Charitable Offerings

 In which our Heroine now accepts Money. 

          Finally, I decided to take my Christmas decorations down.  They looked so pretty in my usually bare living room, and I love having the lights on at night.  I’ve never felt this compulsion to leave Christmas hanging around for this long before—and truth to tell, if I wasn’t trying to get my house organized better, I’d probably leave the decorations up until spring.  I really liked finally having my own house to decorate.  Also, Jon and I are getting better at knowing just what our Christmas traditions are, and have enjoyed displaying some of them. 

          Anyway, as I was taking down my ornaments (with Eva's ‘help,’ of course), I came across a simple one shaped like a Christmas tree that some anonymous person gave us this year.  In my opinion, Christmas ornaments are special because there are usually memories attached to them.  On the outside, this particular ornament is simple, small, and unassuming.  But it represents a wealth of generosity and love. 

          It came in a simple envelope with a card, but the card had $200 in it.  Jon and I have been blessed financially through all of this expensive health care.  We weren’t asking for any help.  But I will admit that it was very nice to open this envelope up.  To have $200 that didn’t yet have a purpose or a task to fill in our carefully maintained budget was so great. 

          I scorn those blogs out there that put the little side bar up asking for donations.  Admittedly, some blogs or web pages are created for charitable purposes, but it bothers me to see the money aspect on most.  My blog was created to keep my friends and family informed, to offer me a kind of creative therapy, and to hopefully explain or express some facts and experiences about cancer to those who may have need of it.  Therefore, no solicitation.  I stand by this rule, but I also have to say thanks to my anonymous benefactor. 

          To whom it may concern: I wasn’t sure at first why you bothered to put an ornament in the envelope when the money was clearly enough, but today I began to see that this little piece of ceramic(?) will represent far more when it hangs on my tree each year.  It occurs to me that the real gift is the memory of your charity, imbued in a Christmas ornament, and not the money at all (though I truly appreciate that too).  What a lovely gift.