The real Spirit of Christmas

**Patty A** · 11-29-2008, 11:25 AM

I have to admit my daughters gave me a lesson in the REAL Christmas spirit last week.
They are both in college, one is 19 and one is 20. In the lounge area at the college they have set up a Angel tree. This tree has paper cuts out of angels on it, and each angel has a number on it with information on a child. It gives the child's wish for Christmas, and all the wishes are for NEEDS, not wants.
It broke my daughters hearts to see these children wishing for things like winter coats, shoes, and clothes. Things that are really needed, not just toys. They both came home with 5 Angels to buy Christmas for. My youngest daughter took the last money she has to her name and proudly drove off with her older sister to meet the needs of 3 children for Christmas. My oldest daughter did 2 children, and off they went to fight the crowds hoping to meet all the needs of these 5 kids they will never know.
The girls came home with sacks of goodies, not only the needs of these children but they has gotten them toys, teddy bears, and all kinds of little goodies to go with the needs. They couldn't bring themselves to only give these kids the needs, they said they knew what it would have been like to get up Christmas morning and NOT have a new toy! They wanted to gift the kids with a little Christmas spirit, wishes really can come true!

What a lesson this was for me, I have to admit I am proud that my daughters would choose to spend their money on someone with needs, and wishes!

**latierra84** · 11-29-2008, 11:30 PM

very kind. I'm surprised that they had an angel tree set up in a dorm lobby, I really wished they would have set one up in ours. I actually now work with Angel Trees and I can't tell you how many of the children get adopted and then nothing ever gets turned in for them (gift wise) and so they end of getting very generic gifts that most of the time have nothing to do with what was on their list. The fact that they went above and beyond what was on the list is absolutely heart warming.

**sunshine** · 11-30-2008, 10:23 AM

Our bank has the angel tree set up here. . . you have to register the angel you choose, and they'll contact you, if you forget to bring in your gifts. Since you have to register which angel you take, they have a record. My son got an anonymous thank you from the angel he chose. apparently the angel's mother had him write the bank a thank you letter and they passed it along to us (no name, just the letter).

My kids have always taken an angel from the tree and tried to fill all the requests on it -- occasionally we've failed, but we usually come close. We even managed Beanie Babies when they were all the rage and hard to find.

**sunshine** · 11-30-2008, 10:30 AM

Our bank has the angel tree set up here. . . you have to register the angel you choose, and they'll contact you, if you forget to bring in your gifts. Since you have to register which angel you take, they have a record. My son got an anonymous thank you from the angel he chose. apparently the angel's mother had him write the bank a thank you letter and they passed it along to us (no name, just the letter).

My kids have always taken an angel from the tree and tried to fill all the requests on it -- occasionally we've failed, but we usually come close. We even managed Beanie Babies when they were all the rage and hard to find.

**rainbowgc** · 11-30-2008, 12:57 PM

What beautiful daughters you have. You should be very proud!

**momof42003** · 12-01-2008, 05:13 PM

I know how you feel. My 14 year old came home the other day and announced that we had to go to a certain store and donate to the canned food drive and Toys for Tots campaign... I matched her money she was willing to give, and came up with 30.00 in toys and food. Even my 5 year old daughter got into the giving spirit... Love it when it is their idea....

**Momto2Boyz** · 12-01-2008, 05:21 PM

You should be so proud of them! You've certainly done them right in life!

I'm glad you posted this, to remind me to get over to the post office and get my tickets off the tree! We do this every year and try to get what we can off the list, and I always let my boys pick out toys for the kids too. I agree, who wants to get up and not have at least one toy under the tree!

The best, was 2 Christmas' ago when we had no money, were in danger of losing our house, couldn't afford groceries and I certainly couldn't afford any extra expenses. I was talking to a close friend and mentioned that I was sad that we couldn't afford to "adopt" extra kids that year. Not a week later, I recieved and e-mail with a picture of toys, jackets, etc. attached. I replied and asked her what the heck she was sending me. Well, she and her kids had picked an extra two kids off the tree that year, and those were the things that were for them, from my family. She had gone out and purchased everything I would have for me!

I couldn't believe how sweet that was! The story of your girls remind me of that friend. Sometimes the kindness of one person can make a huge impact in people's lives!

**Katybird** · 12-07-2008, 04:51 PM

You have raised some amazing young women. It makes my heart smile to hear stories like this. It lets us know that our next generation will be fine, kindness and compassion will continue to flourish.

**Marie78** · 12-07-2008, 06:01 PM

That was very sweet of your girls. I remember how broke I was in college and a few years after college. The only angel tree I saw was right after college at a bank I worked in. It was a tree for the ritzy senior citizens home next to our bank and each tag had a very expensive wish on it. These tags were definitely wants and not needs. From what I remember: Guitar, Fur coat, expensive name brand perfumes, etc... I was horrified. I kept looking for a tag that was affordable. I only made $8 an hour at this bank and was barely scraping by and I needed to buy Christmas for my own family. I abandoned that donation tree.

Last year, where I work nowm we had a child's angel tree and last year and this year I have donated to this cause. I am so happy that I can help now and it warms my heart what some of these sweet little children ask for. Much different then fur coats and expensive perfumes.