Christmas is in the Giving.

This is the season that we all should be thinking about giving, not getting. I am very blessed, and need nothing. I have more stuff than anyone needs. I keep expecting to see myself on the show Hoarders. While at the bank last week I noticed the Angel tree still had some tags left on it. Since there were people in front of me I went over to see who was left. ll year old boy, 12 year old boy, 10 year old girl, 9 year old girl. I am sensing a pattern here. If you happen to be over the age of about 8 no one wants your name, how sad. Sure these kids have put some high dollar items on their list, but hey there is no harm in asking is there. This made me sad. Tomorrow I am going back and get a name.

I used to belong to the group that sponsored the Angel tree's in our area. It is a lot of work to collect the names of needy family's, put the tags on trees all over town and then pick up all of the gifts, but it is sure worth all the effort. After they are all collected we would take them to the local library and sort all of them. Many times there are three or four kids in one family, so we would group them together. I worked the pick up day one year. The day that mom or dad would come and pick up the gifts. These folks were truly grateful. Some cried to see the generosity of the people that had done the giving. For whatever reason they were down on their luck and needed help. This year many people need help so that their children will not get up on Christmas morning and find an empty tree.

A lot of folks are making it right now but just making it. Times are tight. So my suggestion is to get together with a couple of your friends, each pitch in twenty bucks and pick a name from your local Angel or Mitten tree. Hey it's the price of one pizza for you but it could be a Merry Christmas for some kid. And pick an older child if that is all that's left. They are the ones that really need to believe in the Christmas spirit. Consider it your own personal Christmas Bail Out Program.

Hope you can do it. Thanks.