Some of the classes (like mine) are fortunate enough to have a companies sponsor their class. Our class is sponsored by some amazing people at MetLife. Every week, 3 or 4 of them come in to work with our kids, either playing games or working on school work. While the monetary aspect is very nice and important I think the program is great because it gives our children role models- especially the boys!
About a month ago we ask the students what they wanted from Santa for Christmas. We sent the list to MetLife and hoped the would be able to find people to "adopt" a child to buy the gift.
Friday afternoon our MetLife Friends walk into the room with 12 pizzas. The kids go wild!! I had several eat 3 or 4 pieces and they all inhaled their juice box and cookies. There was a buzz of excitement bouncing between every child and adult in the room. We then sang our Christmas songs to them and in walked Santa!!
He brought a gift for every child in our class. I helped Santa with some of our more "unique" names and watched as the kids waited patiently to open their gift.
For the second time that day I was in tears. Watching them, knowing that this would most likely be the only new gift they got this year, and their reactions... well I can't even come up with words to describe how it felt.
I wouldn't go so far to say that as a kid I got whatever I asked for, but I was always sure their would be a few (if not several) gifts waiting for me under the tree every year. But these kids, well they left with 2 new books, a stuffed animal, and a new toy (that they "really really really wanted") and for all you know this will be the Christmas they remember. The Christmas where they felt loved and appreciated. The Christmas where they knew that someone was listening when they talked, whether it was Santa or not, someone cared.
As I read over the post I know that it doesn't bring justice to the moments I saw. But I also know that I will try my best to not fly through opening my gifts, tossing them to the side, in a "yea yea yea" kind of matter, to see what comes next. And I hope to teach my own kids that they are special and are lucky to have the life they do, that not every child gets to experience Christmas like us and to be thankful for every gift under that tree.
So this year as you open your gifts, even when you don't get what you "really really wanted", just remember someone took the time to show you they cared.
- A Very Very Thankful Miss Hansen
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