Tis the season

Christmas.

What a thing it is.

I, like many others, approached Christmas a lot differently this year than in previous years. Obviously, spending is down across the board… but it goes a little deeper than that.

My sister and my brother-in-law made the decision to enroll in the ‘Sponsor a Family’ program offered through a local non-profit agency here in Connecticut. It’s a great service they provide. Essentially, a family in need will contact the agency if they need help providing their children with a good Christmas. Then, people who are lucky enough to have some extra money this year can ‘sponsor’ that family and help buy them the gifts they want.

When hearing how much my sister enjoyed the whole process, I decided to sponsor a family as well. Doing so brought many surprises.

The first surprise was just how many people there are out there who need help. I know Christmas isn’t supposed to be just about giving gifts, but try telling that to a mother with a 4 year old and a 6 year old. I don’t think I can begin to imagine how hard it must be to tell your kids that Santa couldn’t make it this year.

The second surprise came when I was given a list of items the family had asked for. My family is a single mom and her two young sons. I expected to get Christmas lists full of things like Xboxes, TVs, computers, Blu Ray players, etc… but what I found was just the opposite.

Here is the list from the oldest son, a 7 year old: (this is his entire list)
Battleship (the board game)
Spiderman action figures
Spiderman web slinger
Jeans
Sneakers for school
Snow boots
Blow up snow tube
Nerf Football

That’s it.

That’s the list.

He’s not asking for video games, or flat screen TVs. He’s asking for small toys that every kid should have. A football, some jeans… a snow tube.

I realized after reading the two lists (they were both very similar) that not only do these kids deserve everything they asked for (and more) but their Mom also deserves whatever she wants for raising her two kids so well.

I remember when I was young (and Santa was still bringing me gifts every year) just how much I was given on Christmas morning. Dozens and dozens of gifts wrapped neatly under the tree. If I asked for it, Santa brought it. I had a great childhood (and I have a great Mom)

Last week I went out and got them everything on their lists. Since I had budgeted so much more than what it required, I was able to pick up a few extra things for the Mom.

The point of this story is not to boast about my charitable giving, or to brag about how great my childhood was, or to make anyone feel bad if they can’t afford to sponsor a family like I did.

The point of this story is to try and make you think. Maybe it’s too late this year… maybe the gifts are already purchased, they’re already wrapped… maybe they’re sitting under the tree, or hidden secretly in the way back of the hall closet. That’s fine. But as you sit around the tree on Friday tearing open boxes of Burberry scarves, Coach bags, flat screen TVs, gift cards, Xboxes, and whatever else it is that you may give/get this year, take a moment to stop and think.

Think of how happy one boy is going to be on Friday when he sits down and rips open a brand new football.

Christmas.

What a thing it is…