Rex Trulove
Have you ever had a Christmas that stood out from all others? The challenge is to simply relate the most memorable Christmas you’ve ever had, especially one that you are the most thankful for.
My most memorable Christmas is one that I’ll always remember, partly because it was a roller-coaster ride in emotions; from good, to despair, to elation.
It happened a long time ago when our kids were ages 8 and 5. We were going through a bad time. I hadn’t had a job in over three months and we were behind in all the bills. Our cupboards were literally almost bare and our meals consisted mostly of ramen noodles, hot dogs, and macaroni and cheese. Then I had the good fortune of getting a job in the first part of December.
I worked hard and enjoyed the work. My first check came in on December 23. It wasn’t a great deal, but it would be enough to pay part of what we owed on rent, plus perhaps get some groceries. In fact, the only reason we hadn’t been kicked out of the house was because of the promise to pay with that first paycheck. I’d even planned to take perhaps $10 for a couple of gifts for our children.
In retrospect, it wasn’t brilliant to do, but I left my check on my desk to go get my coat after work. Although that only took a minute or so, when I returned, the check was gone. Talk about having hope dashed to the ground and trodden upon!
I did the only thing I could do. I reported the theft, then prayed to God for a way to save our Christmas. My faith was weak and I didn’t have much hope, but I prayed anyway. All I could hope for realistically was that the landlord would wait until after Christmas to evict us.
The business was closed on the 24th and 25th, so I went home to give my family the bad news. My biggest worry was for the kids. They were disappointed when I explained what happened, but I was even more upset about it and as it turned out, they ended up trying to cheer me up, rather unsuccessfully.
Late in the afternoon of the 24th, we got a surprise visit from a co-worker of mine. I was puzzled but thankful when she handed me a Christmas card and insisted that I open it and read it then and there. Inside the card was $500 in cash. The co-worker explained that news of the theft of my pay had spread like wildfire and a collection had been taken up. The money was from that collection. Mind you, most of the people didn’t even know me and this was just before Christmas.
After profoundly thanking my colleague, I went inside to tell my family the good news. It wouldn’t cover the amount we owed in rent, but it might just be enough to keep a roof over our heads until the following paycheck. I naturally paused to give a prayer of thanks.
Two or three more hours passed, then my boss pulled up in front of our house. I’ll be honest. It was so rare for the boss to go to anyone’s home that I halfway expected a pink slip. What I got was as close to the opposite as I could have imagined.
The boss had gotten the payroll department to cut me a new check, on their day off. This simply wasn’t something they did. They didn’t work on days off, they didn’t replace paychecks, and the boss certainly wasn’t in the habit of hand-delivering checks. Again, there were some heartfelt and profuse thank-yous. It was too late to get any food or even small gifts as all the stores were closed, but that check took a huge weight off my shoulders. We’d have enough to get some bills paid, with enough left over to get some food after Christmas, when the stores opened again.
It started snowing that night, sometime after midnight, when I went to bed. When I got up at 5 am to take the little dogs out potty, there were two inches of fresh-fallen snow all over everything. It glistened beautifully in the lights of the porch. I was admiring it when I saw the three boxes on the porch next to the door, though there were no tracks in the snow and the boxes hadn’t been there the night before. The dogs hadn’t even barked during the night, which they always did when they heard someone outside.
When I looked in the boxes, I was stunned. Two of them held food: a Turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and the makings of a good Christmas feast. There was even a loaf of bread that wasn’t frozen yet, despite the temperature. That indicated that it hadn’t been there for long, but again, there were no footprints.
The third box contained gifts. There were one each for our kids, with their names on the tags, and one gift for my wife and me. All the gifts were signed simply, “From Secret Santa”. I didn’t recognize the handwriting, either.
We had a very special Christmas that year. In fact, it was a Christmas that almost didn’t happen. We were blessed and to this day, I still don’t know who the secret Santa was. It was a year when so many people went out of their way to show us love, compassion, and kindness. Many of them didn’t even know us and I have no doubt that many sacrificed in order to help us. It is an attitude that I try to have every year at this time and I’ve been a Secret Santa to others because of it. I’ll always remember that Christmas that almost didn’t happen.
Have you ever been a secret Santa for someone who didn’t have much and who was struggling?
Now, the challenge is yours. What was your most memorable Christmas?
Miracles do happen! People tend to be generous at Christmas time. I can see why this would stand out to you.
I totally love it when something depressing turns out to be something extremely lifting.
Great story Rex, I can see why this one stands out as one of the most memorable. How wonderful, thank you for sharing this one. This would make a great book or movie.
Thank you, Kim. At the time, it did rather seem to be a miracle, though we weren’t living on 34th street. lol For the months leading up to this event, most of the time I had little hope that we’d even have a Christmas since I had no job until late in the year. The only thing that kept me going, personally, was faith, and that wasn’t very strong.
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Wow, such a heart touching story! I’m glad you shared it with us all here. I wish I had a Christmas story to share myself, but I don’t.
You do realize, don’t you, that this means that you have a perfect opportunity to become that Christmas story for someone who has much less than you.
Well I don’t have anything to give anybody really….but I have been fortunate to not have any thing like this happen. I’m kind of in between.
EVERYONE has something they can give. It doesn’t have to be money or material things. You could donate your time, such as at a food bank or soup kitchen. Or you could visit with the elderly at a retirement home (believe me, they love that). There are many ways that we can help others, even if we have barely enough to survive on.
Well I take my son to visit the elderly at the hospital…not just around Christmas…we go about once a month.
That can be a far greater thing than you might think. I’m glad to hear that you are doing that and teaching your son the value of it, too.
How lovely to read of the Christmas that almost wasn’t! There are many reasons to share such a story. Thank you for posting it.
I agree that there are many reasons to share what happened. We can all have a huge impact on others. This ti,e of year, people can also become very frustrated. When that happens, it is a good thing to pause and remember that there are many people who have very little. In the face of that, our frustrations pale.
Well said! A look around the world will definitely tell us how much we have to be thankful for, but listening to advertisers telling us we need more than what we have keeps people frustrated. When there is true need, such as in your story, it is time to reach out and help others, and there are plenty around us to help, but even they do not live in a war-torn country, such as those in Africa or the East.
Quite true. Many from poorer countries are also much more faithful than people in the US are, too. I really need to write about the last missionary trip a group from my church took to El Salvadore. It is humbling.
Yes, Once I as a manager of a store if he could help this friend of mine. She had 3 children, and they were not going to have much of a Christmas. The manager made sure the children had gifts, and also gave her a cart full of food. The manager was the secret Santa. Later, she did find out who the secret Santa really was.
I suspect that had a lengthy impact. They probably still remember it.
Wow what a story Rex. I have never had this happen but would love to do this for others.
My most memorable was of course the last Christmas with my son.
That is the thing about being a Secret Santa…anyone can do it. Many area churches know who the needy families are and a lot of them will help you be a Secret Santa. The stuff is simply dropped off anonymously. This can have a huge impact, especially on families that are in a bind and simply can’t afford to have a Christmas holiday.
I have contacted churches before and donated. What I like to do is personally give to other. To see their reaction is what it is all about.
As a Secret Santa, though, you wouldn’t necessarily be able to see the reaction since they wouldn’t know who helped them. I still don’t know who left the three boxes for us. For that matter, I still don’t know how they did it without leaving a trace.