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Every year as the Christmas season became close at hand the
children would start saying, "Mom, what can I get for??¦and
one of the siblings names would be mentioned. I suggested
each time that they be more attentive and listen to the
things their brothers and sister would mention that might be
an idea for Christmas. Little did I realize our youngest son
would apply that suggestion to me and what he overheard me
say to a friend.
I had just bought a new dress and was
showing it to my friend, Doris. While she was looking at it
she commented, "Dot, you know what you need that would just
set this dress off is a three-strand gold necklace like the
one we saw in McNair??™s Drug Store a few weeks ago.??? "Oh,
yes,??? I agreed ! ???I??™ll have to go in and see if they still
have any left ??“ you are right, it would be just perfect for
this dress."
"I??™m on my way when to town right now
why don??™t you drive in with me and get it before it is gone,
suggested Doris." Laughingly, I said, "Thanks, but I think I
had better get all the Christmas shopping done first.???
Doris went on her way and I went back
into the kitchen. The timer went off alerting me that the
fresh bread was done and ready for the children to have
homemade bread and jam. As I opened the oven door the smell
permeated throughout the house, which brought the three
older children running. When 7-year-old, Jared didn??™t come
in I sent my daughter to check on him. "He??™s O.K. Mom he??™s
busy." "Busy? Busy doing what?" came my quick reply. I had
never known anything to keep him out of the kitchen when the
smell of fresh bread was in the air. Vicki??™s answered
quickly, "He??™s counting the money in his piggy bank and he
wants me to take him Christmas shopping this afternoon, is
that all right?" A lesson learned many years before caused
a little hesitation on my part. "Well, I have to do some
grocery shopping, so why don??™t we all go together and
you can do your shopping while I buy groceries. ???
Finding the suggested plan to be their
liking they were all excited to be left to their own devices
and to have time to look around without me saying, "Hurry,
we??™ve got to go." I dropped them off at the Drug Store and
made my way to the grocery store.
Almost an hour had gone by and none of
them had come to find me. So I went in search of them. They
had mentioned on the drive in that the first place they
wanted to go was the drug store which had ???everything.??? As I
approached the store, Vicki saw me coming and informed me
that she had finished her shopping much earlier but could
not coax her 7-year old sibling Jared to come with her.
Her exasperation was evident, "Mom, I
have been trying to get him to come but he keeps saying that
he hasn??™t got his important gift yet and he won??™t let me
help him." "Where is he now," I questioned. She pointed
the direction and I suggested she find her two brothers and
go to the car while I helped her little brother.
I was taken back to see what he was
looking at and it was easy to see the clerk was trying to
offer her suggestions to no avail. So I stood back to watch
him complete his transaction. To my surprise I saw him take
a piece of paper from his pocket and overheard him say, "I
need a three strand chain, gold necklace." "Well now I think
I can help you with that young man," she assured him. She
showed him a beautiful necklace and he said, "that??™s it,
that??™s what I want, ???cause it has to have 3 chains, my Mom
got a new dress and she said it needed a necklace with 3
chains." They moved to the cash register and I overheard the
clerk say, "I am sure your mother will really like this,
that will be $16.95." As I edged over closer trying to see
what was taking place Jared was counting and recounting his
money. I was really mystified. I didn??™t want to interrupt
and I certainly did not want to take away his independence
or spoil his surprise but at the same time wanted to be
there to assist if he needed help.
Jared held his money in his hand and
started counting once again. Staring at his hand as if
talking to himself said, " But I only have twelve dollars
and thirteen cents." The puzzled clerk, who was caught of
guard and was at a loss of words, stammered for a moment
trying to find just the right words, "I??™m sorry but the
necklace costs sixteen dollars and ninety-five cents,
perhaps I could show you something else." I was ready to
walk over as if I had just arrived at the store when I heard
him say, "No, it has to be this one. My Mom told us to pay
attention and listen when others are speaking so we can
learn what they really would like for a present and I heard
my Mom tell her friend Kathy this was what she really
wanted."
"I tell you what we will do," the
clerk said. "I will wrap this up and put it right under the
cash register and when you get the rest of the money you can
come back and get it, O.K." I continued to stay out of the
way and waited until he approached the car before leaving
the store.
The chattering did not cease on the
15-mile ride home but it was obvious young Jared was not
joining in any of the conversation. Many thoughts crossed my
mind as what to do to help Jared find a solution and yet
help him learn that any gift he gave to me I would love.
