmas they have this year. They will never forget the Christmas of 2004.
A friend of mine has a daughter that every Christmas season she adopts a family and does Christmas for them. The family she chooses is someone who is refered to her by friends and or family. A family who is truly in need and who might otherwise not have Christmas. Well the family that she selected was a mother of three who was in the midst of a divorce. The husabnd had gotten into drugs and mortgaged the house, maxed all the credit cards, etc. When the wife found out what was happening it was too late. Too late to salvage their credit, but not too late to remove her children from the situation. She left her husband and took a tiny little apartment and a retail job at the local mall. She had a son who was a senior in high school. A daughter who was a jr. in high school and an eleven yr. old boy. Cindy approached the lady and explained what her intents were. The lady cried and thanked her because otherwise there would be no Santa this year. No, not even a Christmas dinner. Cindy spoke with the children and asked them if they could have anything they wanted for Christmas (a material thing) what would it be. The oldest boy, the high school senior, said he would like a package of new razors so that he could be clean shaven when he went to school. The girl (high school jr.) said she would like some eye liner and or mascara. She said she would like to look like the other girls her age and not so plain faced. The 11 yr. old said her would like a new jacket because he was cold standing at the school bus stop. When I heard this I cried. I only had $100 in cash in my purse that day but I gave it to Cindy and told her to buy whatever it would buy. I did not want any change. Cindy bought then all some nice things from their lists. We had a really cold snap (cold for us anyway) about a week before Christmas so Cindy called the lady and asked if she could go ahead and give the 11 yr. old his new jacket so he could use it during the cold days. She went over that night and she said he was so excited and that when she left the little boy was asleep on the couch wearing the jacket. The next evening this mother called Cindy to say that the teacher had called her and said that the boy had worn the jacket the entire day. He would not even take it off during class becaue he was afraid that something might happen to it. That someone might take his new jacket. He was so proud and happy to be warm. I prayed for the lady and her situation and I know in my heart that taking her children and leaving the drug situation was the right thing to do. It must have been so hard to look at three children who were used to living the "good life" and seeing them so tattered and torn. But I know in my heart that they will make it. I still cry when I think of the story, but I am happy I had the chance to help that family. I do not know where they are now (my friend has moved to another state and I never see her daughter.) I know that no matter what kind of Christmas they have this year. They will never forget the Christmas of 2004.