Wednesday, 17 December 2008

• The Season of Giving

  I am not normally one who donates or does anything special for charities around the holidays. This is mostly due to the fact that I already do it all year round by giving to a local womens shelter, doing random communitty service, and of course giving what little spare change I have to the Salvation Army when it is the Holidays. It is my view that people should not just start giving during the holidays then stop abruptly when they are over.  That misses the point of giving.

  However, this year my office decided to pick a needy child and buy him what he had from his list.. I can honestly say that I have never had a more complete feeling of accomplishment as what I did buying that little boy his gifts.  

  I have found that it is often hard to relate to others and their circumstances.  People who do not go wanting often cannot sympathize with those who do. This year is a horrible time to have such feelings because with the economy in ruins, everyone is wanting. However, there is a big difference between wanting for necessities and wanting for useless gadgets. Sadly many fail to see this.

  At first I was sure that since the boy was 7 years old the list would be filled with toys. I was very wrong. In fact this little boy wanted clothes first then, at the botto of his list it just said toys. He did not specify what kind or anything like that. It just said toys. This really opened my eyes because I have never known any kid to take clothes over toys, ever. Children do not really understand the concept of poverty like we adults do. Sure they may understand it to a point but they never really grasp what it really until they are older. So, for this boy to realize that he was in more need of clothes than of toys or electronics just blew my mind.

  I thought to myself that if this had been my family, that I would want them to have a great Christmas, too.  So from that moment on I treated this as if I were buying for a family member. It didn't matter that I had never met, or would ever meet, this little boy. All that mattered was that he be allowed to wake up on Christmas and have presents under his tree like my family. The only thing I wish is that I could be there to see the look on his face when he finds the presents. I am happy to say that not only will he be getting the clothes he so dearly needs, but he will also be getting some toys.

  I don't suppose this story has a moral but if it did I am sure it would be something about putting ourselves in others shoes and walking, not 1, but 100 miles. It shouldn't matter if we are wealthier, have different beliefs, are of a different race or whatever. We all deserve to have a great Christmas. So this year, and everyother year, I hope that you will all remember that and if you are given the chance to help someone out, that you do it and bring the spirit of the season of giving to someone who is in a real need of it.

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