Christmas Cheer.

The ward I live in has a tradition of doing a service auction at Thanksgiving time. Everyone in the ward can donate a service and the ward members can purchase the services. All the money gets donated to Sub for Santa Christmas gifts. Then, once the families in need have been picked, our ward has another activity where everyone does the shopping and wraps the gifts.

Last night my friend Zach, my boyfriend Brandon, and I went to deliver the gifts to the two families. Zach dressed up as Santa and was the main gift giver and we were Santa's little helpers. With the help of a member of our bishopric we found the two families' homes. Each family had fallen on really hard times to say the least and had a few children to take care of. I was really nervous as we approached the first house. We were supposed to knock, say Merry Christmas and let Zach talk to the family and hand the gifts to them. So as we got to the first door I started to get scared.

"What if they don't want charity?"
"What if they're embarrassed, I don't want to embarrass them, we should just leave the presents at the doorstep and leave."

When the first family didn't answer the door I was suddenly sad. I really wanted to give them the things they need. So we went to the second house and decided the bishopric member's daughter who lives in their ward would go back on Tuesday. When we got to the second house we could see they were home. So with loads of presents in arms, we knocked on the door. I could hear kids talking behind the door.

When the mother opened the door, all her kids were in the background squealing. One little kid was in his underwear and tried really hard to find his robe and couldn't, so he wrapped a t-shirt around his waist. We handed her all the gifts, and could tell that she was grateful, but still a little sad. Being independent myself, I totally understand why. She's going through hard times right now, and from what we were told she's very strong willed about being independent. It would be really hard to be in her shoes.

The little boy with the t-shirt asked Zach (Santa) for a hug and the look on his face when he wrapped his little arms around Zach almost made me cry right then and there. He was so excited and happy! As we left, Santa told the kids "Be good to your mom, or I'll take the gifts back!" HAHA! Zach, you would say that! As we drove away we were talking to each other about how cool that was. I thought about it for the rest of the night, and most of today. I wish I could give Christmas to so many kids out there.

Children have such an innocence that it breaks my heart when they have anything hard to deal with. They are such amazing little souls. Whenever I see them as I drive to work, running across the crosswalk to school with their huge backpacks on, I can't help but smile. Maybe it's because I have little brothers who I used to babysit all the time I'm not sure, I just know that when things happen to children it breaks my heart.

Last night was really neat. We only got to deliver to one of the two families, but it was an experience I will remember for a long time. I've never taken gifts to someone in need before, and I loved it. It helped me to see that presents for myself are not necessary (aside from really needing money so I can pay off my student loans.) I have so much to be grateful for that I don't need anything but my family and friends around me.