Unwrapped Gifts

It is completely true that Texans are some of the most friendly and helpful people you will ever meet. When we first came to Texas, my husband was starting law school and we knew no one. People went out of their way to help my family by assisting with car trouble, car pooling kids to school and youth activities, and babysitting. And it didn't stop there. We had friends who gave us bags of clothes that their  kids had outgrown and others who gave us their old minivan just because they knew we needed a second car! December 2010 was no exception.

In early December our washer started making a strange grrring sound and I noticed how the agitator was not moving. When I had someone look at it, he said it was the motor and the washer was shot. I had three growing children--one who happened to be a five-year-old boy--and knew I was in trouble. It was too close to Christmas and we were financially strapped. I thought about washing the laundry by hand as my progenitors had once done, but then I realized all I had to do was ask for help. Quickly I emailed all my local friends explaining my situation and asking if anyone had an extra washer.While I had many responses in my behalf, I found a local lady who had recently moved overseas, but was in town to help her daughter. She happened to have a 16-yr-old washer that she said we could have. The next day, my sister's husband and his brother took their truck out to pick it up for us.


Ironically, I used that old washer for one day when someone from church called and said they wanted to buy us a new washer. When I explained that someone had already given us an old one, they still insisted on helping. Our church friends delivered the washer that very night with the the biggest smiles on their faces. We were so grateful and felt so loved by those sweet people.

The following Sunday, we were suprised when the LDS missionaries were at our door. They handed us a small gift-wrapped box and said, "We were asked to deliver this to you." As they left, we stood wondering who the Secret Santa could be. The anticipation of the contents of the box soon caught up with my children and before I knew it, they had snatched up the box, tearing off the ribbon and lifting off the lid of the small box. Inside we found a poem and Wal-Mart gift card with a substantial sum of money.

Although I cannot remember what the poem said, I do remember having a deep love in my heart for that anonymous do-gooder. Thanks to their contribution, my children had an extra wonderful Christmas. It warmed my heart on Christmas morning when my nine-year-old daughter exclaimed, "Mom this is the BEST Christmas!"  My Christmas present that year was seeing how happy my family was and feeling the pure love of Christ through all those who had helped us.



I have come a long way from the wide-eyed little girl wondering what Santa brought for Christmas. Today I realize that it is always the gifts you cannot wrap that mean the most.