See the above picture? Buzzard waiting on the child to die. Is this true? Yes it is and it happens daily.
I just heard on the television twenty weeks to Christmas. I could not believe it is coming up on us that fast. Then a heavy feeling hit my heart. I am one of the few that does not enjoy Christmas.
Some will ask why and I am going to tell you. First of all on Christmas Day I turn a year older. I remember ONE birthday party in my life. My sister and brothers always had a party during their birthday months. I have pictures to prove. I have one birthday picture when I was about five. I never had a party with kids over, hats and cake and presents. If they remembered during the day my family would say something like “oh yea today is your birthday” as they kept on eating and pigging out on the food that was prepared anxiously waiting to play with the toys they received. I asked once for a birthday cake. I heard ” CAKE…Look at all these cakes I cooked and pick one.” Well I did not want to pick one. I wanted one with my name on it and candles. Never happened except one year when I think I was fifteen a friend of my Aunt Jan’s, Fay made me a cake in a coffee can. Iced it with cake icing and I believe a candle was even on it. I treasured that cake. I still have my picture holding the cake. It was like gold to me.
Now on to the main reason I do not like Christmas. No I am not a scrooge. I give gifts. BUT I do so with a heavy heart. One year in Birmingham a story was featured on our local Fox 6 Station out of Birmingham, AL . I believe the ladies were from Chelsea or Calera but that does not matter what matters they rented this huge truck and parked it at the Galleria Mall in Hoover only to fill it up from front to the back door with gifts they were buying for Christmas. They had the day mapped out on paper. Which one of them would be standing in line at what store to get what present. I was sad seeing that. I can not enjoy Christmas buying, getting in debt, and giving to someone that probably has more than they need.
This particular year they showed inside the truck and it was jammed packed full down to a big screen TV if I remember.
I could not have enjoyed one dime I swipped with my credit card , debit card or cash you know why.
The above picture. Not only are there hurting folks in other countries there are starving people here in the United States of America. You probably have them in your own family or neighborhood.
As I sit and watch people open the presents at gatherings we have to go to sometimes, I think about ALL they have and that is all year long. Plenty of food, housing, clothes, toys, latest electronics and I am just sick that I am sitting there celebrating while there is some child or even adult crying because they are hungry and do not have water.
Look around today if you are out and about. I bet you will not see any buzzards swarming around a lot of folks. I doubt you will see that in our country. Most the buzzards could not pick us up. When you are grocery shopping will you pick up something extra to donate to the food banks or even give to someone you know is hungry?
Now on to why I am posting this.. I know it is long but I had to get what was off on my heart and yes I go places at Christmas and yes I buy me a birthday present but I also give to the needy. In the Alabama area you have the Jimmie Hale Mission, Salvation Army and Fox 6 will have a drive for Christmas.
This year I am giving some to the local organizations but the majority of my gift giving will be to www.heifer.org If you do not know about it go and read. You can give cows, chickens, veggies to starving countries. There are a lot of things you can do.
I want you to think of it this Christmas as you sit there and watch people open millions of presents and eat tons of food and they are so big they barely can move from the table and you think about the child somewhere that the buzzard is waiting for it’s Christmas Dinner.
In OUR WORLD THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.. And then you thank God and whomever you pray to that you were born as blessed as you were and you pass some of those blessings on.
This post was not written to offend anyone. It was written from my heart about why I can’t enjoy Christmas and to maybe make you go deep in your heart and find the need to donate to some organization along with your parties and gift buying maybe find a way to feed one person. I am not saying totally throw the holiday out the window but I am saying try to dig deep in your heart and find the meaning. Yes I will be buying a couple of presents and yes I will be eating a meal but I also will be giving to the less fortunate. I hope you do also.
I give you a challenge. Whatever you spent on gifts and food for the holiday’s give that same amount to your charity of your choice or to a needy family. Maybe you know someone that is out of work. You can give to them. Be a blessing.
As you know, I feel just like you. My heart hurts for the homeless, out of work people. Most of us in the USA do not appreciate what we have, As usual, I won’t be buying anyone a gift, but will give to charity, especially the JimmieHale Mission. I don’t care WHAT people have done, I can’t stand to see a/one go hungry.
My grandmothers birthday was Christmas Eve. We always made sure she got 2 presents. One for her birthday, wrapped in birthday paper, and one for Christmas. My nieces b-day is Dec 29th, and my FIL’s is Dec 20th. We do the same thing for them. I’ve had friends who’s b-days fall around Christmas or New Years, and they would have a 1/2 birthday party in the summer. Sorry your family didn’t ‘get it’ about your birthday. My SIL got married on BIL’s birthday and only wanted to celebrate the anniversary (we never celebrated the anniversary, but only his b-day). She figured it out when one of their kids was born on her birthday, and no one celebrated ‘her’ day anymore. Since my family has so much, and others don’t, hubby gets Santa letters at work, and our kids and I would have a blast shopping for the kids. We also get several names off the Angel tree at church. It is much more fun to shop for those people than it is for us, since we don’t really need it. I remember one year that one of the Santa letter kids just asked for food. No toy, just food. Wow! That was a tough year. My boys picked out snacks that would last (and a toy) and we sent that and a gift card to a local grocery store. It sure made up appreciate everything on our plates that holiday season. Still does.
Cheryl´s last blog post ..Paper Piecing Fun!
Cheryl I like you idea. I usually write a check to several organizations. I am going to do that this year but I may try to find a needy family in my town where we live and help out. That is wonderful your heart is so big and your children’s hearts. Yes we are blessed and we get anything just about we want and all of us sometimes fail to realize just how blessed we are. It never occurred to me that there are some folks that don’t have electricity. I watch HGTV when they go to the countries to work and last week one need a house with a western toilet and solar power for water and it had electricity but said they hardly had any.. I take so much for granted..Flipping a switch to turn the light one. WE ARE BLESSED and it is time we bless others.. I just don’t mean us I mean everyone. If everyone could donate 5.00 to some charity or food bank or church relief fund we could make a difference. After all that would be 4 bottles of soda pop out of the machine they could do without and donate to those WHO DO NOT HAVE WATER.
There are always Angel tree needy children either from a local church, the local mall, etc. We all get more than we deserve or want or need so giving to someone without is a better option. Our women’s group at church have done the Heifer program before. We work hard all year long and then spend every penny we’ve raised throughout the year except a little to keep our account open. Really that is what CHRISTmas is all about – giving and helping others without a thought of being recognized.
Chris, I can relate, my older brother’s BD is today while mine was the 8th. I always had to share the day with him, had to wait until his bday to have a cake or party. My mom still always considers him even on my special day. It just made me keep my kids as special and equal as possible throughout the years. Just keep the story of the greatest gift of all in your heart and mind and have fun helping others.
I understand how you feel, the true meaning has gotten lost in the I wants and gimme generation. I have thought about giving donations as a present in that person’s name, think that would be a nice way to give.
Debbie
Debbie, one year someone gave us a note from Heifer saying a cow had been donated in our name.. I was so proud. No present on earth could have come near that. It was wonderful to know that I was helping give something to someone that could feed a lot of folks. I get what I want all year long. Christmas is another day to me. No one celebrates it for the reason of what it should be..Love others, feed the hungry help the hurting.. it is always WHO GETS THE MOST PRESENTS UNDER THE TREE.
The “heart” that God gave you is the greatest gift of all! Unfortunately, earned the hard way. I too am like you, just keep doing whatever makes you feel like you’ve made a difference. Believe it or not – you have!!