One Little Girl

Enjoying my coffee while sorting through Christmas cards, I found one card I want to keep.

This card was placed on my door on New Year's Day. I thought how strange to get a card on New Year's Day. People here are dropping off their cards because I send them to St. Jude's Ranch for Children every year. However,this was one lone card on my door.

I opened this card to see that it is from a little seven year old girl who visits her grandmother down the hall from me. The little girl, named Maria, wanted to thank me for a cat calender that I had given her for Christmas. After reading her note, I thought how sweet and at least Maria has parents willing to teach her the meaning of gratititude. So I have placed Maria's card on my refrigerator among all of my cat stuff.

Why does this card stand out? It represents my favorite word; gratitude. It also illustrates what adults seem to boldly ignore, especially around the holidays. Here are just a few examples.

This year for the first time, the day after Thanksgiving, I walked into my local Marsh store with a sense of dread. A cashier stated that she already waited on ten rude customers. I said "Welcome to the holiday season and it will get worse".

Black Friday? Never heard of that when I was a kid. Let me see.. staying out in the cold all night until a department store opens at 4 a.m. only to get inside to punch some out is the reason for the season right?

Next, I personally witnessed a local church deliver bags of groceries to low income people. I never saw and heard such ingratitude in my life as I did among those receiving groceries that included a Butterball turkey roast. There were grown men and women arguing over who was to get what, complaints as to what food was given, or accusations of theft from fellow neighbors.

And my favorite...a young high school girl volunteered her time at a local charity. After a half an hour, she noticed a pattern. "Needy" people drove up with their cars crammed with stuff they got from other charities all the while complaining. Needless to say not only did this young girl conclude that these people milk a system designed to help legititmate needy people, this experience has hardened her heart. She has now decided to volunteer at a local animal shelter where real help is needed.

Yet, in the midst of these episodes, one lone little girl, Maria, was grateful for a cat calendar. Go figure! Her card got my new year off to a great start-thanks Maria! You will go far in life.

Until the next dive-bomb my darlins, Meow!