Christmas Envelopes

Side note first: So my Dad tonight told me I'm not allowed to teach the rest of my sisters Tahitian dancing. I asked why and he said because they're not Polynesian. And my response was, "But I'm Polynesian!" To which my Dad said, "I know..." So with that I will proceed to an account of this year's Christmas tradition. We have started caroling as a family around Christmastime. This time we only did two houses- a lady by the name of Debi whose husband just died before this school year started. We were all close to him and her and she's practically family. We also went and stopped by my Aunt Geri's house or Great-Aunt technically. Then following that we proceeded to do our Christmas envelopes. This was my family's third year doing them and my second. (I was on my mission the first year they started it.) A brief reminder to new readers or those who may have forgotten. We make a Christmas letter and combine it with some money and put it in an envelope. We then go to a Walmart or similar store and stalk people to find people who seem like they would appreciate it and hand it to them and run. We post others to watch and get their reaction, but the givers don't see the reaction. :)

Choice #1: My sisters Carly and Katie picked out a couple that they had been following. To make it seem less creepy they had been picking out clothes and playing peek-a-boo with a small girl they made friends with. Well the couple they'd been following bolted and then Carly noticed that the family to which their new-found peek-a-boo friend belonged to had very little in their cart and was consistently shopping only the sale racks. So she went to give them the envelope, saying "Feliz Navidad." And ran away. My Mom and sister Cassie watched as she opened the envelope and exclaimed, "Holy Crap!" And then looked up and saw my Mom and a few other people around. They then became very humble and quiet about it, but my Mom could tell they were very grateful for the gift.

Choice #2: This one was my own and my sister Julie's. We had been following her all around the store but kept losing her. So we had found several other families that were possibilities as well and then she would pop back up. She went down many aisles and had to put many things back. It was a Mom with 2 little girls- one that could walk, and one that maybe could walk, but was in the cart. Anyways, we finally caught up to her at the front of the store when she was in line to check out and my Dad came to witness it. He picked up something and joined the line. So then Julie and I walked up and told her Merry Christmas while handing her the envelope. We then walked down an aisle and proceeded to the back of the store where we ran into Carly and Katie who had just finished giving their letter. We sent them to the front of the store where they watched with my Dad. According to my Dad, after handing her the envelope she kinda looked after us, kinda like what in the world just happened? But didn't open the envelope. Her older daughter picked up the envelope and during the whole line kept asking her mom- "What's this? Can I open it?" The Mom politely ignored her for the most part. She DIDN'T open the envelope. She probably held onto it for a good 15 minutes. They went to the McDonalds at the front of the store and still didn't open it. My sisters got some money from my Dad and went to stand in line a ways behind them. After ordering she FINALLY opened the envelope. She looked inside and got all teary eyed and then called over a man- my sisters think it was her husband though we never saw her with anyone the whole time she was in the store. And then proceeded to call over other people. She even waved at my sisters, yelling "Chicas!" And trying to show them the envelope. She didn't wave around the money, but acted like she had just won the lottery.

Choice #3: This one was my Mom's and my sister Cassie's. They did theirs first actually. I heard the story after the fact. They had been following a Dad with two boys. The wife had I guess gone to do other shopping in another part of the store, but they met up near the cash register. My Mom and sister felt good about giving them an envelope and gave it to them when they were up near the McDonalds. When they opened it up the husband and wife looked at it and one of them said, "Shut up!" And then they supposedly went outside. I had mentioned that our lady repeatedly disappeared and then we would refind her. Well she once disappeared in the toy aisles and while I was searching down the aisles for her I happened to notice a couple hugging each other and the lady was crying, I thought it was odd so I'll admit, I was kinda staring at them, when I noticed the envelope my Mom and sister had had. I knew what had happened but then I realized the wife was looking at me as if she recognized me. So we quickly ran away. They apparently had come back in to let their boys pick out a few more toys for Christmas.

I know it isn't anything great. There are lots of people who need money, and food, and clothes, but we're starting in our own areas. We like seeing the reactions. It may not be the greatest or the only way to give this time of year, but it is quickly becoming one of our family's favorite traditions! I've been thinking a lot about this recently. I once read an Anita Stansfield book where the couple sets up a home to help kids. It's not exactly an orphanage- but it gave me my first ideas. I want to help as many kids as I can. I don't want to take on too many that I can't make them all feel loved and cared for- I need to be able to handle the load I take- but I want to make a difference. There's a Mom I work for and I absolutely LOVE it! She had 6 of her own kids and has now adopted 9 others. She didn't need help until she added the last one- but she felt she had to. She started adopting because she felt like every child deserved to grow up in a home with the Gospel. I feel the same way and feel very privileged to be able to help with those kids. It's a start to what I want to do one day. I don't need to be rich, though it would be nice, but I want to make a difference, and I want to be a difference in children's lives. There are too many needs out there to give to every single cause when you have limited resources, but I'm doing my best to start now, and not let my dreams of helping as I'd like to die out.