The building I work in, like many at Christmas time, has a Giving Tree, or something similar. There is a ridiculously large Christmas tree with nutcrackers that rival the size of a 5 year old child, actually attached to the tree. Next to this obnoxious sight, is a table with lots of slips of paper listing children that are in the CPS system in Houston and their Christmas wish list. Their age, race, sex and 3 top Christmas wishes are listed. I have seen these for the past 5 years, but never participated.
This year, I picked up the slip that caused tears to spring to my eyes.
Among the pages are young children's requests, where you know the child didn’t actually request that Leap Frog toy or Cabbage Patch Kid or whatever toy really young kids want. Then there are the older ones who request a PS3, a portable CD or DVD player, an Ipod.
Mine?
She wanted a comforter set.
She didn’t want a toy. She didn’t want jewelry, or clothes, or a gift card or a video game system.
She wanted a blanket.
She will be receiving, in my old ass opinion, a pretty cool set. I included some DVD’s as well.
I hope her situation improves.
My tiny, miniscule involvement in her situation, improved my outlook on my own situation.
December 12, 2007
Perspective.
Posted at 12/12/2007 11:27:00 AM
Labels: Life Notes
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5 comments:
I'm sure this child will love your gift. To have something warm and cosy that she can cuddle into while she enjoys the DVD's.
Aww how sweet is that? All she asked for was a comforter? That brought tears to my eyes! I'm glad it helped to give you a new outlook!
How nice of you to do this!
I know a girl who worked at an inner city school as a kindergarten teacher. She loved those kids like crazy and sometimes she would get permission from their parents to have a child stay with her over a weekend so she could spoil them.
One little boy's mom told my friend to not let him drink Coke or she would regret it the next morning. She took him to Target after school on Friday afternoon and told him he could pick out anything in the store he wanted. He chose a toothbrush and some toothpaste.
She took him home, ordered pizzas, rented movies and let him drink all the Coke he wanted. He wet the bed all night but she said she didn't care in the least. She was able to spoil him and that's all she wanted to do.
I think you're going to make a little girl feel like she's in heaven this Christmas!
Perspective is a beautiful thing. My husband and I had some issues dealing with discipline this week. Then, at work the next day I had a 8 year old patient with cancer. And then the father of this child told me that his other son had a liver tumor removed last year. The parents and the kids I see are tough as nails. I feel humbled to be around them.
P.S. You've been tagged!
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