THE SIMPLE WHITE ENVELOPE

[Stacey]

I know we come from all walks of life and beliefs, but I thought that the message of this was wonderful and I wanted to share it with you all.



It's just a small white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription.

It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas --oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it -- the overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma --the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties, and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against another team sponsored by an inner-city church.
These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids -- all kids -- and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball, and lacrosse.

That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree,the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition--one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas . It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope.

Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always. God Bless! -- pass this along to those friends and loved ones who you know are the givers who understand the true meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[nicolenice]

Awww this is beautiful and kinda made me tear up

[ToniB]

Wonderful story Stacey! Thanks for sharing! Wouldn't it be great if we could all teach our children this giving spirit?! I'm working on mine already. In fact, they are going to Toys R Us with their grandma to buy a bunch of toys just to give to toys for tots!

[Julie]

Wonderful story indeed.
It's also a wonderful idea too. So many of us get so wrapped up into buying video games, toys, sending cards, etc this time of year. So many of us forget how much good even one person can do for someone else, a group of people or a wonderful charity (whether be at the holidays or any other time of year).

[Missy]

Dang you, Stacey! How dare you make me cry!!! That is a wonderful and touching story and I am so glad you shared it with us. I wish more households could have such a great tradition to look forward to instead of the toys and electronics. It's something that should be done that isn't done nearly as much as it could.

[Dominique]

awww Stacy!! That is such a wonderful story! Totally makes you love the little things in life. and that is truly what Christmas is all about, not the gifts or the money. The little things people do for other people. =D

[Stacey]

It is such a simply thing too. Makes you wonder why it doesn't happen in more households. This will be Colter's first year to help serve Christmas Dinner at our local Elks club. We serve over 500 people each year. Truly warms the heart to at least feed others that can't feed themselves.