Christmas Is For Kids

For many of us, this Christmas season is about as lackluster as it can get... The fickle finger of fate, otherwise known as a recession, keeps reaching out and tapping more and more of us for job loss, big reductions in stock values, home foreclosure and other financial woes that are threatening to put this year's Christmas spirit in a real tailspin.
The hits just keep on coming as we prepare to put the wraps on a year that many of us would just as soon forget. The nation is seeing record unemployment, the auto industry is apparently on the verge of collapse, and new layoffs across the board are being announced on a daily basis.
But that's all grownup stuff. Children don't understand that mommy or daddy lost their job and can't afford to put food on the table, much less buy gifts this year. Obviously, I'm talking about the younger ones who only know that Santa will be coming soon.
You know the old joke about being so poor that the father goes out in the backyard and fires a shotgun, then comes back in and tells the kids he accidentally killed Santa... Well, that may not be so funny this year.
Perhaps more than ever before, communities all across this great land need to pull together and make certain our youngest citizens are able to experience some joy on Christmas morning. There are any number of ways to help make that happen: Toys for Tots, Angel Trees, and other more localized programs where you can purchase toys or clothing items and donate to organizations who make certain kids have something under the tree for Christmas.
Recessions are cyclical and fade from memory quickly once the economy rebounds... That's adult stuff. But, imagine being a young child and not having anything under the tree on Christmas. If you experienced that as a youngster, then I'm certain that memory stays with you even now.
Each of us who has the financial capacity to do so, can truly make a big difference this year.