The Christmas Basket

My mother’s family was dirt floor poor-literally. My grandfather was unable to work due to heart problems (Second person in the world to undergo a quatriple-bypass and it was done over the phone as the Doctor was stuck in Montreal by a snow storm). What little help (If any?) from the government left them just scraping by. They fished out of Halifax harbour, had their own garden. They pickled canned and froze what ever they could. My mother vivdly remembers being sent up to the Firefighting school to collect empties off of the grounds so they could get the deposit so my grandmother could buy flour or oats. She also remembers going to the butcher to ask for a “Bone for the dog” so my grandmother could boil it to make soup.

It’s December 1968(ish).My Mother and her Twin sister both have to have their tonsils out. This is before socialized Medicine was universal across Canada, my grandmother used all of the money she was saving for Christmas to pay for the surgeries.

She had a very small amount left so at least they could have Christmas dinner even if gifts would be far and few between that year.

Then disaster struck. A small piece of metal was left in my mother’s throat she had to have another surgery and expensive antibiotics to battle the infection. It took what little money my grandmother had to pay for that. In those days Doctors still made house calls when he was at their house he saw the Christmas tree, decorated but with only a handful of gifts under the tree for a family of 9 people and no Christmas dinner to be heard of. The doctor told my grandmother not to worry about paying him, they could work out a plan for payments after the holidays.

My grandmother was grateful for the Doctor’s kindness but it was still too late. There would be no real Christmas and no Christmas dinner that year.

My Mother was 9 (along with her twin sister) she remembers it was the worst feeling in the world that there would be no Christmas that year and it was all her fault.

Then on Christmas Eve there was a loud booming knock at the door.

When my Grandfather opened the door there was no one to be seen (Which was highly unusual as my grandparents lived in a house at the top of a very steep hill, with only one way up it. Also it had been snowing but there were no foot prints in the snow.)

In front of the door was the most beautiful basket my mother had ever seen. Inside there was a turkey and all of the fixings. Gifts perfectly wrapped at least one for everybody!

It was a miracle they would have Christmas after all!

My grandmother never knew who left them the Christmas basket nor how they did so. Neither did my mother, but she never forgot the kindness as soon as she was able to my Mother always spent Christmas helping others. Through official charities or just through word of mouth of someone in need.

At my grandmother’s funeral a lady well into her 80’s came up to my mother. She said she remember her from when she as just a little girl. She asked my Mother if she remembered the Christmas Basket from so many years before. My mother did. She reveled that she was the Wife of the Doctor who had seen my mother while she had the throat infection. When her husband came home and mentioned how sad it was that the family wouldn’t be able to have Christmas she sprang into action (Unbeknown to her husband) she put the basket together with the help of the ladies from the church. On Christmas eve after Mass she “Stayed late” to help clean up afterwards. One of the ladies drove to the Road that was above the hill and above my grandparents home. She walked down through the snow and the woods, carrying the Christmas Basket then edged along the wall where the snow hadn’t fallen yet to leave the Basket at the door. Thus leaving no foot prints.

She was nearly caught when someone answered the door well before she was expecting them to!

She never forgot my Mother’s Family and often thought about them she knew that my grandmother was too proud to ask for Charity but was very very grateful for the Basket left of her doorstep so many years ago.

Growing up we didn’t always have a lot. When I was younger there were a lot of Lean years. I remember that we would get 4 or 5 boxes from my Grandfather (on my dad’s side) and that was almost always out entire Christmas. My mother always bought us practical things like Socks and Underwear (still does to this day!!). She instilled in us how Christmas was not a time for “Getting” but a time for giving and being grateful for what you have and sharing that with friends and those you love and occasionally those you do not.

This year a friend of mine is struggling. Trying to figure out how she was going to buy a (some-what but not overly so) expensive gift for her son. One that he wants more than anything. They are struggling to get by. Her and her husband were both unemployed for a good part of the year. She’s now has a job but both of their salaries together (which are hovering at the poverty line) barely cover their cost of living. This is almost nothing left over for “extras” like Christmas. Her original plan was to use “gift vouchers” that she had earned through a points program to buy this present. Only to find out that she couldn’t use them for this item.

She was heart broken. She made a post on her blog about this. Not asking for help but asking for ideas where could could trim her (very tight) food budget and others so she could come up with enough money to buy this present. The one thing her son really really wants.

I’ve met this lady in person. She is so kind and would give you the shirt off her back, even if she didn’t have another. She is one of those people that you meet and you just know that you will be friends with her for the rest of your life.

I looked at the cost of the gift and I weighted my options. Work is tough for me right now. I’m barely making 20hours/week. I’m doing ok but my budget is also tight. A few unexpected costs are really pushing it for me. My Christmas Budget was set, but I had already bought most of my gifts. I decided there was enough wiggle room in there. Ideally I would have just bought the gift and shipped it to her. Never telling her who did it.

Alsa I couldn’t do that. I didn’t want to risk her scraping up the money to buy it only to discover someone sent her one. Or the worry and stress that I could see her going through.

I told her not to worry I would pick up the gift for her. (Thank god for Amazon!).

She tried to tell me no but I wouldn’t listen. I sent her the gift anyway.

I guess it’s my way of “Paying it forward” for the Christmas Basket that my mother received so many years ago. One kind act from someone continues on today.

I think she would have liked that.