Sub for Santa

This year we had a special opportunity to do a sub for Santa for a family that I know personally.  A co-worker to be exact.  She has three kids, all the same ages as my kids, and has been living in an abusive home environment.  This past month she finally got the courage to take her three children and leave.  She went first to a women's shelter, then to a friends for a while, and now she is back at home.  She has filed for divorce, is going to school full time and working full time, so the she can someday provide a better home for her kids.  She doesn't have much, and mostly lives off government welfare.  I knew she would be a perfect candidate for our sub for Santa this year.

It was an honor to help give some Christmas gifts to her and her children.  Thanks to the help of my in-laws and my mom, we were able to provide some great gifts.  We delivered the gifts Christmas Eve.  As we approached the apartment it looked okay from the outside, but as soon as we stepped inside there was an instant change.  The stench of smoke mixed with smelly stale air hit first.  The kids instantly stopped and had to be encouraged through the door.  Next I noticed all the holes in the walls and the graffiti.  The kids and I made it up to the top floor where the apartment was.  We stacked the gifts by the door and then knocked and ran.  I stayed back to make sure the door was answered and heard, "Oh, wow!  Mom, come and look."  Then I walked back to the car.  The ride home was quiet for the first few minutes.  Ethan finally spoke, "Mom, I never realized how blessed we are."  He went on to say how he didn't realize people lived in those kind of houses and that he never understood how much we had.  Ethan finished by saying that he felt good about making those kids happy, and providing them with a good Christmas.

Ethan's response was exactly what I was hoping for.  I knew that this family was in desperate need and hoped that my kids would be touched as they sacrificed to gift them gifts.  My boys chose several of their older PS, DSI, and Wii games and traded them in for money so they could buy the family some new games earlier in the month.  They each carefully thought about what would be great gifts and came with Shawn and I as we purchased everything.  It was a neat experience!