We are blessed. Jake, myself, the kids, our families...we are all so blessed. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about how lucky I am to have what I have and thankful that I do. I have a beautiful family, a lovely home, two jobs (which is a tremendous blessing right now considering the economy!), safe cars, clothes, furniture for my home, telephones, cable TV, Internet, our health...the list goes on and on. We have been been through our share of difficulties and have at times gone without some of these luxuries...but we are still blessed beyond measure...beyond anything we deserve. That's what makes it a blessing.
Emma, Abigail and Nathan are loved much by so many people. They have two loving parents who work hard to give them all that they need and more. Amy, is a full time working mom and Jake continues to provide for his kids whether they live in the same state or house. Despite divorce, Amy and Jake still work together to give their kids the best possible care, love, support and encouragement. They have two beautiful homes filled with toys, clothes, furniture, food and love. They have lots of family, both near and far, that would do anything for them. Friends and strangers have gone out of their way to bless these children. They are loved and taken care of. They have so much and it truly is a blessing.
This holiday season, Jake and I thought it would be good to start teaching the kids the joy of being on the other side of a blessing....the giving side. Even when times are tough, Jake and I have always given to those in need. The times that we are struggling financially, we never cease giving to others. We don't have a lot right now, but we have a lot more than others. It has always brought us joy to know that in some way we are making a difference in the life of someone else. We wanted to share that with the kids. Emma, Abby and Nate are all different ages and at very different stages in life, so this was an interesting challenge to do something that would impact them all. After some thinking we came up with a plan.
Monday, when we were all at the Jake's work, we decided to take the kids shopping. We told them they were each going to get a certain amount of money and they could go to any store in the mall and pick out anything they wanted. You should have seen their faces light up! But, then we told them that they would not be able to keep their purchases. Disappointment on Abby's face and confusion on Emma's. We talked with the Emma, Abby and Nate about how some kids don't get any presents for Christmas. And how some kids may get presents, but they are too sick to enjoy them. You should have seen the look of shock on their faces. We asked them if it would be a good idea to buy gifts for kids who maybe didn't get gifts on Christmas or kids who are sick and could use a gift to cheer them up. Their faces lit up again and they all agreed, "YES!" So, off we went into the mall to make our purchases.
Later that day, Emma and Abby also made beautiful cards (this was their own idea) to include with their gifts. It was decided by Abby that we should give the gifts to sick children. I chose the Why Me? organization. Why Me? is located out of Worcester MA and is an organization I became familiar with about 14 years ago. One of my cousins was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of four. My family lived in the same building as him at the time. We were all very close. For two years we watched him battle cancer and finally win. He is 18 years old now and healthy. Several times in those two long years he was sick, Why Me? blessed him with many gifts and special trips donated by complete strangers and they all brought a smile to his face. I look at Emma, Abby and Nate who are all so close to the age my cousin was when he got sick. We can't help but be extremely grateful that beyond having houses, cars, furniture, clothes, toys, love....the kids have their health.We believe that Christmas is more than a day...it is a season, and that there is more joy from giving than there is receiving.
