Franklin, a young turtle, learns about the blessing of giving to others, especially to those who are in need. Jason and I strongly believe one of our most important tasks as parents is to teach Max and Sarah the value of giving to others through their time, talents, and treasure. We hope they will grow to understand that it is a duty and a calling to be of service throughout the year, not only at Christmastime. Recently, we were honored to speak about giving at a United Way function. I shared that it was my parents who demonstrated that lesson repeatedly throughout my childhood. It was always done without fanfare or even acknowledgement - housing a child in crisis, clothing students who were cold, supporting those who grieved. December was the month of Country Santa. My family contributed greatly to the establishment of Country Santa, a non-profit organization providing toys and foods to rural disadvantaged families. My father continues to function as the Head Elf, and my sisters and I have bagged toys and distributed bags on Christmas Eve for more years than we can count. Max and Sarah happily joined the family tradition. Max was thrilled to make a bag for another five year old boy and took his task very seriously. Despite being surrounded by toys in the warehouse that he would love to try, he was focused only on what would bring happiness to this unknown child.
This picture of him with Mrs. Country Santa makes my heart swell with happiness. Somewhere in the depths of my mother's house there is surely a picture of me doing the same thing at the same age with the same person.
Babba explained that the volunteers at Country Santa help bag toys for Santa, but Santa comes to pick up the bags on Christmas Eve. Each bag is labeled with the family's name and lined up for delivery. Max eyed the lines of bags for a moment before asking, "Is there a bag out there that says 'Richards' "on it?" Just checking.
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