My attitude of gratitude...

I've been slow to blog about this topic because I haven't been too sure how to go about it. I still don't know but its more important for me to say Thank You than it is keep up my proud heart. So here goes nothing.

Amidst the chaos in out life, I had set out to make this Christmas special. I wanted so much to teach my kids the importance of giving, sacrifice and of service. I wanted them to learn that those special opportunities adds to the Christmas spirit. Instead, it was I that learned a major lesson about acceptance, humility, and gratitude.

We were the recipients this year of things almost too numerous to name. Someone (or as I suspect, a group of people) did the 12 days of Christmas. I remember as I read the tag from the 1st day, being overwhelmed, thinking that this honor was going to be ours for the next 11 days. I remember one of the days, there was a gift that simply said it was from Mrs. Claus. Taylor was so funny as she explained that's who was doing all this for us...it was just Mrs. Claus, and how nice of her that was.

There were times that I would come home and there would be gifts on the step labeled to each of the kids from Santa. One night I went to work and there were two HUGE black garbage sacks FULL of toys for my kids there. The person who brought them assured me that they came from someone outside of the hospital. I actually turned several people down who had come to me saying that they wanted to give us a Christmas.

Now I just want to take a moment to say that I don't see us as as a family in that great of need. We by no means live large, but in the words of Micheal McLean, "We've been given what we need." My greatest concern in all this was that I hoped that we were not taking away Christmas from someone who needed it a great deal more than what we did.
But we were blessed from the Angel tree at Wal-Mart to Operation Merry Christmas done by a local high school, who when asked their names, simply responded "We are just Santa's elves."

My point in sharing all this with you is not to tell you the great need we had, I don't think we did at all. My point in all this is for several reasons. First, I've wanted so badly to tell so many people THANK YOU. But how do you thank those for whom you don't know whom to thank??? I understand that that's the point of Christmas. But nevertheless, I want them to know of my deep gratitude for them. They added their own sense of Christmas spirit to my home and that has meant so much!!!

I have been so touched and OVERWHELMED by the generosity of others. I'm not surprised at all how kind others are, but the extent of their sacrifice is just really hard to describe. I even finding myself hoping that others would be in tough positions at one time or another, be blessed like we have just so they would know the depth and extent of my gratitude.

So as insignificant as it sounds..... Thank You ! ! ! ! Your kindnesses will not soon be forgotten, but rather treasured as a dear holiday memory and an example for us to follow in the future.