Small Sacrifices

[weeder]

We never had extra money when I was growing up. I lived in a nice house, in a nice neighborhood. We ate very well... but we never had vacations, or frivolous things. I was getting upset because I had few items of clothing to choose from for school. I went to bed one night crying because the next day was an international festival at school and I was looking forward to having nothing special to wear. In the morning, when I opened my eyes.... draped across the chair in my room.. was the sweetest skirt I have ever seen. It was a rosy color with little yellow flowers flicked all over it. Two over the shoulder straps that criss crossed in the back.There was also a lemon yellow tee shirt to go undernealth. My mom stayed up late into the night to sew the outfit for me. She did it with scantly a yard or so of scrap material. ( I was very skinny then. ) I went to school feeling like a princess. Thanks mom.

[Peg]

Great story weeder. Your mom is a very lucky lady that you remember and appreciate that day. May God bless her.

[Accountable]

I spent my teen years in foster care. Three of those years was in two different children's homes (campuses that housed over 100 kids). Sitting here, I not only can't remember what I got for Christmas, I can't even remember if I got anything, though I'm sure I must have. That is except for once.



I was 17 years old, the oldest kid at the Methodist Children's Home in Ruston, Louisiana, and hated the world. I was perpetually angry. When Christmas rolled around, we received a pile of giftwrapped packages from some anomymous church. The were marked "To A Girl" or To A Boy". That'll make ya feel special, right? Each cottage (there were seven, I believe) received one gift per kid. As per custom the youngest picked up one gift at a time from under the tree and decided who to give it to. One 10-year-old got a football. Another boy got a plastic pinball game. I stuck around because I had to. Being the oldest, I had to wait until last, then I could retreat to my room to sulk (it was my hobby at the time). Finally Little Santa gave me my package. "To a boy"



I tore off the wrapping and discovered ... a beanbag toss game. 4 little bean bags and an inflatable triangle with target "cups" to aim for, ages 5-8 as I recall. Great. Not only do I have to get presents from strangers, I get a useless piece of crap like this. I stormed to my room. No one tried to stop me.



I sat on my bed fuming. Why would somebody I don't even know send me such a lame gift? I don't know how long it took, but within a few minutes the same question came back without the anger. Why would somebody I don't even know send me a gift? They didn't know me, yet they took the time not only to buy it, but to wrap it as well.



I opened the box and inflated the triangle target. For the next six months until I graduated high school, whenever I got angry - almost daily - I tossed bean bags.



Thanks for helping me remember, Weeder.

[Bez]

My mum made a fancy dress outfit out of 'crepe paper'....I was Little Bo-Peep. I carried a toy lamb made out of an old white towel and a 'crook' made out of a garden cane and wire.....I won first prize. !!!

The picture below isn't me but gives a pretty good idea of the type of costume....good old mum.....she also knitted a babys Christening gown in the finest of wool and won a prize from a Womans magazine.

[weeder]

Nice Nice Nice Nice. And you ACC...... valuable painful memories. Look at us now.

You suffered when you were a child. No parents around to love you. Today, as an adult, it sounds like you have the " Love of your life with you. I had parents to buy me Christmas presents( even if most often.. it was dissapointing underwear and sox) and now as an adult. I am all alone. So we get what we get.. when the time is right to get it. Eh???? Love to you :-4 Weeder

[weeder]

SnoozeControl wrote: I remember a fake fur coat my mom made for me, with lining and all that neat stuff. I probably looked like a tard in it (it was fake spotted horse hair, for pete's sake!) but I thought it was the coolest thing on the planet.

She made a great Southern Belle costume for me for Halloween once, I should try to find the photo.
It was the coolest thing. Your mom made it! You must have looked adorable!

[weeder]

Peg wrote: Great story weeder. Your mom is a very lucky lady that you remember and appreciate that day. May God bless her.
Thank You Peg.... my mom has never known the well spring of love that is available... if you open your heart to strangers. The strangers become friends. I wish that she was someone who took part in a place like this. Not only would she see what I remember. But she could share so many wonderful stories that we all share with each other. She is a very private person.. not really interested in people. I will have to remember to tell my skirt memory to her.

[CARLA]

Great stories and beautiful memories..!! :-4

We didn't have much growing up either, back then dads worked moms stayed home. When my parents bought there first house after the war in a community called "Allied Gardens" thing were even tighter. I remember our first Christmas in our new home. I'm the oldest of three girls, well I was in 3rd grade at the time and asking Santa for a Bike. I never expected to get one.

I had the best surprise Christmas morning my dad and mother had gone to elabrate means to make footprints of Santa for me to follow to where my band new(used) Schwinn bike (that my dad had re-painted, shined up,and worked on across the street at the neighbors house for month) was at in the back yard. They told me Santa couldn't get it in the house. I remember being so suprised I cried I loved that bike so much I kept it for decades even after I had a newer bike, that was the best gift I ever received. :-4

[Accountable]

Isn't it strange how it's the small things, the things that cost more effort than money, that sticks in our memory? I don't think we'll ever hear, years later, of a kid reminiscing about that one really cool video game above all others that makes him remember Dad.