Take your Marks…Get Set….GO!
Black Friday, the till Christmas countdown, SALE!!!!
Amongst the stereotypically female genes I didn’t get; was the shopping gene.
The magnetic attraction to crowded Malls and busy boutiques…Me?
Amongst the stereotypically female genes I didn’t get; was the shopping gene.
The magnetic attraction to crowded Malls and busy boutiques…Me?
....No So Much.
So the air-raid-style droppings of sale flyers and coupons pass directly from my paper to my recycler.
Do not pass go; do not spend $200.00.
It’s not that I won’t shop. Or won’t look for the deep discounts or 'can’t walk away' sales.
It’s not that I won’t make a list. Check it twice.
Hide surprises. Google up some goodies.
Nope , I will proudly do my part to stimulate the economy, hunt and gather for the gang,
purchase pretty wrapping paper and tape,
and revel in the Christmas morning oohs and aahs.
But the competitive, camp-out, gotta-get, fight to the death for a rolling hamster from China or a video game that trains car thieves or couch potato athletes?
The fear of not having that must have gift?
Can’t do it anymore.
You see years ago, actually my first year as a shelter manager;
I watched the Children’s team make Santa bags for the families that would awaken Christmas morning in a Domestic Violence shelter. I watched these extraordinarily devoted, young case workers sort through piles of donations to find the almost
So the air-raid-style droppings of sale flyers and coupons pass directly from my paper to my recycler.
Do not pass go; do not spend $200.00.
It’s not that I won’t shop. Or won’t look for the deep discounts or 'can’t walk away' sales.
It’s not that I won’t make a list. Check it twice.
Hide surprises. Google up some goodies.
Nope , I will proudly do my part to stimulate the economy, hunt and gather for the gang,
purchase pretty wrapping paper and tape,
and revel in the Christmas morning oohs and aahs.
But the competitive, camp-out, gotta-get, fight to the death for a rolling hamster from China or a video game that trains car thieves or couch potato athletes?
The fear of not having that must have gift?
Can’t do it anymore.
You see years ago, actually my first year as a shelter manager;
I watched the Children’s team make Santa bags for the families that would awaken Christmas morning in a Domestic Violence shelter. I watched these extraordinarily devoted, young case workers sort through piles of donations to find the almost
perfect doll or close enough stuffed animal.
The red, not pink, dressy dress or the slightly large football jersey.
And as the clock ticked down, I watched the residents walk down the dimly lit, holiday decorated halls, collect their black trash bag of “Santa shopping” and
The red, not pink, dressy dress or the slightly large football jersey.
And as the clock ticked down, I watched the residents walk down the dimly lit, holiday decorated halls, collect their black trash bag of “Santa shopping” and
offer emotional and tear accented thanks and hugs.
Some sobbed with relief.
For many, it would be the first Christmas with gifts for their little ones in years.
The only time some of these children would awaken to find that they had not been forgotten by that man from the North Pole.
That he “had” actually found them, even in this hidden place,
Some sobbed with relief.
For many, it would be the first Christmas with gifts for their little ones in years.
The only time some of these children would awaken to find that they had not been forgotten by that man from the North Pole.
That he “had” actually found them, even in this hidden place,
where they sleep wearing borrowed jammies and used socks.
That their secret wishes for a Barbie or winter jacket; a football or an art set;
had miraculously come true.
Even today, so many years later, I can still hear the victorious squeals of the Children’s Team as they reached the end of the night, having distributed the last bag of generously donated blessings, prepared the “ghost bags” for any family that might unexpectedly arrive in a police car later, as the downtown Midnight Mass bells ring out or the Sunrise Service choir
That their secret wishes for a Barbie or winter jacket; a football or an art set;
had miraculously come true.
Even today, so many years later, I can still hear the victorious squeals of the Children’s Team as they reached the end of the night, having distributed the last bag of generously donated blessings, prepared the “ghost bags” for any family that might unexpectedly arrive in a police car later, as the downtown Midnight Mass bells ring out or the Sunrise Service choir
begins the second verse of Let There Be Peace on Earth.
Anonymously donated presents, Hefty bag wrapping paper, social working elves, and a double locked, metal chained front shelter door….hardly a Hallmark Christmas card…but for those women and children it was a glorious Christmas morning.
They felt safe.
They felt loved.
And just for a moment, all was calm….all was bright.
And I got to witness it.
That was the last year I can remember feeling the urgency of Black Friday.
But you know, maybe I will do a little shopping tomorrow morning, and I know just what to stand in line for….something that will fit perfectly, tucked under the pillow of a homeless child!
Anonymously donated presents, Hefty bag wrapping paper, social working elves, and a double locked, metal chained front shelter door….hardly a Hallmark Christmas card…but for those women and children it was a glorious Christmas morning.
They felt safe.
They felt loved.
And just for a moment, all was calm….all was bright.
And I got to witness it.
That was the last year I can remember feeling the urgency of Black Friday.
But you know, maybe I will do a little shopping tomorrow morning, and I know just what to stand in line for….something that will fit perfectly, tucked under the pillow of a homeless child!
To each of you that have ever dropped off a love present for a stranger’s child, worked in a shelter or mission, collected food or clothes for others….
your kindness makes those moments possible.
Bless you.
your kindness makes those moments possible.
Bless you.
And to my Grateful Dead loving, Children's Team Elves....Ms. Donna will treasure you always!
I have done a lot of rewarding work since then and hope to do a lot more in the future.
ReplyDeleteBut nothing so far has come close to the feeling of Christmas Eve At The Shelter.
Glad to see you writing again!
This was a great post. I truly loved Christmas at the shelter. It was the most exhausting but fun and fulfilling thing I've ever done.
ReplyDelete