Santa's Got A Secret

This week many of the staff members at the law firm where I'm librarian, as well as many of the attorneys, participated in our second annual Secret Santa project. Under the direction of the LSU-Shreveport Department of Education we came together with other local groups to sponsor students in one of the area elementary schools located in a low income neighborhood. Already struggling to provide for their families adequately, those families have been hit harder by the current economic climate as parents once employed by companies like GM have now lost their jobs. By the time participants in our firm had each drawn a sheet with a child's name, age, clothing sizes, and toy desires we were prepared to fill the Christmas wishes of 82 children! Spirits were high as we all went shopping and then gathered over the next few days in one of the large conference rooms. Up to our elbows in toys and wrapping paper, we felt very much like giddy elves in Santa's workshop. But some gifts were too large to wrap - bicycles! The hall outside that conference room was lined with them. Big ones and small; hot pink, sparkly blue, shiny silver...streamers on handlebars and reflectors on wheels - what a sight! With the addition of large bows they looked beautiful. It was no surprise to read the sheets of children who wished for a new outfit, a bike or a basketball, a Batmobile, a jewelry box or a game. After all, children are the same no matter where they live. But the wish that stole our hearts was from a little 8 year old boy who wrote at the bottom of his short, simple list "I don't need a whole lot but I would like for every child in the world to have a toy, even if their Momma and Daddy is poor." Now, wouldn't that be a truly wonderful Christmas morning?