Being in the Christmas mood

Today at my church, we were talking about donating toys to the children here in San Jose who are having a troubled Christmas day. I know that Christmas is all about being joyful and it's not about gifts but wouldn't it be great to see a smile on a child's face this Christmas? So, what my family decided to do was out of the ordinary but still very thoughtful. We decided to spend all our Christmas money on donating some toys and clothes to children this year. This has been our tradition every year for Christmas but this year it's going to be different. Since none of us really like the gifts we give to each other, we decided to buy whatever we want for ourself and for kids who are in troubled times. Which brings me to a very heartwarming story. Hey, have you noticed that every time I write my blog, there's a story that goes with it. Hmph, I have never thought it about before. Just a random thought.

So, anyways, I was walking through the store looking at some good presents for little kids that might be of use. Just browsing when all of a sudden I saw this beautiful doll that would be great for any child. I had bought the same doll for my cousin the year before and she had fallen in love with it. In fact, she is still playing with it; shocking, isn't it? As I was reaching out to the doll ahead of me, I saw a child who was pointing to the exact doll. She turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, can I please have this doll instead of the jacket." Her mom turned to her and said, "Darling, I don't have money for the doll; you need the jacket more. Maybe next Christmas." This just broke my heart into a million pieces. I just wanted to take the doll and buy it for the child more than anything. As I looked away to hide the tear welling up in my eye, I noticed that they were no longer there. Just disappeared into thin year! It's funny because I kept thinking that the child and the mother were a figment of my imagination. I looked through the whole store for them but there wasn't trace of the little child and her mother. However deep down inside, I knew this exact moment was taking place somewhere in the stores these days.