To: DSPetry who wrote (520 ) 11/13/2000 9:19:16 AM From: Neenny Read Replies (2) | Respond to Who can believe that the year 2000 is winding down. It seems like just yesterday we were dealing with the hype and fears of Y2K. As this years holiday season starts to unfold, I look to encouraging my children to reach out to those less fortunate than they are. We have a family project that we commit ourselves to on a yearly basis. My children live a life of abundance. It is hard for them to understand the extreme needs of other children both here in the USA and abroad. In an attempt to educate them and help the to see the world as a whole, we participate in "Operation Christmas Child" Last night as a family we went shopping for the toy items that we would put in our Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. In years past and continuing this year we have had the children fill a box for a child the same age and gender as they are, making it easier for them to choose what would be good gifts. They seemed to have a really rough time this year making choices as to what to put in the boxes. I had reminded them that chances are the child that gets' the box they pack, will most likely get nothing else for Christmas. Also that the child will most likely not have the same access to some of the modern convinces we take so for granted, even simple things like batteries. I think that they are really taken back by that information or that thought. The shopping last night for this project seemed to take forever. The kids really want to make good choices for the child they are reaching out to. As parents it took a good bit of discipline of ourselves not to try to push the children into making fast decisions, or pushing our thoughts on them.....it was a lesson for Mike and I in being patient!!! samaritanspurse.org
