Christmas Gift

Christmas is hard enough,

        With out watching your poor kid watch all the other kids getting their picture taken with Santa and then realizing that they won't get one too.
 I was thinking that very same thing this morning as I drove my son to daycare. I wondered if there was a way to ask if someone needed help with getting their kids photo taken with Santa. Then it felt weird somehow asking about other peoples needs. So I though bag it right?  
Then as I was leaving, I saw the same woman I had seen the day before. She looked haggard and worn out. Looked like she was struggling like everyone else. She then noticed the Santa pictures were today. Was asking how much and when they had to have the money. Then she mentioned maybe trying to borrow the money and making it down on her break....
 And in a flash, all I could think of was the times my son had asked why he couldn't have his picture with Santa or said he wanted his picture with Santa after seeing his cousins.. How it just broke my heart to tell him we couldn't or I didn't have the money.
 So here I was, now in a the position to do exactly what I was thinking I wanted to for some child. What I wish someone could have or would have done for me the last few years...
 I went out o my car, watched the woman leave, grabbed 20$ from my wallet and went back in.
The guy who was in there when the woman was looked at me. 
I said "The woman who was in here?"
He said it was somebody's grandmother...
  I held up the cash in my hand" Get her what she wanted." And handed him the cash.
He looked so stunned said "Thanks" and I left saying "Don't tell her who it was." and left it at that.
I feel real good knowing I got to give my anonymous gift with out having to pry into peoples lives through the staff. 
And she looks a lot like I've felt over the past few years. Really wishing you could do it for them and knowing you can't. If she had the money, like me, she would have had it in. You know she would have. She looked so disappointing not having it. That look of almost hoping that they'd have a free one available... knowing it wasn't going to happen... All those times I wish I could have, and couldn't with my son... 
Hopefully, it brightens her day.