The Giving Spirit of the Holiday Season

I heard two inspirational stories today that I felt compelled to share. Hopefully they will inspire you as they inspired me.

One of the suppliers that we work with was shopping in the mall with his young twin girls for a gift for their mother. When they passed a toy store, the Dad said, “Girls, pick out any toy you want.” So the girls scoured the aisles to find the most beautiful baby dolls they could find. Proudly walking through the mall showing off their new dolls, they soon walked past a Toys for Tots collection box where Dad asked the girls to give away their new dolls to kids who have no toys. With some small regret, the girls agreed. And gave away their brand new dolls.

Inspired by the Toys for Tots story, one of our technicians donated one of his own gifts to purchase warm winter jackets for local children. The jackets were given to a local school program to be distributed to a boy and girl in need. The same technician also wrote a poem for the twin girls to let them know how they’d inspired him. As I share this poem and pass along these two stories, I hope that the spirit of giving will continue to spread as the poem says, “like snowflakes in the wind.”

Toys for Tots Poem

A little birdie

Reported of thee

Bearing gifts

As you’ll see

Like twin beams of light

From a Northern Star

Guidance, a lesson,

By example that’s right.

Toys for Tots and a soldier stood tall

A Mom & Dad’s lesson

Taught at the mall

It’s give, not receive

For the best gift of all.

So lending a hand or a gift you see

And like snow flakes

In the wind

This lesson will spread

Like it did to me.

– Written by Anonymous

Wishing you the gift of a giving spirit this year. Happy Holidays!