ournalist will miss
his Christmas hamper

Anunemplayed journalist

SE Income assistance. who sill wastes ta

remain anonx mous, wrote Che following piece lust Chirtytiias for the
North Shore News, While he is now happils empioved, Be wants to say
that he will miss his Chrisomas Hamper this season because it brought x0

mich pleasure and jov. He asks evervane to give to theiz

Christmas

funds because it realty does srrean so much ta so many people.

A SMALL box of soup crackers.

You might not think

such a simple gift could represent the true meaning of

Christmas. But the smallest

present can be as full of

meaning as any gift of the Magi.

Such a gift came to me not so
long ago. Ix was a small. simple
box that I could easily hold and
turn over in my hand, which [
did, until 1 came to a hand-written
name on one side. The spirit of
Christmas then came flooding into
my heart.

You see, I am one of those
nameless, faceless people who
have been the lucky beneficiaries
of your kind and thoughtful gen-
erosity through the West Van-
couver Santa Claus Fund. I would
like to thank you for this by try-
ing to give you some idea of how
much this has meant to me, and
others in my situation.

1am a single man, now past 59,
and unable io find employment
for some time in a society where
the emphasis, alas, is on youth
rather than experience. But that is
another story.

The fact remains that even
though I still have much to offer
and contribute to society, I have
been compelled to exist on social
assistance for longer than I care to
think about or comment on.

One of the few bright spots in
this time has been when I received
my package of food staples and
treats from the Santa Claus Fund.

With little family now to speak
of, and few friends, this Santa
Claus Fund package has been my
major, and almost only,
Christmas present.

Opening that cardboard box
and examining the contents has
brought back the feelings I had,
when, as a small boy, I would
rush into the living room early
Christmas morning to gaze in joy,

eer Create See hesCiNsar
ener ey ABCROLS Lumet!

Sean

and awe, at the mound of gaily-
wrapped and ribboned gifts that
were crammed under the heavily
decorated tree in the corner by the
big bay window, and spilled out
into the middle of the room.

Every Christmas cannot be the
same, and there was the small
feeling of disappointment when
the Santa Claus Fund donations
were down and my parcel was
small. But there was also the
Christmas when donations were
up, and the box so heavy | could
hardly lift it. | felt as rich then as
a millionaire, and this joy stayed
with me throughout the holiday
season and beyond, as I continued
to enjoy the contents of this
Christmas treasure chest.

After the box is received, impa-
tient fingers quickly tear it open
so each item of food can be
quickly lifted out. They are ail
carefully examined, slowly turned
over in the hand before being put
down on the table, to be stored
away in a kitchen cupboard for
later opening only after the box
has been emptied.

Every item is individually
savored, and there is a reluctance
to set it down and move on to the
next; but the next calls for equal
attention, and the hand and eye
must move on until the last is out.
Each item of food is a Christmas
gift in itself.

An added joy comes at the
discovery of a special treat in this

box of treasures - a faverize food
item seldom) had because of the
cost is pulled from the box. And
there’s always ao small Christmas
cake to be found, the only such
seke IT will likely have or taste
over the holidays.

The last item to be opened is
always the envelope with the
supermarket coupons inside, and |
sigh with relief? when £ see the
total amount has not been
diminished from that given the
year before. For it is these
coupons that allow me to pur-
chase food items | could not
otherwise afford. These coupons
will put the Christmas turkey and
trimmings on the table, and thus
represents the crowning touch to
this truly wonderful gift of
Christmas tove and sharing.

And then there was that small
box of soup crackers.

{ saw the name as | turned the
box slowly over in my hand, the
crackers being of a tasty but cost-
ly kind I would not normatiy buy
for myself. It was the name of a
Chinese boy, carefully written in
black ink.

I ate and enjoyed the crackers
from that small box very slowly
over several weeks, keeping it with
me for as long as | could. Each
time | removed a cracker from
that box [ could see the boy’s
name in ink proudly standing out,
and I thought of him, wondered
who he was, and what he was
like.

What did he look like? How old
was he? Did he write his own
name on the box, or had a parent,
or perhaps an older sibling done it
for him? Was his family well off,
or just ordinary folk, wanting to
share the spirit of Christmas with
others fess fortunate than
themselves? Had he picked out the
crackers? Did he, too, wonder
what the person would be like
who would receive his gift of
crackers? And will he read this
now? And know?

See Christmas page 14

We are the NEW Suzuki Dealer
on the North Shore

And we believe our

Swifts, Samurais and
Sidekicks stack up as the
best value best quality

in the market for your

money, today and
tomorrow.

SWIFT
3-door (hatchback)
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SWIFT SEDAN

4-door
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SAMURAI
CONVERTIBLE

Base/Standard
Hardtop/Standard

SIDEKICK

2-door convertible
JAIXIILX

& 2-door Hardtop

F 4. door Hardtop ast
JXMLX/JLX POWER PACK }

‘Across from the 2 Lynnweod Hotel, parking at rear, enter lane off Mountain Highway

Mon-Fri. 9.3, Sat.
and Sunday 11- pen

_1570 Main St.

Wednesday, becember 19, 1990 - North Shere News - 13

ny Rays

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