Christmas season 1990 I was faced with the toughest decision of my life
I was a single mother raising 4 children. Money was scarce. I had been working 2 sometimes 3 jobs just to pay the bills. Nothing extra. Christmas was soon approaching. As I lay awake night after night trying to figure out how my children were going to have Christmas, the tears would start flowing.
It would take a miracle to help me provide Christmas for them. That miracle happened around December 19th. My father sent $100.00 for the kids for Christmas.
Now came the decision of a lifetime. Do I go and spend $25.00 on each child and get a few little gifts? I had overheard my children discussing on how they wanted the new Nintendo. Hmmm, that could be another choice.
It was selling for exactly $99.99 back then. One present or a few little presents? I headed for the store and bought the Nintendo. Next dilemma, only one gift and 4 children, how will they all have something to open?
I thought and thought, then started wrapping. One layer of paper, two layers of paper, now three layers of paper. I attached a small instruction sheet on how to open this gift.
The girls opened the first layer. The boys opened the second layer. They all opened the last layer. Christmas morning came and only one package was under the tree. To my surprise there was no disappointment from them.
That package brought smiles to the children and they realized there was more to Christmas than just how many presents you receive.
We all hugged each other and spent the day playing Nintendo. I called my father and thanked him for providing Christmas to the children. With tears in my eyes, I felt I let the kids down. I knew in their minds that this gift was worth more to them than anything else I could have gotten. That made my Christmas!
