Sunday night we got together with our local family for some Christmas festivities. We usually get together on Christmas Eve to play games and act out the nativity. This year the Sunday before Christmas Eve was better for all of our schedules. Aunt Betty Jo and Uncle John came up from San Jose and Alan and Heather came across the Bay for the night.
Aunt Betty Jo and Uncle John always give the kids a generous present. It is the highlight of the night, getting to open a present early.
Heather came up with an excellent activity for all of us to participate in. For months Heather has been driving Hazel down to San Jose for Hazel's ballet practice. The homeless population in the Bay Area is growing and there doesn't seem to be a good solution. Heather decided our families could be the answer to her children's prayers of "please bless the homeless people". So Heather collected all of the supplies to make hygiene kits and snack bags. We spent the activity portion of our evening together assembling kits and bags to hand out to the homeless.
Then we made candy trains to include as a treat.
"Helping the homeless" was a fairly abstract concept for some of the kids but everyone was committed to putting together the kits and helping.
We acted out the nativity and called it a night.
Monday morning Will took all the kids down to San Jose to meet up with Alan and Heather and their kids. They spent the afternoon handing out kits in the rain. I stayed home and got some organizing done. I kept watching the rain pour down at our house and thought of my kids out in the rain. I knew they would finish and be able to come home to their warm, dry house. The people they gave the kits to, however, would still be in the rain. I hoped my kids would realize this and have an extra measure of Christmas spirit in thinking of it.
Will told me a bit about the process when they got home. He said it was the best Christmas time activity he had ever participated in. The kids "knocked" on tent doors and cardboard boxes calling out "Merry Christmas, I have a little something for you." Most people came out and chatted with the kids for a little bit. Colter crawled into one guy's tent (James) and asked him about his tattoos and how he used to be a Marine. Lorien found an encampment of homeless teenagers and chatted with a few girls who were very close to her age. I'm sure it was sobering. All of the kids were full of smiles and a good feeling when they came home. I think Will is right, that was the best Christmas time activity ever. Thanks Heather.
No comments:
Post a Comment