"There is a spirit in the world of generosity-
That brings good things to
all of us, whoever we may be
So I believe in Santa Claus, for it can't
be denied- That he is generosity personified.
Yes, there is a Santa
Claus for children everywhere-
Though you may watch the chimney tops and
never see him there.
People say his magic sleigh flies in the sky
above-
But you might find it anywhere you find unselfish love.
Oh, yes,
he really does exist- And Santa Claus will live!
As long as hearts can
realize- How good it feels to give.
So when you are feeling blue- Keep
up your hopes, because...
If there is kindness in this world- There is a
Santa Claus!"
-Martha Cratchit, in "The Stingiest Man in Town"
Childhood memories at Christmas are really hard to remember without Santa. We would write him letters asking for the newest and coolest toy, doll, tamagotchi, or whatever the must-have item of the year was that was coming out. And if our minds changed before Christmas- the panic that Santa might not know, lead to another URGENT letter being sent to clarify the new request.
But imagine, growing up, and from as young as 2-3 years old not having a Santa. Not having that excitement each Christmas morning, and not getting presents- big or small. That's how the memories of Christmas are for many of the Children here in Grenada. When we talk to them about Christmas, there is very little mention of Santa, or presents, or anything that most of us, as children, associated with Christmas. I was actually talking to one of the "older" girls about how I was getting married at Christmastime and so I would be going home to Michigan to celebrate the holiday with my family and little brothers. She immediately asked how only my brothers were and when I told her they were just a little younger than her, she responded "that's good you are going to see them, Miss, ... Santa doesn't come here." I could have cried and honestly didn't even really know how to respond.
While the purpose of Christmas is not about gifts, how do you explain to a 9 year old that Santa and presents happen to some children throughout the world and not others? And although she didn't seem overly sad and it is a normal thing to her, it was the vast line that was drawn between her and children (like my brothers) at her age that really killed me. I hate how grown up and aware of discrepancies they are at 8,9,10 years old. And I hate that some kids get presents and some don't.
However, this year some SGU SOs- both here in Grenada and those already back in the States, have decided to make sure that Santa does indeed visit Grenada this Christmas. They have started a project called "Operation Grenada Child." The idea is a simple one. For $20 or less, you can create a shoebox that will be shipped to Grenada for a Limes child. It doesn't have to be anything super fancy, these kids get excited over simple things like pencil sharpeners! If you don't personally want to shop for the gifts, there is also the option to assist with shipping the boxes to Grenada- which is equally as helpful as the shoe-boxes themselves.
For more information, or to sign up to send a box follow THIS LINK.
Thanks for helping us put smiles on these sweet children's faces!
And in the words of Tiny Tim... "God bless us, every one"
