We have too much stuff. Toys. Clothes. Books. Even food! I really want to live a more "minimalist" life, but I've had a hard time keeping on top of all the stuff.
To try to prepare for the incoming toys of Christmas and make room for the new baby, I went through all of the boys clothes, kid books, and toys. I filled two large-ish boxes with kid books (we still have three well stocked bookshelves, sigh), and three boxes with toys and clothes.
While we were running errands my mom mentioned that the DI (Deseret Industries, a non-profit organization of our church) pod was being picked up soon and she was worried that it didn't get very many donations because of not being well announced. I usually space out up there while I'm sitting at the organ, so I couldn't remember if it had been announced in my ward or not. After Ammon woke up from his nap I stuffed the boxes in the van and drove over to donate the stuff. The pod had been picked up that morning and I just missed it. So it looked like I would need to nag Michael into taking the stuff to the thrift store. A few weeks later, he stopped by at 5:01 PM to drop it off, not realizing that the thrift store closed at 5:00 PM. In the garage the stuff remained.
Yesterday (Christmas Eve) I was feeling sad that we hadn't found someone/some organization to donate to. I knew there must be people in our area who could use some gifts for Christmas morning, I just didn't know how to find them. Then the idea came that maybe I should post it for free on Craigslist to "someone in need." I made the post around 4 PM and kept checking my phone for a response. I was surprised that after a couple hours no one had responded. We carried on with our Christmas Eve celebration. It was wonderful to have my brother and his wife in town from Salt Lake. We had a really nice dinner together and read the Christmas program that Michael's grandmother wrote years ago.
I checked my phone and saw two people had messaged me while we were busy Christmas-ing. I told the first that the toys were still available. She wrote that she would walk with a double stroller to pick up the stuff. It was pitch black outside, drizzling, and very cold so I offered to drive over to her house with the stuff. Once the kids were being put to bed by my mom, my dad and I loaded up the stuff in their (our old) car and drove over to give it to her. She answered the door and as she helped us transfer it from the trunk to her living room, she told us about her situation. She has two kids, a girl the same age as Ammon and a boy that just turned one. Her rent was expensive and her hours had been cut at work. She had been able to get a few gifts for her kids from a charity organization, but she was very grateful to get a few more gifts in time for Christmas.
When we had finished unloading, I gave her a hug and we wished each other Merry Christmas. My heart was so full and I felt amazing! On the way home my dad told me he had slipped some money in with the books, in case she mentioned it, it was meant for her. I was touched by his generosity and I was grateful to share that special experience with my dad. It will probably be one of my favorite Christmas memories. I want to do it every year from now on!
I didn't feel like I was doing much though. I cast in of my abundance that which I did not need. In fact, it was like a Christmas gift for me to have the space in my garage back. The only sacrifice was spending 10 minutes away from family and our Christmas Eve celebration, but I feel like that donation was the best way to celebrate Christmas in it's truest spirit.
When we got home I felt light as a feather. The kids were "in bed" (not asleep) and the adults opened the gifts to each other that were games. We then had a great time playing Spontaneous, Yahtzee, Pente, and Rock-em Sock-em Batman vs. Superman edition. It was a wonderful Christmas Eve together.
After everyone left and the kids were FINALLY asleep, I told Michael about my experience donating the toys and books. I realized that this is probably the first Christmas Eve where I wasn't thinking about all the things I hoped to get or stressing about creating the perfect Christmas for my kids, but being thankful for all that I had already. I'm so blessed to be in a stable, healthy, love-filled marriage with three healthy children. We don't worry about meeting our needs and we have many of the things we want. A beautiful home in a safe neighborhood, adequate heating, clean running water, a loving church community, and faith in a God who loves everyone on a personal level.
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