The True Christmas Spirit

**Susie Q Roo** · 12-25-2007

Regardless of your political beliefs, I'd think this story would have to touch your heart.

Quote:

John Wesley pastor Kreps said he, too, is still struggling to reconcile all the issues around illegal immigration as he waits for more scared families to show up on his doorstep. In the meantime, he's thinking about another long-ago family struggling to find shelter.

"Of course we're coming into Christmas and the question: 'Is there room at the inn?'," Kreps said. "I'd rather be someone who makes room somewhere."

Do you know of any good "true spirit of Christmas" stories?

catnhat · 12-25-2007

Very Nice..

A Christmas Gift - The Right Stuff (story taken from 52 Best)
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it. The overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma. The gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike.

The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black.

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings were the only things holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and new wrestling shoes.

As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, they swaggered around with their sense of false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly,

"I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them."

Mike loved kids - all kids - and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse.

That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.

On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.

For each Christmas, I followed the tradition. One year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure.

The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.

Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope.

Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

Merry Christmas

emc · 12-25-2007

That is beautiful, Sylvia. I have tears running down my face as I type this.
Merry Christmas!

**Susie Q Roo** · 12-25-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnhat

When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.

Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope.

Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

Merry Christmas

Okay... that one made me cry.

Wonderful story, Sylvia - thank you!

Mikey · 12-25-2007

You know when it comes down to it we as humans/people will always to the right thing when it is called for......It is in our self our being......Whether is it help in disasters.....Help with shelter....Help with things that others need.......No matter what time of year it is.....It is the one thing without a doubt that makes me believe that there is something more out there......And I think that Christmas even though we all can sometimes get lost in the hustle and bustle and what may be under the tree.....The best things are the things you can't wrap.......And that is the spirit we all have inside of us......

Merry Christmas everyone.......

Daddy B · 12-25-2007

A nice, mischevious Xmas story. I like it.

TAPPY · 12-25-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey

You know when it comes down to it we as humans/people will always to the right thing when it is called for......It is in our self our being......Whether is it help in disasters.....Help with shelter....Help with things that others need.......No matter what time of year it is.....It is the one thing without a doubt that makes me believe that there is something more out there......And I think that Christmas even though we all can sometimes get lost in the hustle and bustle and what may be under the tree.....The best things are the things you can't wrap.......And that is the spirit we all have inside of us......
Merry Christmas everyone.......

Being with the people you love at Christmas

osumom · 01-01-2008

This is a true story this year from my place of work. I have a coworker who has Type 1 diabetes (so is my son diagnosed at 18 years old). This coworker found out on the day of our office Christmas party that she will not be able to get on our work medical insurance on Jan. 1, 2008 like we had hoped - but instead it will be July 1, 2008. She is uninsured. Only a few people at work know about this situation. This coworker is young and very shy. For those who don't know about being insulin dependent - it's extremely expensive and obviously a chronic condition. Through the resources I have a couple of moms from across the US sending me extra One Touch test strips, etc... which blows me away that other families with children are so giving, but what ultimately blew me away was this... In my coworker's mailbox days before Christmas was a simple white envelope with only her name and inside $600 cash. This was an anonymous donation to a young adult lady in crisis - the true Christmas spirit if ever I've experienced one.

MN Annie · 01-01-2008

A few weeks before Christmas my daughter and I were in Bath and Body. I had an extra coupon ($10 off) we weren't going to use, so I asked the customer in front of me if she had one. At first, she looked puzzled, but when I told her I had an extra coupon she could have, she was very happy.

My daughter was so taken with this small act that she has decided to try and do something nice for a stranger everyday. So, we've returned cases of pop to the service desk of Target that were left in a cart outside the store, and she has had her husband turn around in a snowstorm and go check on a car in the ditch.

She's hoping to make a small impact on Minnesota before she leaves (hopefully, gets in) to grad school next summer. She might be coming to a state near you (Maine, Colorado, Washington and Idaho are her top choices)!

=-76lj.mbcxnbmn
l

'xz][poiuytrewq

Nerak936 · 01-01-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnhat

Very Nice..

A Christmas Gift - The Right Stuff

Thanks so much for posting that story, catnhat. Made me cry. BIG time.

Reminded me of how for at least the last 8-10 years of his life, my father didn't want anything for his birthday. Heck... if he wanted something, he bought it. He certainly wasn't in "need" of anything. So I got in the habit of buying him a small box of candy (he had SUCH a Swedish sweet tooth) and making a donation to one of his and my mom's favorite charities, the Boston-based "Home for Little Wanderers" in his name. It always brought the biggest smile to his face.

12-25-2007	#2 (permalink)
catnhat life=playa Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 618	Very Nice.. A Christmas Gift - The Right Stuff (story taken from 52 Best) It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it. The overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma. The gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings were the only things holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, they swaggered around with their sense of false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids - all kids - and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition. One year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us. Merry Christmas __________________ http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c45/catnhat1102/ catnhat (Sylvia) "You only have two choices - having fun or freakin' out " - "Jimmy Buffet

01-01-2008	#8 (permalink)
osumom into ruins Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 67	This is a true story this year from my place of work. I have a coworker who has Type 1 diabetes (so is my son diagnosed at 18 years old). This coworker found out on the day of our office Christmas party that she will not be able to get on our work medical insurance on Jan. 1, 2008 like we had hoped - but instead it will be July 1, 2008. She is uninsured. Only a few people at work know about this situation. This coworker is young and very shy. For those who don't know about being insulin dependent - it's extremely expensive and obviously a chronic condition. Through the resources I have a couple of moms from across the US sending me extra One Touch test strips, etc... which blows me away that other families with children are so giving, but what ultimately blew me away was this... In my coworker's mailbox days before Christmas was a simple white envelope with only her name and inside $600 cash. This was an anonymous donation to a young adult lady in crisis - the true Christmas spirit if ever I've experienced one. Last edited by osumom; 01-01-2008 at 10:34 AM..

12-25-2007	#3 (permalink)
emc life=playa Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Cleveland OH Posts: 936	That is beautiful, Sylvia. I have tears running down my face as I type this. Merry Christmas!

12-25-2007	#5 (permalink)
Mikey he likes it! Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 16,032	You know when it comes down to it we as humans/people will always to the right thing when it is called for......It is in our self our being......Whether is it help in disasters.....Help with shelter....Help with things that others need.......No matter what time of year it is.....It is the one thing without a doubt that makes me believe that there is something more out there......And I think that Christmas even though we all can sometimes get lost in the hustle and bustle and what may be under the tree.....The best things are the things you can't wrap.......And that is the spirit we all have inside of us...... Merry Christmas everyone.......

12-25-2007	#6 (permalink)
Daddy B añejo Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you Posts: 9,298	A nice, mischevious Xmas story. I like it.

01-01-2008	#9 (permalink)
MN Annie reposado Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,327	A few weeks before Christmas my daughter and I were in Bath and Body. I had an extra coupon ($10 off) we weren't going to use, so I asked the customer in front of me if she had one. At first, she looked puzzled, but when I told her I had an extra coupon she could have, she was very happy. My daughter was so taken with this small act that she has decided to try and do something nice for a stranger everyday. So, we've returned cases of pop to the service desk of Target that were left in a cart outside the store, and she has had her husband turn around in a snowstorm and go check on a car in the ditch. She's hoping to make a small impact on Minnesota before she leaves (hopefully, gets in) to grad school next summer. She might be coming to a state near you (Maine, Colorado, Washington and Idaho are her top choices)! =-76lj.mbcxnbmn l 'xz][poiuytrewq

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