The school year had already started this year when this woman walked in to the office…a slender, almost gaunt-looking woman. I was on my break time, checking on some records. We glanced at each other, and recognition set in. “Oh, you’re Mrs. Who…you had my oldest son in second grade!” I asked how he was doing (they had moved away towards the end of the school year he was in my class). The family had just moved back into the area, and she was registering her two older sons for school. She turned to the registration clerk and asked if her middle son could be put in my class, because I did a great job with the eldest. The clerk looked at me, raising an eyebrow. Technically, new students go into the class with the lowest number of students. I wasn’t the ‘lowest’, but I still had room. So it was up to me…and I said yes. The oldest brother was a sweetheart, so probably the next brother would be, also. And he is…a sweet, polite, fun-loving boy, with an articulation problem that we’re working on.
The day before yesterday, however, this boy told me ‘isn’t doing Christmas’. I contacted the mom, because if it’s because of religious reasons, I have to make sure the child isn’t participating in any ‘objectionable’ activities.
It’s not for religious reasons. It’s because of the economy. Parents are barely making ends meet. Dad can’t find regular work.
I can’t effin’ imagine having to tell my kids ‘we can’t have Christmas’ this year. Cannot fathom that. Even when I was a single, divorced parent with two young kids, no regular job, I never had to tell my kids ‘we can’t do Christmas this year’. I had family to help me bring the magic of Christmas to my kids. But I guess with the economy these days, more and more people are unable to ‘reach out’ to help their families, let alone others.
The local charities already have more kids on their lists than ever before, and they don’t have any extra spaces. I’m waiting to hear back from a local church which does a fantastic outreach program, but it may be too late.
So my husband and I will try to do something. We honestly don’t have much to spare…but we’re going to make sure each boy (11, 8, and 3) gets at least a new set of clothes and a new toy or two. They live in a trailer, so I know they don’t have space for anything ‘big’ like a bike. But to see the solemn and disappointed acceptance in a young child’s face when he should be antzy with anticipation…it’s not right. I’m trying to keep my opinion on politics out of this, but this sucky economy is hurting the ones who have no voice in it. And those voices shouldn’t have to be saying, ‘We aren’t doing Christmas’ in such a sad, resigned timbre. Every damn member of our Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches should have to go out to the broken-down neighborhoods and tell these kids to their faces “Merry Christmas”. After all, those elitist members are responsible for how this country is run, and they should see the consequences of their decisions. Yeah, there is such a thing as personal responsibility for these families. But when they’re doing all they can and it’s not enough to even give Christmas gifts to their kids…when the charities that try to help the less-fortunate aren’t getting enough donations because of the economy…yeah, those who make the decisions need to get out and see the results of what they’re doing. They shouldn’t be ‘doing Christmas’, either.
