Toys for Tots

The Miracles keep coming.

We went to Toys for Tots to volunteer, planning to spend about ten hours - much like last year. When we arrived this year, the help was down to three people working like dogs. We pitched in and ten hours soon turned into much more. I sorted, hauled and on Saturday, helped give out the bags. On Monday, I gave out nearly 250 bags all by myself.

Now the way the system works is that a parent or guardian comes in right after Thanksgiving and registers their children. They need to prove residency and guardianship. They are given a yellow copy that has their name, children’s ages and sex, a date and time for pick up, and a number on the bottom. They are told to bring the slip and picture ID back on the day and time written on the paper. If someone else is picking up, write a note on the slip giving the name of the person they authorize to get their stuff. Pretty simple. Not so much!

The white copy goes in the back, the names etc are transferred to large bags and those bags are filled from stock with stuff that is appropriate for ages and sex on bag. The bags are lined up according to the numbers in sequence. When finished a day’s pick up fills a good sized store from front to back. Each pick up day has 500 bags and we did 5 pickup days this year. We served over 4000 kids, up from 3000 last year. All this takes volunteers and this year volunteers were in pretty short supply.

Then on pick up day, most people are tremendously grateful. Some are ashamed, some are expecting to be treated like dirt and some are just zoned out of human contact. I try and make them feel welcome and I always say Merry Christmas when I give them the bag. Most people say Thank You or Merry Christmas right back. 97% leave with a lighter step than they came in with.

But of course about 3% were ugly, unhappy at what they got or mad because they didn’t have ID or the slip or were at the wrong time and we didn’t fix it for them. By Monday at noon I was pretty tired and starting to lose a lot of good cheer. I was starting to think that maybe next year I would stick to the ten hours no matter what.

Then a woman walked in with an adorable 5 year old girl. As she walked up to me and I said, “Merry Christmas How can I help you?” the woman handed me the slip and said, ” This is a present for you.” On the back in the best five year old hand imaginable was a picture of Santa Claus doing – well Santa Claus stuff. I looked down and said,” Thank you. This is the nicest picture I’ve ever seen.” The smile was reward enough, but when I returned and handed the bag to the mother, the little girl gave me the biggest hug I’ve ever had, even from third graders. As she left the store, she turned and said ,”Thank you.” and waved. Right then I thought everything was worthwhile and next year I’ll be right there again for as long as it takes.

That night, as God and I reviewed the day, I couldn’t help think that if Cancer, insanity and all the other awful things had not happened to me, I would not have grown to the point where I would even have been in that room that day. Would that little girl’s experience have been different? Maybe not, maybe so.

And once again, had a teacher appeared at just the right moment to tell me that I was still on the right path? Did God get two miracles for the price of one on Monday?

FLYING SANTAS

Jesus had it easy. He didn’t need to put up Christmas decorations. Don’t get me wrong, I love our house at Christmas. It is filled with sparkling colors, freshness and once and a while the fantastic smells of evergreen and oatmeal, with just the hint of chocolate.

Nor is the outside slighted. We put up the message we would like to share with the world. We have a large Nativity scene and a gigantic sign that says simple “Peace”. This year we added the final touch, a large angel with a trumpet that sits on our roof above the Nativity. Above it all, in our attic window. is a three foot red star my father made in 1928. Outside of the possible theological implications of shoving a 60 watt bulb up Joseph’s rear end, Beautiful!!!

Perfection!!!!

And then, just like an overzealous plumber, we cranked it a quarter turn to far. Or to be exact, our idea was good, but our execution was awful. We have looked for The Praying Santa, a statue of Santa kneeling by the Crib, for years. We have found spectacular examples from 3 to 10 inches high. Lovely, but slightly small for an outdoor display. Or one spectacular outdoor staue for a mere $3600.

Then, we found it. The perfect looking , four foot tall outdoor display, complete with 100 sparkling lights. We ordered it from the catalogue, and it arrived within several days.

Not what was expected. It was a thin plastic picture, infiltrated with a 100 tiny lights and supported with coat hanger wire, anchored to the ground with thin metal clips. When plugged in, the lights disguised it completely. No problem, we will not plug it in. Simply light it with a flood light. I took it outside, stapled it to the ground, spread strings of colored lights around the base and set a flood light on it. Not bad.

Then, the wind started. Shortly, Santa was taking a dip in our front yard fountain. Well, it was awfully windy. Santa was set back in place. The next morning, decidedly wind free, I left for a walk. Santa was visiting the next door neighbors. Just friendly. I retrieved him and set him back in place, double stapled this time. When I returned from my walk, Santa was trying to commit suicide by laying in the driveway until someone ran over him.

By now, the statues on the porch were starting to smirk and the angel had dropped her trumpet and grabbed her head. Revenge for those 60 watt bulbs???