Good Samaritan

Welcome to my first post on my new blog. I set up this blog as I always find I have so much to talk about in my Monday post on 7yummymummies and thought another outlet would be appropriate, especially for non-parenting related topics.

I am super excited at the moment as I have decided to participate in the Operation Christmas Child project this year. The project is run by a charity called Samaritan Purse and involves filling a shoebox with gifts to be sent to an underprivelidged child perhaps in an underdeveloped country. Of course I feel very proud of the fact that, because of me, two children (I plan to do a boys and a girls shoebox) for whom the festive season probably doesn't hold half the joy and magic it does for my own children, get to feel loved and special, that someone, somewhere in the world put the effort in for them and them alone.

I am also just relishing the fact that I get to do some early present shopping. I tend to get the 'Christmas itch' around this time each year. I truly love buying presents and everywhere I go I see lovely things that I'm dying to buy but do not want to wait until the end of December for my children to have them. I also have so many nieces and nephews that I find it profitable to wait until the week before Christmas when most places have their half price toy sales. I have already bought a few things intended for Christmas for Courtney and let her have them right away. There are so many things I do want to get them for Christmas though, so it's probably just as well.

I also figure that helping put the shoeboxes together will remind my older two how lucky they are to be able to have nice things. I'm going to get them to write a little card to put in the boxes too. Even if the child receiving the boxes is unable to read they will know that another child wrote it for them, kind of like having a little friend.

I posted the link to the Samaritan Purse website on Facebook and a couple of my friends have now decided to take part in the project as well. I'm sure as we are watching our own childrens faces light up as they delve into their sacks and rip open the bright packages 'Santa' has left for them, we will also be saying a silent prayer for the children for whom we have restored faith in human goodness for.

A child who usually has so little.