So this year for the first time, my extended family won't hold the traditional grab bag gift exchange on Christmas Eve. In its place, we'll donate a monetary gift to a charity in the amount of what we would have spent on the grab bag gift (or more if so inclined). The charity is to be picked by the family hosting the Christmas Eve bash that year....and you guessed it, this year I and the hubby are hosting.
For many reasons I am glad this tradition has changed, and I am excited to see how our guests receive the idea and the charity to which we've opted to send the money.
Bill and I toyed around with a lot of potential charities. I love animals and am a supporter of the Humane Society. Bill has sponsored a needy child from Zambia for more than a decade and saw a need there. We also thought about local charities like the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and health-related organizations like the American Cancer Society. But in the end, we decided to pick a charity that has had a very recent impact on the family -- the Ronald McDonald House at the University of Chicago.
This chapter of the Ronald McDonald House provided a place of rest and a source of support to Bill's brother and sister-in-law this past summer. The house is just a short walk away from the University of Chicago Hospital where their daughter, Trinity Ava, was in the neonatal ICU for 13 days before she left this world. The Ronald McDonald House provided a place for Don and Lai-Lynn to stay so they didn't have to drive the hour back to their home in Indiana each night. Following Trinity's death, the chapter provided follow-up support to them as well.
After thinking it over, we couldn't think of any better place to send the money raised as part of this new Christmas Eve tradition. I credit my mom with thinking of this new way to ring in Christmas Day. It's a great idea and one that will have an impact well beyond December 24th.
To the few readers of this blog out there, please share any of your own Christmas traditions and reflections--maybe a memorable moment from a Christmas past.
Merry Christmas,
Jacquie
2 comments:
This Christmas tradition is a keeper. I have often found myself sad on Christmas as the day progressed. I think it was picking up the reams up ripped wrapping paper that made me sad. To think that I had spent endless careful hours shopping and wrapping and that it took only 7 minutes to create a huge mess!
The best gifts are those that are given to people who truly need them. The warm feelings of giving to those in need are long lasting. Certainly longer than those 7 minutes.
Cheers to new traditions!!
So the grand total raised for the Ronald McDonald House was well over $500! Not bad for a first effort--thanks to all who donated and decided a new tradition was in order.
Happy New Year!
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