It was a difficult end of the year for many in 2005. The money was tight, the snow was deep, and the house was cold. At times it was hard to keep the spirit of Christmas in the home and the feeling of giving in the heart.
The elementary school that my two daughters attended, Greenwood Elementary, had a Secret Santa’s Gift Shop every year for only two days. In this gift shop were all sorts of miscellaneous gifts that the children could buy and put in white paper bags for Christmas gifts. And each year, they were so excited to know that they “bought” their own gifts to give to their loved ones. However small the gift, it is the joy of giving that brings the most pleasure.
This year, because money was tight, I was glad that Amanda, my nine year old, received her spending allowance from her dad. The first day of the Santa Shop she bought gifts for about 6 or 7 different people and was very pleased and excited. I knew that I could not afford to give my younger daughter the amount that Amanda had been given, but I hoped that the $10.00 I gave her would be enough. I told her to buy for just her sisters, her dad and me.
The second day of the Santa Shop, Amanda held a crisp $20.00 bill that she had received as a gift from her Great Aunt Betty. She was planning on taking it to school and buying more gifts and maybe even something for herself. I reminded her that even though it was her money to spend, that Christmas was a season of giving and that she shouldn’t spend ALL the money on herself. Maybe she should save it for spending at another time, I suggested, and then left the decision up to her. And off to school they went.
That evening, as the girls tromped snow into the kitchen and unloaded their book bags of wrinkled spelling test papers, notes to parents and soggy wet mittens, I asked what each of the girls had purchased with their money. Amanda pulled out a black multi-compartment bag with nail clippers and such in it and said, “I got this for Kelly”. Then she pulled out a small hand-held fan. “I bought this for me, but it broke,” she said with a frown. Then came a penny bank. “And this is for my room.”
“Is that all? Did you spend all your money?” I asked. She answered, “Yes, but I only spent ten dollars of it. I gave the other $10 to Darvey, because she didn’t have any money to buy gifts for people.” I told her how very proud I was of her to share her money with her best friend. I told her it was very nice, and very thoughtful.
Jenna, my younger daughter, showed me the gifts she bought for her two sisters, and then a brightly wrapped box that contained a present for me. “I had the lady wrap it up real nice. I sure hope you will like it,” she said. “I know I will,” I replied. She held out a crumpled up dollar bill with some coins. “But, this is all I have left,” she said with a frown. “That’s okay. We can make a special gift for your Dad that he will really like.”
The next morning, as we were headed out the door for school, I noticed the crumpled dollar on the floor. “Jenna, can you put this in your room so you won’t loose it?”
“I want to take it to school," she replied.
“What will you do, buy 4 bags of Popcorn? You only need a quarter for popcorn on Friday’s.” And she said, “No, I don’t need popcorn.”
“Well,” I questioned, “Isn’t the Santa Shop all over with now? What can you buy for yourself at school right now?”
She said, “I’m not going to spend it on me. I am putting it in the poor people jar. To help the people in Hurricane Katrina.” I smiled and told her that was a great idea.
Much better than four bags of popcorn.
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