The unexpected Christmas gift

Jan. 27, 2005
By Wendy Heithoff
Editor in Chief

It’s hard to deny that as a person ages, Christmas gifts aren’t as fun as they used to be. That doesn’t imply that you don’t get what you want or that you dislike receiving gifts any more than when you were seven, but there are noticeable differences.

Clothes, maybe electronics and a few other assorted items are the gifts that end up under the tree with your name on it. And although they may be everything you wished for, it is doubtful you will spend all Christmas morning playing with these new found treasures.  Instead, you politely thank those who got you presents, pack them away in a corner and join in other festivities.

And then sometimes there is that one gift that makes you stop and think. It is the gift that is hard to be excited about, but easy to recognize how unique and special it is. This year, I received one of those gifts.

On Christmas morning I was opening gifts with my soon to be in-laws. After all the presents had disappeared from underneath the tree and the carpet was covered with brightly colored bows, paper and bags, my future mother in-law gave my fiancé and I a small stuffed bear. I couldn’t help staring at her with bewilderment. I don’t mind sharing gifts with him, but it’s hard to share a stuffed animal when you live three hours apart.

She explained that this was a free gift given to those who enroll in the World Vision program. “For Christmas, we adopted a child for a year under your names,” she said. “For one year your only obligation is to write to this boy and develop a friendship of sorts. After a year, it is your choice whether you continue to sponsor this child.”

After the madness of the holidays settled down, I sat down and looked at the paperwork from World Vision, wondering what I could write to this child about for a year. The child’s name is Jirayut, a twelve-year-old boy from Thailand. From the start, it feels like we have nothing in common.

I read on. He enjoys math and likes soccer. The differences continue, I loathe math and did everything possible to avoid it. He lives with his mother in a poor community. The staple food in his community is sticky rice. And then suddenly everything was in perspective.

This was just like those activities teachers in grade school and high school have you do. Even St. Ambrose has a similar program. During Hunger Week, people participate in an activity that illustrates the breakdown of the wealth in the world. A few receive a good meal and the majority of participants get rice.

Here I was, living with the wealthy and his staple food was rice. It wasn’t that I didn’t realize the distribution of the world’s wealth before, but somehow numbers and statistics don’t mean as much until you are put face to face with the situation.

I started to realize that corresponding with this child may be a challenge, but over time it would enhance my knowledge and understanding of the world he encountered every day. It would bring a situation that was hundreds of miles away, to my mailbox.

It sounds odd to tell friends, “For Christmas, I am sponsoring a child from Thailand,” but it is one of the most unique and thoughtful gifts I have received.

In my mind it is hard to decide who is getting the better end of the deal. For $.86 a day, Jirayut receives improved health care, education and clothes and I receive insight into a situation that is miles away, but now has a face. I guess it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

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