grattitude

I am so grateful for my life right now. I feel so blessed by the people I have close to me for many many reasons but I have one story in particular I wanted to share. I have been stressed about finances during the Christmas season before but this year I was beyond that, I was defeated. There was no reason to be stressed because we just didn't have the means to go into debt for Christmas, and we just didn't have money to buy presents, so I was defeated and I was sad. I had resigned myself to the fact that our kids were going to get very very little. I didn't talk to anyone about this, I didn't complain or whine, in fact I didn't want anyone to know and feel sorry for me so I just put on a happy face.

About 2 weeks before Christmas we were playing a board game after dinner and had a knock at the door, it was 3 men from our church caroling, it was really nice. They brought us some delicious treats and a card and gave us a great reason to smile, they also gave us a 2Nd card and said it was from the bishopric of the church. I put the 2 cards aside and we finished our game and ate our treats. A little while later I went to hang the cards up and when I opened the one from the bishopric instead of a card it contained money, enough to buy each of our kids a couple of presents. My eyes filled with tears and I quickly went into the bedroom and called Adam in to show him where the kids couldn't see me crying. I told him that I had never in my life been the recipient of such a generous act of random kindness before and the feeling of just being loved was overwhelming. We hadn't told anyone that we were having so much trouble and that Christmas was going to be so hard, they just knew somehow and decided on their own that we deserved to be helped when we had never even hinted that we wanted help.... these people couldn't have known that we have no credit cards to charge presents on or parents that can buy tons of gifts for our kids but they decided that we deserved this gift. I am still just so touched.
As if that wasn't enough 2 days before Christmas we had another knock at the door, this time it was a stranger, he said I know you have no idea who I am but I was asked to deliver this and handed me a box of wrapped gifts with the names of the 3 boys that live here on the gifts, there was even one for the entire family and 1 each marked mom and dad. The tags say from Santa, someone went out and purchased gifts for my entire family, and then without even wanting credit for this good deed sent them over as a surprise!!! I have no idea who to thank other than god! I can't even put into words how I am feeling, I wish I knew who did these things so I could thank them.... my husband and I decided that for sure when we are on our feet this is something that we would like to do for someone during the holidays! Paying it forward is the best thing I can think of to do!!

Of course I am grateful for the non-material things in my life as well, we are doing great as a family, Dylan living with us has been great and I love having my family together. I am so thankful that I have a job and can keep busy right now but this gift just brought to the front of my mind how nice people can be!