A Word from Krampus on Christmas Eve

 

I've been taking care of mean children for centuries, but sometimes it's the parents who really need the switches. Perhaps some of you mamas and papas need to take a long look at yourselves.

My tale of ignorance and avarice begins in northwest Alabama. A retired man worked once a week for a charity and was astounded at the children who came to visit. It was apparent that the one toy each child left with was a novelty. Many obviously had nothing, and not because I had stolen their toys.

The man often related these tales to his family who were equally upset. The man's niece regularly visited a thrift store in a large nearby town and came up with a plan. The store sold scores of Barbies, all totally undressed, but usually in perfect condition. This woman would purchase several each month, buy new clothes or even make them, then make an attractive box and add tissue paper to hold these creations. The dolls may not have been Madam Alexander, but to a little girl who had nothing, they were wonderful.

One day this woman found a Bob Mackie Barbie ball gown on sale. It had been some astronomical price, but now it was marked down to only a few dollars. Wouldn't the child who got a Barbie dressed in that gown be happy?

Unfortunately, no deserving little girl ever got the beautifully dressed Barbie. The woman who made them also volunteered with a children's project in a small, rural community. When the organization was unexpectedly short one girl's gift for a party, she donated the dress. She felt that it had at least saved the day for a worthwhile cause.

The night of the program's end, each child took their gift, then lined up for a participation certificate. Yes, they were rewarded for just showing up and eating and pushing and shoving each other, but that's why I carry my switches, now isn't it?

As the woman dutifully watched and smiled at each child taking his or her certificate, two mothers stood behind her talking. When one was asked what her daughter had gotten as a prize, the second mother replied in a hateful voice, "Oh, just some cheap Barbie dress. Looked like it was from the '80s."

The woman who had donated the expensive dress was understandably annoyed that she hadn't gotten it to a little girl who would have loved and cherished it. The next Christmas, I made sure the gauche mother got more than her share of switches. 

The moral? Teach your children to be appreciative of any gift. I'm always watching.

Krampus