Day 229

Santa told my nine-year old she needed to prioritize her list.  I’m not making that up.  Granted, he said it in a very nice baritone Ho Ho Ho voice, but he still said it.  Here we are, hip deep in a year dedicated to a reduction in consumption and she made a five page Christmas list and rattled it off to ‘Ole St. Nick.

At that moment, I fluctuated between embarrassment and amusement. Ha, Ha, Ha, don’t kids say the craziest things?  And then I backed slowly away and pretended I couldn’t hear her. It was my best defense.  My plan all along has been to send Santa a letter or e-mail that the kids and I draft to explain our Simple Year project and ask if he could bring us a few toys that other kids had gently used and didn’t need any more.  Sort of like those from the Island of Misfit Toys in that television classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  I think the fat guy will be a good sport about it.

But, we hadn’t done that yet so I don’t think her expectations were properly managed.

I was a bit perturbed, and starting to become convinced our parenting style has somehow produced wholly self-obsessed offspring.  But then I had a moment of clarity.

My Moment

We got an email letting us know that her Girl Scout Troop had adopted a family to buy gifts for this holiday season.  She and another girl were assigned the five-year old daughter. I would have opted her out of this project, but we were told pre-owned items were acceptable for this program.   We had a bike and a ski jacket to pass along.

But then on her own, Kayla came up with an additional idea.  She got a $100 gift card to Target for her birthday last May and was saving it until our year ends.   But, she offered it up to buy the little girl gifts because as she put it, “it’s not really our money, it’s Mamaw and Papaw’s”.

The gifts waiting to be wrapped by the Girl Scout elves

I thought that was a fine rationale.

So, I stood in Target proudly as both of my children very carefully and with great deliberation chose a Dora comforter, sheet set, and Dora throw pillow to fill the family’s request for bedding and then presented the card to the cashier with great gusto.  I can honestly say it was the first time in my life, I have ever been happy to buy licensed merchandise.

So,  while I don’t think the Hallmark channel is going to be beating down our door to make a heartwarming family movie about this great act of generosity;  I am still heartened at the small glimpses of everyday kindness I see in my kids.

Maybe I will make it through this season with my sanity intact.