Merry Christmas, everyone! As you sit around the tree with your beloved friends and family, enjoy the moment, because there are many people around you who don't have the things you have this holiday season. And I'm not even talking about family or connection; no, I'm just talking about the gifts under that tree.
While some of us are lucky to have Santa bring us everything we'd ever want under the Christmas tree, others have to do with relative table scraps. But the most important part of Christmas isn't the receiving, it's the giving; and there's nothing more heartwarming than watching someone with not much to give, offer all that they have in the name of the holidays.
It's something you see quite a lot of the time, and this teacher's Facebook post is a perfect example of that. Rachel Uretsky-Pratt is a teacher at Amistad Elementary in Washington State, and she tells us the story of a young girl who didn't have anything to give, but wanted to give all the same.
"This kiddo wanted to get my [sic] something so badly, but had nothing to give," explains Uretsky-Pratt in her Facebook post, adding that teachers usually give their kids books or candy for the holidays, and that sometimes, they can even get things back from their students.
But then, the 24-year-old teacher told us about the gift she'd received: "Today I received some chocolates, sweet handmade notes, some jewelry, but these Lucky Charm marshmallows stood out to me the most."
Now, Lucky Charms are a delightful cereal, and the marshmallows are the best part, but amongst all of the other gifts, why did this one in particular stand out to Rachel Uretsky-Pratt?
"You see, 100% of my school is on free/reduced lunch. They also get free breakfast at school every day of the school week. This kiddo wanted to get my something so badly, but had nothing to give."
That's right - the third grader who gifted this bag of marshmallows had only a free school breakfast to barter with, but she sacrificed that breakfast in order to make sure that Uretsky-Pratt got something from her that Christmas, and it just kind of melts your heart, doesn't it?
"So rather than give me nothing, this student opened up her free breakfast cereal this morning, took the packaging of her spork, straw, and napkin, and finally took the time to take every marshmallow out of her cereal to put in a bag—for me."
Quite the resourceful little girl, isn't she? But it's also an important lesson that we should all make sure to remember that not everyone's got it as good as you. Or, as Rachel Uretsky-Pratt put it: "Be grateful for what you have, and what others give you. It all truly comes from the deepest parts of their hearts."
Whatever happens this holiday season, that's a great message to take away from Christmas, isn't it?
