"MINE" to "Yours"

I really try to stress “thank you” in my house.  Every time someone does something for you or gives you something you are to say Thank You!  Now, granted, this doesn’t always work.  In fact if I was honest with myself I would say it is a celebrated rare occasion when it is done without some sort of parental, or sisterly, prodding.  But, we do try.  Birthdays and Christmas are difficult times of year to keep up with this goal however.  You would think it would be easy.  Get something, say Thank You….  get something else, say Thank You.  Oh, how sweet it would be.

But, the reality is the ravenous gift mongers seem to come out in the kids and all I hear is “I want more”, “where is mine”, or my favorite, “is that all???” when they are standing in a pile up to their elbows in gifts. 

We have been talking so much this Christmas season about what Christmas is all about and why we celebrate it.  The girls are talking birthday cakes and ice cream for baby Jesus already.  With that comes the spirit of giving, helping, loving, forgiving and thanksgiving around this time of year.  This year we are not only giving gifts to the girls, but we are giving a “giving gift” to them.  They will be receiving a few things under the tree on Christmas morning for them to play with and enjoy, but there will also be an envelope wrapped with a small, unassuming, bow tucked under there.  I am sure when they open it up they will not understand, but what they are holding is the gift of giving to a little 9 year old girl named Mahlodi who lives in the Limpopo Province in South Africa.  She is one of many orphaned children due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  She now lives with her Aunt and needs help with those basic things our children don’t even think about as necessity.  We will be sending funds over every month until she graduates from school somewhere between 18-24 years old. We can celebrate birthdays, send care packages and ultimately visit her sometime in years to come. 

Through pictures we can watch her grow and my children can know that through things that we do over here we are helping Mahlodi on the other side of the world.  We did this through an organization called Horizon International, which is based here out of Indiana.  I think it is a great step in thanksgiving for our kids and better understanding of what we have here and what we can give others.

Maybe this year they will look at things a little differently, maybe not.  But, over years and years of watching and helping this little girl that is so desperate for even the simplest of materials and medical attention their eyes will widen and they will begin to understand.