December 13, 2008 - ~Saturday~
Hey,
How has everyone been doing? Are you guys enjoying the Christmas Season?
Has anyone gotten any snow yet? It is supposed to snow at my house tonight! All next week the temperature outside is supposed to be around 20-25 degrees. That is FREEZING. I kind of like the colder temperatures, especially after a really hot summer, but 20-25 degrees is like getting a little carried away.
So what are you guys doing for Christmas? What is the main gift you are hoping to get this Christmas?
This is a little off the subject of Christmas, but I was thinking about doing a political entry soon and giving everyone an update on the economy and whats happening in the world. I was wondering if you guys would be interested in an entry like that or our you tired of hearing about politics and would rather me post about something else. I would like to know if you would read it, because I really like to post about something that would interest you guys and if that is something you are not interested in hearing just let me know! I would like to hear your thoughts on this!
Back on the subject of Christmas! My grandpa sent me an email that was really great! It was sweet and wonderful and the story was so touching! So I just had to share it with you all, 
!
The White Envelope
It's just a small white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas --oh, not the true
meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it -- the overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts,
sweaters, ties, and so forth. I reached for something special just for
Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended.
Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team
sponsored by an inner-city church.
These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.
Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, 'I wish just one of them
could have won,' he said. 'They have a lot of potential, but losing like
this could take the heart right out of them.' Mike loved kids -- all kids --
and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball, and
lacrosse.
That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a
local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside
telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile
was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition --one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but
the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there.
You see, we lost Mike last year. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst tothe others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad.
May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always.
I hope you all enjoyed this entry!
Makayla
Comments
December 14, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SPL9
Wow, your template totally rocks...your I-pod player looks really cool too!
God bless
December 14, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Daydreamer
Hey how are you doing?!
That story was so cute! and it made me think alot! I usually don't think unless I'm doing Algebra or somthing...
Anyway, you asked what I dong for Christmas, well, my family and a I are going to join some extended family on Christmas eve, and on Christmas, we usually stay home, and then the day after Christmas, were hightailing it to up North, (to the top of WI), to join some friends at there house for a couple days....
What about you? What are you doing?
And as for the present, I'm askin' for a Little House on the Prarie dvd season, and also this: http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=208336331&listingid=29812490&dcaid=17902
Well, what you like?
~Sylvia
December 15, 2008 - hello
Posted by browneyedgirl4jesus
hi makayla,
i'm so sorry i havent been writting too much. i'v just been very bussy & christmas season has been kind of hard for my family this year. so can you please pray for my family!!
jessica
Edited by browneyedgirl4jesus on December 15, 2008 at 6:24 PM
December 15, 2008 - hey!!!
Posted by thatothergirl
its -23 degrees F here!
LOL
-Hannah-
December 16, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Abbypie3000
That was a nice story, my Nana sent me one recently, I'll post that one soon. I think you should make a separate blog for updates on politics, the economy, and the such.
~Abigail
December 16, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Strive17
Actually, I think we were grounded for the same thing. I was grounded for six days too. lol...glad your back though. :-)
The Nutcracker was good, but long. You should go to it again though(it's especially fun with friends).
How are you doing?
December 16, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by smiley1
it's snowing here right now!! We're getting a ton!!
December 17, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by doglvr
I'm having a good CHRISTmas season, how about you?
