Redemption Of Christmas Past
Some may be surprised; I know what it was like to start out life by not having much as a little girl. I went out to eat for the first time at the age of 6 - a pancake restaurant, my fondest childhood memory. It was most definitely the strawberries on top of my pancakes that made the day even more special!
I also know what it was like to be a rich medical doctor's daughter. My adoptive mother married my stepfather a short time after my first dining out experience. During our first Christmas as a new family, there were so many gifts under the tree that my two brothers and I didn't have enough time to open all of them. I remember feeling overwhelmed.
While growing up, I was embarrassed by how showy and stingy my now-late parents were with their material wealth. The emptiness I felt from living in glass houses has taught me there has to be much more to life than flaunting our wealth. I never heard the words "less fortunate" or "giving back to society" until I was out on my own. My parents didn't show me by example what it truly means to care about others with love, respect, and a generous heart.
What I learned from my upbringing is that you can't buy love, and to give to others selflessly is a real gift. If I were to win the lottery, I would want to give it all away to those less fortunate. For me, life made more sense when I could be thankful for what little I had and how much more it meant to me than some high price tag. I am determined to keep making a difference in this world, with God's help, to continue being a caring, unselfish human being.
And, if I had it my way, I would declare it "Take Your Child (all children) Out for Pancakes Day," and with, of course, not forgetting the strawberries on top.
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." -2 Corinthians 8:9
Author, JoAnne Duffy Bennett
JoAnne loves to write. Years ago, she started getting brave and writing about the painful parts of her life journey, as well as many triumphant moments. Never did she expect to find that writing was her gift and that she truly does have a voice that matters. Her favorite published piece is about making a difference in the lives of young people in an anthology, Dear Wonderful You (2014). JoAnne's most recent heart-warming story is in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Wonder of Christmas (2018).
