All I Want for Christmas

We are all familiar with the "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth" song. Every day,I have the opportunity to work with some students who don't have the many advantages that others do. Many of my students don't have computers, shoes that fit, warm coats, or even running water; yet, not a day goes by that I don't see one of my students share with another student. At lunch, nothing goes in the trash because someone always wants what others don't. I have even seen students pack up food in zip top bags to take home to little brothers and sisters who didn't get lunch.

It makes me thankful for what I have and that I have the chance to see the good in kids who often have a bad reputation because of their zip code. When I asked my students for suggestions of what they wanted for Christmas from me, you would think that I would have had crazy wish lists from the class. I asked them for some ideas about games for our classroom and then what each of them wanted. Without a doubt the most requested games were another Battleship and a new Life game. Our Life game has lost all of its "people" and it has Monopoly money from a game gone missing.

The personal gifts they asked for were watches with gum in them and marbles. Yes, I had five or six students ask for marbles. First, I ask them if they were going to put them up their noses. They said, "No." Then I asked if they were going to put them up someone else's nose. There was a longer pause this time but then they again said, "No." So kids whose dads are in prison, who live with their grannies, who didn't have snacks last week only want marbles and a new game of Life for Christmas. What great kids I work with.

How blessed am I that I get to know these students and have them in my life!