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The department store we walk through to get to the bargain store has a giving tree; complete with tags for gifts to buy for less fortunate families. Louise was fascinated, and most concerned, that some children did not get to have any shopping money, or even get presents themselves. Daniel had been a fantastic reader from an early age and it never took him long to find a tag that said, 'Boy, aged 5', to match him. Louise found, 'Girl, aged 7'. They pulled their tags off the tree and they both looked at me expectantly. I scanned the tree to find, 'Mother, aged 28'.

Louise asked me if I had bought them anything for Christmas yet. I cautiously answered, "a few small things, so far." Then she asked Daniel if it was okay with him if I used some of the money I might have been going to spend on them, for the giving tree. He nodded, and off they went with wonderful light in their eyes to find something. It's one of those things I really wish had suggested but the credit must remain with them.

That was just over twelve years ago. Even now, at age nineteen and seventeen, they use their own money from work to pop something under the giving tree a week before Christmas. It still chokes me up too.

Learn more about this author, Wendy Mackrell.
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