Giving tree brings hard realities, spreads joy

I decided two years ago that sending my two nieces and nephew Christmas gifts was pointless.

My nephew was just a few weeks old and my youngest niece was only a few months older. Neither one was capable of understanding the concept of Christmas and getting gifts. And even if they could, like my then-two-year-old niece, they didn't actually need anything. All of my sisters' kids have everything they need and then some. They are very fortunate in this regard.

I realized that sending them more gifts would be me just sending them things just to send them things so I found a giving tree and selected three children's tags that most closely represented the demographics of my nieces and nephew and donated the gifts I purchased for them in their names.

This allowed me to shop for them, which is the fun part about gift giving, the toys went to children who needed them and and my nieces and nephew made their first ever charitable donations, though they were too young to realize they had.

This year, the number of nieces and nephews I have literally doubled as my three sisters were all pregnant at the same time earlier this year. The youngest is a week old, one is a month old and another is a few months old. Again, they aren't old enough to understand getting Christmas gifts.

The ones that are still have everything they need, so I started considering finding tags for six children that match their age and sex, but realized that those six kids wouldn't get very many gifts and one child getting six nieces and nephews worth of gifts would make out a whole lot better for everyone involved.

I went to the courthouse to select a tag from the giving tree in the building's foyer. There were only four tags to pick from: three girls and one boy. I chose the nine-year-old boy's tag thinking that I'd buy whatever I would want if I was a nine-year-old boy for him and it would be a fun shopping trip.

What I read on the tag made me sad.

The child had indicated he wanted clothing items and school supplies for Christmas. No kid wants blue binders and papers for Christmas. They only ask for these items if they really need them.

I had expected to find a list of toys to purchase the kid and instead came face-to-face with the reality that some kids would just be happy having basic items, like new underwear and sweatshirts to stay warm in the winter.

It breaks my heart that there are children in our community that are going without basic necessities, especially in Idaho's unforgiving winter months.

I came home and shared the list's contents with the nice couple who lets my dog and me reside with them for a low amount of rent so I can afford to chase my professional goals and they too wanted to help make the child's Christmas special. We agreed on an amount that was probably more than necessary to spend on him and to split it among us.

Armed with additional funding and a wish list, I set off to the Base Exchange to purchase as many items from the kid's list as I could.

Shopping for someone else you don't know is stressful. I kept wondering if I was getting items he would like or not and if the person who might have picked up his tag had I left it on the tree would have gotten him presents he'd like more.

But I was able to get him most of everything on the list. It was important to me that he got what was on the list because believing is a big part of the Christmas season when you're nine. I wanted him to feel as if he had asked Santa for something and Santa heard his request and came through for him.

So I got him more paper than I currently have in my office and more binders than Mitt Romney could possibly fill with women. He got enough personal hygiene items to last him through junior high and additional clothing.

I wanted to spend the entire amount of money on toys, but reasoned that while that might make for an awesome Christmas morning, it probably wouldn't do him much good too long after then.

The only thing I didn't get him on the list were socks and Transformers, the only toy request on the list. The BX had a limited amount of boy socks and a non-existing supply of Transformers. Instead of Transformers he is getting an arsenal of Nerf weapons and some silly string for no other reason than I don't have to be the one to pick it up.

I threw a bunch of other toys in my cart as I walked around the store. Santa's bag is going to be full this year at his house.

The best part about Christmas this year is my oldest niece is almost five. With a little help from my sister, she's old enough that I'll be able to explain to her Christmas morning that because of her and her siblings and cousins another kid who doesn't have as much as she does gets to have an extra special Christmas this year.

I'm already looking forward to having her help me pick out the gifts to donate next year online together.

Thursday is the last day to donate items to the Mountain Home Chamber Giving Tree. Items can be donated at the Giving Tree Workshop at Caldwell Transportation Company on Sunset Strip.