<also previously posted>
Reflections from earlier this week.
I have one more story to share <and wonder about>
As a parent, I do not have to make the kinds of sacrifices my parents had to. I have been blessed with a great husband who provides well for his family. But just today I had an experience that makes me wonder about how one finds the balance of Christmas memories, knowing what made my Christmas memories special, as to what will make those memories of Christmas special for my children.
This was really brought "home" to me in the last two days. Here's why. Last night, a little after dinner time, my phone rang. It was a "friend" I had not heard from, for probably almost a year. We became friends partly due to the fact that she was my cleaning lady. I was surprised to hear from her, and ask what prompted her to call me. She simply said, "well it's Christmas, do you need me??" Her words really struck me, knowing that what she was really saying was, she needed money. Her plan for the money was so that she could give her kids a Christmas. It was not until tonight that I realized how great that need really was. Anyway, I told her, sure I could use some help. I needed to do some cleaning in my kitchen, but it was nothing more than what I could have handled on my own. My telling Gloria that I needed that help meant my driving 12 miles to pick her up. So late this morning, that is what I did. We came back to my house. I decided, to just let her clean the kitchen. She wanted to know how many hours she could work for me. This "Mom" was totally willing to do what ever might need done in my house, in an effort to put in some hours and earn money to buy her children gifts. I don't think she was working at her fastest pace, but that was ok. I enjoyed visiting with her, and catching up on the latest in her life, as we worked around my house. Evening came, she had dinner with us, and soon it would be time to take her back home. While I was out, it was my plan to go pick up a few last things for my kids. I ask her if she needed to go shopping, and did she want to go with me. She did need to shop, so off to Wal-mart we went. Here's where it gets sticky for me. I went into Wal-mart and randomly picked out some "extra's" for my children. I knew what I had purchased for them already, and surely they really did not "need" the other things I picked up. Without batting an eye, I had easily spent twice as much money as Gloria had to spend. That did not even take into consideration the moneys I had previously spent on Christmas gifts. Then I watched Gloria do her shopping. Unlike my approach to shopping, I could see the deep concern she had for making the "right" choice for gifts for her daughter. Carefully weighing the value of each gift and the cost factor involved. She really labored over the decision making process. It took her twice as long to spend half as much money as I had spent. For me the choices were easy to make as I was not counting each penny I was spending. Gloria needed to be more careful than I. It is my hope that one day Gloria's daughter realizes the effort her Mom put into making this Christmas special. As I thought about my own children, I really wonder what memories will make their childhood Christmas's special. Other than of course that they always get a new pair of PJ's on Christmas eve. As they have grown, they figured out the motivation behind the new PJ's. New PJ's insure that Christmas morning photo's are presentable!! <a bit of comic relief> Though my family has been abundantly blessed, I hope that Mike and I have instilled in our children a value system that goes beyond just what they see under our tree. We have strived to find the balance in letting our children enjoy the fruits of our labor, while at the same time, letting them know that there are others out there that we can reach out to, and share those blessings with.
Merry Christmas Everyone!!!
Jane |
