No Job No Money and Family Christmas Giving
Bob and Donna at an earlier age before that ‘Giving Christmas’
No Job, No Money and Family Christmas Giving
Dad was unsuccessfully looking for work to feed his family of six…dad, mom, and four children. My sister and little brother and myself were focused on the Christmas season, not understanding that money was tight. My sister and I wanted baby dolls and little Kevin loved anything noisy. Our older brother, Bobby, asked all of us what we wanted, but he never told us what he wanted.
Mom tried to bring our focus to the real meaning of family Christmas giving and ‘giving was better than receiving’. It wasn’t working on our ‘wants’ for the season…but then there was Bobby.
Bobby the Gift-Giver
Bob had a paper route and managed to save his money, hiding it under the rug in the house. He’d made a choice about using his money that was revealed on Christmas Day.
In the early morning hours, we rushed out of our rooms to open gifts under the Christmas tree…. one baby doll, one very large bride doll and other toys for each child. As we sat in piles of torn wrapping paper, our mom revealed who the real giver was that Christmas.
Bob used his paper route money to buy gifts for everyone. He’d made lists of our ‘wants’ and our family Christmas giving happened in spite of the family’s financial condition.
Bobby the Memory-Maker
Those words my mom spoke that morning stayed with me all these years. My brother had given out of his hard earned money to our family. Mom brought it to our young minds as a ‘giving lesson’ , painting a picture in me that has lasted.
Thank you again, Bob. It didn’t go unnoticed.
Oh! PS The bride doll didn’t last, but the memories have!
What memories of this Christmas will your children have?
Did the bride doll not last because I kept sneaking it & trying to play with it?? I always loved your things. 🙂
Kathryn,
Yeh, I’ll say you loved my things! Playing with the bride doll wasn’t as bad as opening the can of live-mailed chamelions from Florida to me. You got to the mail first. I can hear mom screaming now when I arrived home from school. “Get those lizards out of here! They’re running all over the house!” You really caused a ruckus that day…….
I just bought a copy of Bye Bye Dragonfly! Yay! 🙂 I hope your Christmas and New Year are full of unexpected blessings!
Brook (Matt5vse6) recently posted..Steven Curtis Chapman: Christmas Card
Brook! How wonderful to hear from you!
I had dropped off the radar for awhile as our 37 yr. old son went home to be with the Lord at the end of Oct.
So glad to hear that you purchased Bye! Bye! Dragonfly! Remember that there are free coloring pages and activities that go with it on my blog. You are one of the blessings that has come my way this Christmas!
Merry Christmas! Donna
DonnaPerugini recently posted..No Job No Money and Family Christmas Giving
What a beautiful story Donna!
I had the flu this Christmas so I couldn’t put all the “magic” I usually do into the Holiday. My children learned to appreciate me a little more and to work together even more. All in all we had a wonderful day!
Linda Kinsman recently posted..Jump start your New Year Goals with eMeals
Linda,
Sorry to hear you had the flu, but at least it’s over. Glad your girls stepped up to wait on you and work together!
Every year for Christmas my grandmother gave my two sisters and myself each a small tin of fudge. We looked forward to getting our own tin every year. With all the things I received for Christmas throughout my childhood, my tin of fudge is what I remember. After eating our fudge we each gave our tin back so she could fill them for the next Christmas.
Just love how important traditions are at Christmas…especially started by Grandparents! I’ve made Christmas cookies with the grandkids for years and this year they decided to make them on their own. They didn’t remember the recipe for frosting so they Googled it and followed directions. The grandson tested it and told his sister is brought him back to his childhood. She’s 21 and he’s 17. To me they’re are still ‘children’! Thanks for dropping by to comment, Jan! Hope you still have the tin your Grandmother used for you!