I am not sure when it had started, but as long as I can remember, my family took names from the giving tree at the store. All I know is that I asked my mom what the tree was and I could not fathom that there were children who did not get presents for Christmas. I know I asked my mom if I could pick a name and when she told me we could not afford to buy extra presents I offered to give a girl my age one of my presents. So that is what we did every year, my brothers and I would give up a present to a child around our same age.
When I started making my own money I started picking a name and buying gifts for the kids on the tree. On good years I could pick two names and working at King Soopers I could just pick a name from the store tree after I got off work one night.
A few years ago before I had kids of my own I was able to pick two names. I picked a 14-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy. I bought the boy some play-doh, toy cars and package the included a small football, basketball and soccer ball. I remember like every other time I brought the gifts to store how wonderful I felt.
Some time between when I had turned the gifts in and Christmas I was waiting for my bus stop outside of my work. (Any more I can't remember where I was headed, school probably.) As I walked up to the bus stop I saw it... MY wrapping paper... in the shape of the gift I had wrapped! A 5-year-old boy was at the bus stop with his mom and grandma.
"Can I open it now... please?" he asked his mom.
"Yes, yes!" I was screaming in my head.
"Ok you can open the small package on top" she finally said.
"CARS! My favorite!" he said. Eventually while waiting for the bus she let him open the whole gift. "Thanks whoever got this for me" he said.
"You're welcome!" I said in my head. I can't believe I got to see him open it. I was so close to crying.
