A little girl and her two brothers sat staring out the window. It was a grey and rainy day, but none of them cared. Their daddy was going to be home any minute.
“What time is it, Mommy?”
“3:15, 15 more minutes to go.”
“I wish they would hurry. I want to see Daddy,” the little girl said.
This scene plays out in millions of house-holds every day, but it was different at this house. The father in question, Joe August, was coming home for Christmas after having been in the hospital for a month. He was the young father of three small children and he was dying. His kids did not know it yet, but this would be the last Christmas with their father because the cancer that was ravaging his body would take him from his family three short months later.
The young mother was also living a familiar scene for far too many families in this country. Cindy was trying to figure out how to feed her kids. Her husband’s company had graciously continued his health care while he was fighting this disease, but disability payments covered very little be-yond necessities and sometimes, the payments did not cover all of those. They were out of money until the next payment came which was in one more week and there was one can of pears in the house. To make matters worse, it was Christmas Eve and she had not been able to buy any presents. Santa was not coming to the August home that year and it was breaking Cindy’s heart.
But she smiled as she watched her three kids stand staring out the window, waiting for the father they adored to appear. When the ambulance arrived (with the lights on for the kids to see), all the worry disappeared for a brief moment. Daddy was home.
The paramedics got Joe settled, and Kevin and Jeff, the two little boys, promptly climbed up into their dad’s wheelchair and sat on his lap. They began to regale him with stories of their new love, Star Wars. They were hoping Santa Claus would bring them the Death Star play set to go with their Luke and Han Solo figures. When the little girl finally got to talk, she told her daddy about what she was learning in school and read to him from her favorite book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss.
Family started to arrive. Joe was the oldest of seven boys and his brothers all wanted to see their leader. Both sets of grandparents and Cindy’s brother and sister made it, too. Everyone was there, and knowing what was happening with the family’s finances, brought what they could to make Christmas Eve bright. Cindy could worry a little less for a while longer. Then there was another knock at the door. Cindy and Joe had no idea who it could be; everyone who was coming was already packed into their little cottage. Cindy opened the door and saw her friend Yvonne. She spoke six simple words and changed the family’s holiday, and lives, forever.
“Cindy, I have something for you.”
Yvonne stepped aside and people began to pour into the house carrying bags of food and wrapped packages. They were from the Lion’s Club, the Masons, and the Catholic Church to which the family belonged. These gentle souls filled the kitchen with food for Christmas and food for the months ahead. They had gotten the children’s Christmas lists and provided every desire plus more. And they did this all for a family that many only knew in passing and some had never met. The young family had a beautiful holiday and a memory to sustain them when Joe finally lost the fight with cancer in March of the next year. He was just 30 years old.
The little girl learned a lot in that time. She learned that life is short and you have to grasp every minute with your loved ones that you can. She learned that giving is a powerful thing when done freely, honestly, and with the best of intentions. And she learned that Christmas and the holiday season is a magical time when anything can happen. The little girl in the story is me, Kelly August Duncan.
Barnes and Noble, many malls, firefighters, food pantries, and the Marines all work to collect toys, books, and food for needy children and their families. Find it in your heart to help out. And if you need help, never be afraid to ask. We all deserve a little light in our lives. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to each and every one of you. I hope you bring joy to the life of another. Even the smallest kindness can do big things. In this season, and always, be a big thing for someone else.
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