Christmas Cheer
Donation protected
Two years ago, the father of our home was diagnosed with cancer for the second time and had to undergo Chemotherapy. He was due to finish on the 22nd of December and we looked forward to that date like we had looked forward to Christmas every other year. It was a hard three months for our family, but the last day finally came. We were exhausted physically, emotionally and mentally. Dad being the hero of our story.
When it was nearly time to start packing up on the last day of treatment, we had one of the nurses deliver a nicely wrapped box. It was filled with Christmas presents for each member of our family. I was surprised and filled with gratitude, realizing that someone had taken the time to find out about our family and think of a way to try and bring some cheer to our family. I was also shocked that I had not even thought about presents for our family up until that moment. Normally our family home is filled with happy Christmas traditions and this time we had bypassed all of them. I was incredibly grateful to be able to take those gifts home with us and have something for our kids to open on Christmas morning.
Christmas morning came and for the first time I had no idea what was sitting under the Christmas tree. My heart was full of gratitude, and warmth. We were all so excited and curious. We opened up the presents and each present seemed to be the perfect gift for the recipient, as if they had been picked by a long term friend. Then my turn came. It was a beautiful handmade quilt, donated by the The Australian Quilter’s Association. I really couldn’t believe it. Making a quilt has always been on my bucket list, but I’ve never gotten around to it. Tears fell as I realised that someone out there had cared enough to do something for a stranger. They were never going to know who was going to receive it, they were never going to see a face, or even hear a thank you. Someone had done it without expecting anything in return. It reminded me of the fact that there is still so much good in this world. People with wonderful hearts, willing to not just talk about other people’s tough times, but actually be moved enough to do something about it. It was an incredible feeling to know that a stranger had made this gift for me, to bring me comfort in more ways than one.
So when my daughter a couple of weeks later, suggested we’d grow our hair and donate it to help make wigs for someone who had been affected by cancer, it was an easy decision. We took up the challenge together, and though neither of us had ever had such long hair before, we were willing to let it grow as long as possible. So here we are, two years later. It’s been a long time coming, and it has truly tested our patience, but our hair is finally long enough to be able to cut and donate it. We hope that someone out there may feel like we did. That someone, somewhere, cared for a stranger, and was willing to do a small something to show that he/she cared.
However, we also need your help. We hope to raise some funds and donate it to the Peter Mac Wellbeing Center in the hope that someone else may be able to feel the same way we felt when someone cared enough to help lift our spirits when we needed it most. We have no real target, just know that every little bit helps.
When it was nearly time to start packing up on the last day of treatment, we had one of the nurses deliver a nicely wrapped box. It was filled with Christmas presents for each member of our family. I was surprised and filled with gratitude, realizing that someone had taken the time to find out about our family and think of a way to try and bring some cheer to our family. I was also shocked that I had not even thought about presents for our family up until that moment. Normally our family home is filled with happy Christmas traditions and this time we had bypassed all of them. I was incredibly grateful to be able to take those gifts home with us and have something for our kids to open on Christmas morning.
Christmas morning came and for the first time I had no idea what was sitting under the Christmas tree. My heart was full of gratitude, and warmth. We were all so excited and curious. We opened up the presents and each present seemed to be the perfect gift for the recipient, as if they had been picked by a long term friend. Then my turn came. It was a beautiful handmade quilt, donated by the The Australian Quilter’s Association. I really couldn’t believe it. Making a quilt has always been on my bucket list, but I’ve never gotten around to it. Tears fell as I realised that someone out there had cared enough to do something for a stranger. They were never going to know who was going to receive it, they were never going to see a face, or even hear a thank you. Someone had done it without expecting anything in return. It reminded me of the fact that there is still so much good in this world. People with wonderful hearts, willing to not just talk about other people’s tough times, but actually be moved enough to do something about it. It was an incredible feeling to know that a stranger had made this gift for me, to bring me comfort in more ways than one.
So when my daughter a couple of weeks later, suggested we’d grow our hair and donate it to help make wigs for someone who had been affected by cancer, it was an easy decision. We took up the challenge together, and though neither of us had ever had such long hair before, we were willing to let it grow as long as possible. So here we are, two years later. It’s been a long time coming, and it has truly tested our patience, but our hair is finally long enough to be able to cut and donate it. We hope that someone out there may feel like we did. That someone, somewhere, cared for a stranger, and was willing to do a small something to show that he/she cared.
However, we also need your help. We hope to raise some funds and donate it to the Peter Mac Wellbeing Center in the hope that someone else may be able to feel the same way we felt when someone cared enough to help lift our spirits when we needed it most. We have no real target, just know that every little bit helps.
Organizer
Jessica Rhodes
Organizer
Melbourne VIC
