The True Meaning of the Season of Giving

Last night my son, Hunter, and I packed up some miscellaneous boxes and cans of food and drove out to the mall to drop off the items to the local radio stations food drive for MANNA, our local food pantry. Hunter has just loved being a part of the giving that we do as a family. Over the summer he rode his bike to raise money for St. Jude's ($200+ all by himself), then he helped me collect items for the local USO, then there was the day that truly made me feel good about the lessons I have taught him about giving back...

A few weeks ago I picked Hunter up from daycare and as we walked out the door he pointed to a large box that was set outside his classroom's door. The conversation that followed this gesture brought tears to my eyes:
"Mommy, we have to fill this whole box."
"Okay, we'll bring some stuff in to help fill the box up, we'll go to the store tonight."
"No Mommy, we have to fill the WHOLE box!"
"Hunter, everybody helps to fill the whole box, together."
"No, there are lots of people that don't have the money for food Mommy, we have to fill the box!"

WOW! I thought as we walked down the hallway. But, it doesn't stop there. That night I walked into Hunter's room to find him trying to get his Thomas The Train bank open. "What are you doing?" I asked. "I need to get my money out Mommy." "Why?" "To put it in the giving jar." After a few minutes of talking he explained to me that Ms. Rachel, his teacher at school, had a jar that they were going to put their change in and that money would help people who couldn't pay for their food too. Together we opened his bank and then went into the office and got the Mommy and Daddy chane jar and emptied that too...together we had close to $15.00 for him to bring to school for the giving jar. About a week or so later his other teacher, Ms. Melissa, informed me that she had taken the jar to get the change counted and they had a little over $75.00 in the jar that she was going to take to the local mission to help them give food to the homeless.

I have been touched by the kindness of my child. Through him I have learned the true value of the season of giving. Who would have guessed that a 4 year old could teach a 29 year old this lesson?

It is through our children that we can make a difference in the future. It is the lessons that we teach them, and they in return teach us, that really makes all the difference.

I don't want to raise the typical "military brat child" that we hear about...I want the child that is humbled by the world and would rather give the money in his Thomas the Train bank to those in need than to save it to buy a new toy that he won't really care about in a year.

Who says that money can't buy happiness? I bet that money from his bank bought happiness for those in need at the mission.