This year my wife and I have felt very blessed. We decided to adopt a family to share our blessings. Erin has a friend down on her luck. Good person. We talked to the kids about it and they were excited. Sunday after church we sat down to eat lunch and said "Today is the day!" My son asked if he could give some of his money to help and we said "sure."
My son leaves the dinner table, goes to his room, comes back, and lays down a wad of money. Now realize here, this little man had been saving all summer to buy a guinea pig. My wife said "Garrett, you don't have to give all your money. Are you sure you want to give this to her? How much is there?" Garrett said "Fifty dollars Mommy. If it would help her, I will give her all my money." My wife and I looked at each other tearing up. Erin because she was so proud, and me because for a moment I was afraid I might be raising a liberal. After talking about it a bit, Garrett was blue but steadfast in his decision to help this family. He told my wife "Christmas is about giving Mommy. It isn't about getting." We couldn't be more proud and allowed it.
Today we had Christmas at my parents. My Dad told a story about an exemplary act of a young man. Upon finishing, he said this young man was very generous and it had been noticed by Santa. You see, Santa had dropped off an early Christmas present at MawMaw and PawPaw's house for Garrett. Next, PawPaw and Uncle Randy carried out a cage with a guinea pig in it. Talk about a beaming young man!
The grandkids were all excited and the guinea pig was soon named Darwin. Darwin was handled by all and Garrett was one happy little man. We had to leave for a gathering for Erin's family so we stopped at home to grab another batch of presents and put Darwin in Garrett's room.
Fast forward past another round of family gathering and stuffing our faces and it was time to head home again. The kids had it planned. They had 30min to play with Darwin and 15min to change and prepare for the Christmas Service at church. Upon unlocking the door, the kids rushed in while I carried presents in from the vehicle. Much to my dismay I hear nothing but commotion and crying. I set the gifts down to see what is wrong. I walk to Garrett's room to see a guinea pig cage overturned, and cedar chip bedding all over the room. Izzy the Beagle was still in her kennel but Brutus the Boxer was standing by the door waiting to go out. He knew he was in trouble. Garrett was on his bed crying and I kneeled down in front of him in efforts to console him and hug him. I said "No wait a minute. We haven't found Darwin yet. Maybe he is running around the house and not dead. Pull yourself together, we will gather up everyone and look for him." Well, let's just say the search didn't take long. I was still hugging Garrett when he said "I just found him. He is right there." I turned around to find poor Darwin covered in slime and slobber. This special Christmas present just turned into the worst Christmas ever for my 8yr old son. I took him into the living room and shut his bedroom door. I asked him how he would like to handle it. "Garrett. We have to clean this up and get to church. Would you like Daddy to take care of it, or do you want to fire up the backhoe tomorrow and have a burial?" He sobbed, "Just take care of it Daddy."
Now I wish this story could have had a happy ending like the frog story, but sometimes life just doesn't work this way. Not sure there are any lessons about life and death here outside of the fact that animals are animals. Dogs can be territorial and even though Brutus isn't a vicious dog (other than delivery people whom he despises) he did what dogs do sometimes. Garrett is just plain heart broken. I must say though, he pulled it together in time to read his part in the Christmas Service which makes us more proud of him. He was truly a wreck even as we were walking into the church. Poor kid is sensitive. Our daughter, however, has also caught the spirit of giving. She is adamant she will be buying Garrett another guinea pig when the pet stores open after Christmas. She said "I want to buy him one with my own money." One more story of giving we were blessed with is one of Erin's friends. She was so moved by our helping this family, she herself went out and bought for another needy family member of hers. It feels good to know our generosity was contagious this Christmas season. Hopefully this is the lesson remembered by our children, rather than the lessons of life and death of a guinea pig.
I hope you all have enjoyed your Christmas and are blessed with many moments of the Christmas "magic".
My son leaves the dinner table, goes to his room, comes back, and lays down a wad of money. Now realize here, this little man had been saving all summer to buy a guinea pig. My wife said "Garrett, you don't have to give all your money. Are you sure you want to give this to her? How much is there?" Garrett said "Fifty dollars Mommy. If it would help her, I will give her all my money." My wife and I looked at each other tearing up. Erin because she was so proud, and me because for a moment I was afraid I might be raising a liberal. After talking about it a bit, Garrett was blue but steadfast in his decision to help this family. He told my wife "Christmas is about giving Mommy. It isn't about getting." We couldn't be more proud and allowed it.
Today we had Christmas at my parents. My Dad told a story about an exemplary act of a young man. Upon finishing, he said this young man was very generous and it had been noticed by Santa. You see, Santa had dropped off an early Christmas present at MawMaw and PawPaw's house for Garrett. Next, PawPaw and Uncle Randy carried out a cage with a guinea pig in it. Talk about a beaming young man!
The grandkids were all excited and the guinea pig was soon named Darwin. Darwin was handled by all and Garrett was one happy little man. We had to leave for a gathering for Erin's family so we stopped at home to grab another batch of presents and put Darwin in Garrett's room.
Fast forward past another round of family gathering and stuffing our faces and it was time to head home again. The kids had it planned. They had 30min to play with Darwin and 15min to change and prepare for the Christmas Service at church. Upon unlocking the door, the kids rushed in while I carried presents in from the vehicle. Much to my dismay I hear nothing but commotion and crying. I set the gifts down to see what is wrong. I walk to Garrett's room to see a guinea pig cage overturned, and cedar chip bedding all over the room. Izzy the Beagle was still in her kennel but Brutus the Boxer was standing by the door waiting to go out. He knew he was in trouble. Garrett was on his bed crying and I kneeled down in front of him in efforts to console him and hug him. I said "No wait a minute. We haven't found Darwin yet. Maybe he is running around the house and not dead. Pull yourself together, we will gather up everyone and look for him." Well, let's just say the search didn't take long. I was still hugging Garrett when he said "I just found him. He is right there." I turned around to find poor Darwin covered in slime and slobber. This special Christmas present just turned into the worst Christmas ever for my 8yr old son. I took him into the living room and shut his bedroom door. I asked him how he would like to handle it. "Garrett. We have to clean this up and get to church. Would you like Daddy to take care of it, or do you want to fire up the backhoe tomorrow and have a burial?" He sobbed, "Just take care of it Daddy."
Now I wish this story could have had a happy ending like the frog story, but sometimes life just doesn't work this way. Not sure there are any lessons about life and death here outside of the fact that animals are animals. Dogs can be territorial and even though Brutus isn't a vicious dog (other than delivery people whom he despises) he did what dogs do sometimes. Garrett is just plain heart broken. I must say though, he pulled it together in time to read his part in the Christmas Service which makes us more proud of him. He was truly a wreck even as we were walking into the church. Poor kid is sensitive. Our daughter, however, has also caught the spirit of giving. She is adamant she will be buying Garrett another guinea pig when the pet stores open after Christmas. She said "I want to buy him one with my own money." One more story of giving we were blessed with is one of Erin's friends. She was so moved by our helping this family, she herself went out and bought for another needy family member of hers. It feels good to know our generosity was contagious this Christmas season. Hopefully this is the lesson remembered by our children, rather than the lessons of life and death of a guinea pig.
I hope you all have enjoyed your Christmas and are blessed with many moments of the Christmas "magic".
