The Christmas ornament shown above is older than I am. My mom bought it in the early 1950s, and I was born in the late 1950s. It decorated our tree until the 1980s, when my mom finally decided to retire it. This ornament is the only Christmas item from my childhood that I still have. Each Christmas Eve, I enjoy looking at it and reflecting on memories from the past. Time truly flies.
As the years pass, I find myself reflecting more on my childhood. I am grateful to have had parents who always made Christmas special for me. Both of my parents grew up during the Great Depression. My father...was the son of a farmer. They were not poor. My grandparents had a considerable amount of land, and although they weren’t wealthy, they never went without necessities. Dad recalled one Christmas when he got a toy cap gun, peppermint, and fruit. They led a simple life, working hard and having all they needed.
My mother's story was different. Her Dad was a coal miner and died when she was a little girl, around four or five years old. She remembered a time when her family home had a dirt floor in its kitchen. And times when the Salvation Army supplied her and her six siblings with Christmas presents.
She never forgot those days. She made a point to write a check to the Salvation Army around Christmas time every year.
This Christmas season, I’ve found myself reflecting on the Christmas of 1969. I was in the sixth grade that year. Hot Wheels were a hot item that Christmas. I was eagerly anticipating my first Hot Wheels track.
Our sixth-grade classroom was located in the older section of the school. We had a large cloakroom where we stored our supplies and hung our coats. It was a place we enjoyed spending time in. One day, two of my friends and I were discussing our excitement about the new Hot Wheels track we were going to receive for Christmas.
When we asked one of our classmates what he wanted for Christmas, he hesitated. He mentioned that he wasn’t expecting to receive anything this year, but his dad had promised to buy him a mini bike in the spring. Something about his story felt off. We suspected that his dad was just putting him off and giving him false hope.
I truly believe that God touched our hearts that day. We decided to ask our parents for money to buy our classmate a Hot Wheels track and some cars. My mom was fully supportive, and the other kids' parents helped out as well. Together, we purchased the gifts. My mom even gave me some extra money to hide in the box of one of the cars. We chose not to tell our teacher or any other students about what we had done. You’ve never seen a happier kid! I can still picture his face as he thanked us.
Looking back on this experience, I realize that God taught me a valuable lesson: “It’s better to give than to receive.”
Merry Christmas!
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