‘Oh I hope I’m not going to be late… I’ve been working on this project for months now.’ Keep it cool Katrina… I thought, although my face was turning an uncomfortable shade of pink. At that moment I heard again the prominent ding! Ding! Ding! And directed my attention to the small yet increasingly irritating red light shaped into a gas pump blinking on my dashboard. Silently ignoring the warning I drove on in search for the desired school.
Taking in a deep breath, I climbed out of the car. On the way into the school the heel of my 5 ½ inch black Steve Madden stilettos caught onto something nearly making me trip. Looking down I realized there where ruts all along the black top parking lot and the cement side walk. This was the first time that I began to realize the true purpose behind my four month project.
Taking in a deep breath, I climbed out of the car. On the way into the school the heel of my 5 ½ inch black Steve Madden stilettos caught onto something nearly making me trip. Looking down I realized there where ruts all along the black top parking lot and the cement side walk. This was the first time that I began to realize the true purpose behind my four month project.
I worked at the local bank in Salt Lake City and for four months we had been working on a giving project that involved the children at this school. Each child from this school would send us a gift wish list of one item that they needed and one item that they wanted. After all the donations given, all the shopping, and all of the wrapping. Today was the big day, the day the children got to open there presents.
“You made it”! Shawna called from across the small gym. “Where have you been? We are just about to start”. “I can see that it looks amazing in here” looking around there was two rundown basketball hoops hanging from the ceiling on either side of the room, three standard wooden tables and a few chairs dispersed around the room. But the real sight to see was the presents… hundreds of presents, aligned in straight and organized lines, filling the gym with bright colored wrapping paper and bows.
An ear splitting buzz split through the air, as the recess bell sounded. “Here they come” said a voice from behind me. Excitement filled the air as the children filed in. One eager face after the next came through the doors. One little girl with blazing red hair pulled back into a frizzy ponytail, was continually tugging on the tail of her teachers rose colored blouse, saying something I couldn’t make out over the hustle and bustle. A slightly pudgy boy with two chins and warn out tennis shoes was speaking animatedly to the thin boy standing next to him with messy blond hair and black rimmed glasses taped along the arch of the nose.
One class after the next came in a single filed line lead by their teacher. Coming up on the end of one of the classes was a small girl with brown curly hair, braided into two pig tails. Her arms where folded in front of her in a way as though she was trying to protect herself; covering her baby blue soiled shirt. Shy and nervous she came to her two presents and a sparkle of joy filled her eyes; then soon vanished as she stepped away from her presents. She sat down on the floor with her arms folded.
“it’s today, it’s today!” “I’m SO excited!” Came a small but vibrant voice off to my left. I turned to see a small black boy. Something about him intrigued me. He was slightly taller for his age, and was wearing khaki corduroy pants, that came to an end right above his ankles. His old dirty shoes had holes in either side of them showing his navy blue socks. My eyes traveled upwards to his shirt: dark green in color with a design that was partially warn away, it was meant to be a long sleeved shirt but instead the cuffs ended in the middle of his forearms. What he was wearing wasn’t necessarily what caught my attention the most however; it was his face… so full of life and happier than I had ever seen anyone before. He practically bounced into the room telling everyone he saw how excited he was.
“Everyone quiet down”! Bellowed a female voice over the loud speaker. An excited hush fell over the gymnasium. “Now does everyone have their presents”? A few people nodded their heads. “Ok then, go ahead and open your presents.”
All of the sudden the gym filled with the sound of tearing paper. Looking to my right I saw the little girl in pig tails; she and three other boys were not opening there presents. I turned to see Shawna still standing next to me. “Why do you think they’re not opening their presents” I asked? “It’s probably all they are receiving this year. They are going to wait until Christmas so they have something to open” My heart ached for these children, because I knew what she said was true.
I began scanning the room again and saw books, dolls, movies and a whole plethora of different toys and gifts.
My eyes rested on that small black boy, sitting crossed legged on the wood floor. In his hands was his first gift, small and about six inches long… he began to open… there he pulled out a dark blue toothbrush; his shining face spread into a huge grin. He then carefully placed his band new toothbrush on the wrapping paper to his right. Then with trembling hands he picked up his next package… another small package wrapped in bright blue wrapping paper with a small green bow tied on the outside. As he began to open it his eyes lit up and his mouth opened in excitement. He pulled the small item out of its packing and unfolded a small pillowcase with Spiderman on the outside. At this he jumped off the floor and started hopping up and down showing everyone around him his brand new pillowcase; saying over and over again “SANTA GOT ME A PILLOWCASE! A SPIDERMAN PILLOWCASE! This is the BEST Christmas EVER!”
For the rest of my life I will never forget that moment; the moment when a small child taught me a very important lesson. It isn’t about what you receive in life that matters, it is about your outlook towards it. I know a child that same year that received a Wii game system and a laptop computer and was still disappointed.
