Author |
Message |
Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Tuesday, December 21, 2004 - 4:15 pm
At Christmas or anytime of the year.....
|
Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Tuesday, December 21, 2004 - 4:36 pm
There are so many.... One year, through our church, we volunteered to deliver gifts to needy children. Each gift was purchased through a member of the church by request of a parent or grandparent of the child. Most requests were, along with the gift, to put on the gift tag the name of an absent parent or a parent that couldn't afford to purchase the gift themselves. Each delivery was amazing. We'd knock on the door with gift in hand, and tell the child(ren) "this is from your daddy (or whoever), he said to have a merry christmas." The children were in tears and couldn't wait to open the presents, and most of them ripped them open right then and there. The look of joy and sheer happiness on their faces was the best gift I ever gave/recieved! We walked away with such a true Christmas feeling in our hearts, and that's the best gift of all.
|
Whoami
Member
08-03-2001
| Tuesday, December 21, 2004 - 5:06 pm
That's an easy one! I shared this story last year too.... The best gift I've ever received was my little sis. KTBB on this board. I've never had a better friend. She has such an extraordinary giving and caring nature. She's really one of a kind, and its just an honor and a pleasure to be related to her! I've started a new folder for her, since her birthday is coming up (her old one archived away).... KTBB
|
Karen
Member
09-07-2004
| Tuesday, December 21, 2004 - 5:39 pm
Great idea, Escapee! When I was growing up, our family had it pretty rough. When I was 14 my mother was diagnosed with a mental illness and subsequently, my parents divorced. Mom was in the hospital more than she was home, leaving me to look after my brother and sister, and because my mom had been working as a special ed. teacher with the mentally challenged kids, the school board fired her when they heard of her illness, because, how would THAT look? This all began in February, so by Christmas, our lives had become fairly routine and accustomed to this drastically different life. My mom had mustered together enough strength and courage to have herself granted a weekend home visit from the psych ward for Christmas. I remember sitting at the kitchen table, the day before Christmas Eve, trying to console her, let her know that her kids didn't think she was a bad Mom just because she couldn't afford a Christmas that year. We, as kids, were just happy to have her home, if only for three days!! But she was just so depressed that she couldn't afford any gifts, not even a turkey. Well, later that night, shortly after dinner, the dog started barking like mad in the back yard. We got up to let her in, assuming that's what she wanted, and Mom opened the door to find a food hamper siting on the doorstep -- about $100 worth of canned goods, plus a turkey and all the things you need for the trimmings. There were also 4 $50 gift cards to the mall... one for each of us kids, and another for my Mom. This was not a Salvation Army kind of food hamper. Someone had gone through the trouble to put it together with us in mind. There was no note on the basket, nor was there any sight of anyone in our yard, nor heading down the driveway. To this day, we still have NO idea who left us that gift... but that was the year I learned the true meaning of Christmas. (I'm tearing up as I remember it). Best. Christmas. Ever.
|
Jagger
Member
08-07-2002
| Wednesday, December 22, 2004 - 8:16 am
The best gift I have given was my time. I have an 87 or maybe 88 year old lady who lives across the alley from me. I make sure I stop over there at least once a week in the winter time to visit. I also bring my dog along because she just loves my dog and always has treats there for him. In the summer time I make sure to visit at least 2 times a week or more, along with helping her do some of her more difficult yard work.
|
|