A Christmas to Remember

This Christmas season has already had so many memories! Our tree fell down the day after we had it all decorated and glamorized. Lots of little ornaments broken all over our living room floor. Minnesota has had a record amount of snowfall with over 3 feet of snow on the ground right now.

My favorite part of Christmas so far though isn't about the snow or getting our home ready for the holidays. This Christmas I will always remember the words that a young mom told me.

About a week ago was our last Teen MOPS meeting for 2010. This was our big Christmas meeting where the teens get to shop for toys and other items that they might be able to use for Christmas with their kids. We also just finished up with a huge fundraiser for Teen MOPS, called the Teen MOPS Drive. Cribs are set around our church and people can donate toys, diapers, wipes, baby necessities, etc. to this drive. With over 20 teens on average at a meeting and an average of about 3 new teens registering at each meeting, our numbers are high. We have been flying through diapers at a rapid pace this year and the MOPShop is being used to its max and our supply of items was dwindling fast.

On this special Christmas night, Teen MOPS thought it would be great to also offer up some Christmas decorations to any teens that might need or want the items. These were donated so they were free and gently used. One of these items was a Christmas tree that was no longer needed in a home.

I lugged in the 3 boxes of Christmas items into the Warehouse at the church where Teen MOPS meets. As I was arriving a few teens were already in the room helping set up the MOPShop. I mentioned to them that if they wanted any of these items, they were free. A few grabbed a couple of odds and ends that were available but there was still quite a bit left.

More teens were arriving so the message of "free stuff" was passed around to the girls in the room.

Do you know someone that makes you smile when they show their pearly whites? At Teen MOPS, there is a teen mom that has the best smile. When she smiles, I smile. She is a great mom and has really grown up these last few years that I have known her. She is just one of those people that I feel very comfortable talking with. Our backgrounds and interests might be different but I do feel that we have a lot of similarities.

This teen mom came up to me, with a smile on her face, and said, "This tree is free?" Everything in this little area of decorations was free so of course I let her know that she could take whatever she wanted. She went on to tell me that her daughter just asked her that morning why they didn't have a Christmas tree. She wanted to go out and get one but there were just other things that were needed right now but maybe she would be able to get one next year.

She let everyone around her know that this tree was hers, she had claimed it.

Her enthusiasm for this tree wasn't for herself but for her daughter. She was excited to be able to provide the one item that her daughter really wanted this year...a Christmas tree.

Having a Christmas tree is something that I don't even give a second thought about. In fact, the tree that this child was going to get to see for the first time in her home was a tree that was pushed aside in my home. This tree sat in our basement for at least 4 years...unnoticed, untouched...until this year.

I am glad that this tree will have a second life with another little child.

This is now one of my Christmas memories for this year and one that I will always remember.

Thank you to all of you that also donated toys, diapers and other items for the Teen MOPS Drive! We don't have a story for each item that was donated but do know that a lot of great little kids will be getting some extra special gifts this year because of your generosity!