Re: Christmas giving programs

Thank you for saying so well, what I didn't make time to say myself.
Theresa

Melody wrote:

Just a thought...as a child whose family often had to rely on the
kindness (or not) of others for Christmas, I learned at a very young age
not to expect too much...Santa was a fantasy long before I'd hit my
sixth birthday...the disappointment every year was just too much.
Anything we got beyond the requisite socks and underwear was a bonus.
Especially around this time of year, I feel truly saddened by the fact
that in this country where so much wealth abounds that it is almost
shameful, there are tens of thousands more children who will learn the
same lessons of going through life expecting that very little of the
prettier things in life will ever come their way. The disillusionment of
poverty can be crippling...emotionally and spiritually deadening any
belief in joy and removing forever any possible belief in magic. To this
day, I can only celebrate Christmas with half a heart and if it weren't
for the miracles of my children's smiles on that day when they wake up
and for a few hours the world and all the pretty things is theirs for
the taking, I doubt I'd even manage that. I try very hard to ground my
children in the more spiritual aspects of this season all year
long...they truly appreciate the gift of Jesus as their personal
Savior...and on more than this one day, so I find it easier to indulge
them on Christmas. And I know that as long as I am alive, my kids will
never, ever wake up to just socks and underwear for Christmas.


Sorry...off the soapbox now. Except to say perhaps that before one turns
to making generalizations about poor kids stealing things, one ought to
look at the incidence of shoplifting and kleptomania among more affluent
members of our society...it far exceeds that done by poorer children.


Melody

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious." --Albert Einstein

--- On Wed 11/24, Kitty < kmrsy@comcast.net > wrote:
From: Kitty [mailto: kmrsy@comcast.net]
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 13:07:22 -0500
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Christmas giving programs

I agree the basics are important, but the "wants" for material
things<br>shouldn't be overlooked at Christmas. It doesn't have to be
bling, but with<br>the serviceable tube socks, couldn't you include one
pair with pink lace<br>around the edge? It's Cmas and everyone needs a
little sparkle.<br>It is sad that the assumption is that anything a poor
child wants but<br>doesn't get will be stolen. I know some of that will
happen, but I don't<br>think it is true across the
board.<br><br>Kitty<br><br>----- Original Message ----- <br>From: "F M
Ferrari" <fm4re@swbell.net><br>To: <gardenchat@hort.net><br>Sent:
Wednesday, November 24, 2004 11:15 AM<br>Subject: Re: [CHAT] Christmas
giving programs<br><br><br>> You know, I really don't think that Jim's
remark is that off. If these<br>> kids are so poor, then they need some
basics. Here at work, we always<br>> adopt families and kids. Often
request a list of "wants" for Christmas.<br>> Let me tell you these
"poor" kids want more material things than most<br>> kids I know. Lot's
of requests for name brand stuff that is tied into<br>> gang
affiliation, lot's of "bling bling", etc.<br>><br>><br>> Yeah, like
anything related to gangs is going to be bought by<br>> corrections
employees! I hate how ungrateful so many of our adoptees<br>> are. I'll
only contribute stuff like socks and underwear, let them steal<br>> the
other stuff they want - I need a job until I retire. Fran (I'm a<br>>
biostatistician for OK corrections medical services)<br>><br>><br>>
Jesse Bell <silverhawk@flash.net> wrote:<br>> *snicker*...why does that
NOT surprise me Jim. You crack me up. While<br>you're at it...throw a
lump of cole in there too. LOL<br>><br>> Jesse<br>><br>> james singer
wrote:<br>> I don't know about the area where you live, but here there
are several<br>> organizations that want you to pick a child's name out
of some sort of<br>> replica of a hat and then go buy that child
something for christmas. I<br>> think this is a great idea. I intend to
buy several of these children<br>> the sam

e sort of presents I got when I was their age. Socks and<br>>
underwear.<br>><br>><br>><br>> Island Jim<br>> Southwest Florida<br>>
27.0 N, 82.4 W<br>> Zone 10a<br>> Minimum 30 F [-1 C]<br>><br>>
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