I was a single mother with a 11 year old son, his 9 year old brother, and their 6 year old sister. We had been on own for 6 years so times were lean. Money was never an issue simply because the kids didn’t know we didn’t have a lot.
Christmas this year would be no different than the other years. But there was anticipation in the air and the kids eagerly made their lists to Santa. We baked cookies, decorated with the walls with pictures we colored from a coloing book, and set up our little Charlie Brown tree. My children were happy and I loved to see them excited about the holidays.
My oldest son and daughter also have their birthdays on December 23rd, exactly 5 years apart. More anticipation. I made sure birthdays were taken care of first, presents wrapped in Happy Birthday wrapping paper were tucked away in my closet and I started on Christmas shopping. I sometimes got as excited as the kids when I found something they wanted.
For one of the first times since the divorce, their father sent gift cards for both the birthdays and Christmas. All he asked was that the children be allowed to pick out their own gifts. Over $150.00 was waiting to be spent! I was thrilled that my children could get anything they wanted for a change.
They talked together, they planned, and they talked some more. Finally, they came to me and told me what they wanted. They wanted to spend their money on someone else. One of their best friends, they said, came from a family much poorer than ours. They wanted to take their gift cards and buy presents for all the kids in his family.
I was never as proud as I was that day I took them shopping. Each child in the friend’s family received 5 or 6 gifts from footballs to barbies to board games. My children had such fun shopping and chosing that “perfect” gift! We bought, we wrapped, and we left the presents at their door without them knowing who thier secret Santa was.
My children had their best Christmas ever….and so did I. They taught me the true meaning of Christmas all over again. There is ALWAYS someone worse off than you and there is ALWAYS something you can do about it. They never told their friend what they did. They never told anyone. But my oldest son told me he felt good in is heart and that was enough for him. And me? I was and am truly blessed.