Most of all I wanted him to feel good about Christmas but it
looked like I had really fouled up. "Ohhhhh, this is my
fault", I thought, how could I be so wrong trying to be
right! I thought our conversation about listening to his
siblings would be helpful in teaching him to listen and be
more caring. But??¦
Eight days before Christmas, Jared was
still sad and evidently had not found a solution to his
money problem. It snowed for a couple of days and I noticed
him out shoveling the walk so I thought I can give him some
money for shoveling perhaps that would make him feel better.
A few minutes later I saw him going down the street cleaning
walks as he went. "Now he will feel better," I thought. "If
anyone pays him he will have more than enough money to
complete the sale of the necklace along with the jobs we can
have him do that would help him achieve the goal he was so
determined to reach. But first I must let him do what he
could so he could feel good about himself.
To my amazement when he came into the
house I said, "My goodness you have really earned money for
Christmas this afternoon, cleaning all those walks."
"Mom, I didn??™t take money for shoveling
the walks, cause these neighbors are old, remember, It??™s
hard for them to shovel." Once again a lesson taught came
back to me. I put my arms around him and thanked him for
reminding me how important it was that we assist others
especially those who could not help themselves.
The other children who were usually
chatting a mile a minute were unusually quiet and talking
among themselves in low tones. The next morning, two days
before Christmas I was approached by the three older
children requesting permission to drive into town to
complete just one more matter. For once I gave permission
without interrogating.
A few hours later the phone rang and
the caller asked for young Jared. "Yes, ma??™am, yes ma??™am I
will, Thank you," he answered hurriedly. Immediately, I
heard him, shouting, "Mom, Mom, hurry I need to go to the
drug store!" "What??™s so important that you go into town?" I
questioned . Please don??™t asked Mom, just let Vicki and the
boys take me in." Reluctantly I agreed. "Hurry back," I
said.
The trip was short and swift and Jared
was once again, happy and excited about Christmas.
Christmas morning brought shouts of glee as each one found
their gifts from Santa.
After watching their excitement for a
while, my husband following tradition sat down near the tree
and announced it was time to hand out the gifts. Jared
looked up from his new truck and shouted, "Daddy, please
give Mom, my gift first, please."
As my husband Lorin, handed me the
gift, I caught a glimpse of the anticipation, not only on
Jared??™s face but on the faces of his 3 older siblings,
Butch, Vicki and Trent??™s faces. I realized they had taken on
Jared??™s desire to do something special. It took me a few
moments to unwrap. He had wrapped over and over in several
layers of Christmas paper. To my great surprise it was the
3 strand gold necklace. From the moment the gift was
completely unwrapped, Jared started talking. As I wiped my
tears, he was explaining, "I was really worried Mom, cause
the lady said it was more money than I had but she called
and told me it was on sale so Vicki and the boys helped me
that??™s why we had to go to town yesterday," he explained
breathlessly.
Now all the activities of the previous
day began to make sense ??“ the conspiracy to make a little
brother happy. Christmas isn??™t about gold necklaces, and
expensive gifts, but it is about putting someone before you.
All the children are married now with
children of their own now, but every time I wear the
necklace the story is retold, and the older siblings look at
each other with a wry smile. A few weeks ago while
visiting with one of my sons, I complimented him on how
impressed I was the way he listened to his children or whom
ever was speaking to him.
???You turn everything off except the one
speaking to you, that is marvelous ??? I commented, that is a
marvelous trait which makes people feel important,??? I
continued??¦
He looked at me and smiled, ???Thanks,
Mom, I learned that at Christmas time, a long time ago from
my little brother.???
?© 2003 by Dorothy Casper
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About Dorothy
Dorothy has loved writing since she
began school in the first grade and found out that letters
could make words-words which put together could tell a
story. Much of her childhood was spent writing plays and
coercing the neighborhood kids to perform her master works
in her garage. Admission price of a lollipop could get you a
front row seat. She loves to write about family, friends and
their experiences. Her favorite subject is writing about
what her children did while growing up and now the
adventures of her grandchildren. Her stories have been
published on many sites on the internet. She is the author
of 5 books and is working on the sixth one and also enjoys
doing a free weekly Newsletter entitled, Blueprint4Living
once a week.
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May you be blessed today.
Bob Johnston
Editor / Publisher |
