The Gift that Kept on Giving
Her name was Marla, a quiet, pleasant, unassuming young girl in my class at Lebanon High School. Every morning, she came to class, greeted me, sat down, and began working on her assignment. I looked forward to seeing her each day.
It was autumn, and several craft shows and bazaars were happening in Lebanon at churches and other organizations in preparation for Christmas. I usually attended two or three with friends. I especially loved to see handmade items: hand-stitched, knitted, and crocheted.
One Saturday at a bazaar, I spotted a knitted hat and matching scarf. It was a little pricey for my budget, but the colors were beautifully blended so they could be worn with most any outfit. I really, really liked it, but passed it up and went on looking. A few minutes later, I decided the hat and scarf were "calling my name" so I went back, paid the price, and purchased them. It was a "to me from me" moment.
I always participate in our church angel tree project during Christmas. It's a tradition that is important to me. That year I chose a girl as my recipient. As I began to gather items for her gift bag, the hat and scarf kept coming to mind. I hadn't thought of anyone else when I bought them-just me. Finally, I gave in to that little tug at my heart and carefully wrapped the treasured hat and scarf in tissue for protection and placed them in the bag designated for my angel tree girl. I felt good about my decision. Merry Christmas to her.
After Christmas, when we returned to school and the weather began to turn cold, imagine my surprise when Marla entered my classroom one morning wearing the hat and scarf. Of course, I did a double take. I realized how pretty she looked and how nice and warm they looked on her. No one knew my relationship to those accessories, but every time I saw her wearing them, it gave me joy to know that she was the recipient of a gift I really wanted for myself. I never mentioned my connection to her Christmas gift, but I knew she liked it as much as I did. My pleasure and joy came from being frequently reminded of an angel tree gift that kept on giving to Marla and me.
-Judy Wyatt