Stories of Kindness from Around the World

This is a true story written from a child's perspective by my dear, 68 year old mother, a post war/depression child living in Newfoundland, Canada at the time this happened!  She will be reading this to the children and congregation at her church over the Christmas season.

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Every year at this time I remember a Christmas when I was 8 years old.

It is the one memory of Christmas that has stayed with me all my life. My children always loved hearing it.

I grew up in a small community in Newfoundland, with the sea right at our door. My father was a sea captain and was away from home most of the year, but he was always home for Christmas. I remember the excitement bubbling up inside me -- it would soon be Christmas and Dad would be home for at least 3 months. I don't know which excited me most.

Everything would be ok. Our home would be warmer and our times together was always fun, and plenty of laughter, especially at meal time. We always had enough food and clothing and even some to share with those who had less. My parents did all they could to give myself and my 4 sisters what we needed, but not always what we wanted.

That particular Christmas when my Dad asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I told him that I wanted a new pair of shoes, knowing that I needed new rubber boots because the old ones had holes in them and I had to walk to school in them. My Dad told me in a no nonsense voice that I would have to choose, but I couldn't have both. So I had to choose the rubber boots. All I could think of during the weeks before Christmas was that I would have to wear rubber boots with my new dress I knew my Mother was making for me.

Christmas morning came, and tucked into the toe of my stocking was a note that said "Look on the knob off the kitchen door”. I did, and found another note that said "Look behind the radio". I did, and found a box with a new pair of shoes. They weren't glass slippers like Cinderella's or red ones like Dorothy's. They were black leather shoes with laces and the leather was so hard I could barely get my feet into them, but they were for me the most beautiful shoes I had ever seen. I knew my father had gotten them for me. I was so happy.

It was the best Christmas ever!