None of this is meant to be self aggrandizing and if it comes off that way I apologize it is not my intention. Just having one of those nights when I can't sleep, and I have write to give the voices in my head an outlet.
I will have known Vergette 39 years this coming February. I had just got out of the service and was working at a local home improvement center. My oldest niece was three years old going on thirty. She was not over find of me since I was stealing her favorite Aunt from her. I decided to try and bribe her by building her a rocking horse. I had taken a couple of woodshop classes in high school as well as some technical drawing classes. The only tools I had were a Black & Decker hand jig saw, Circular saw, hand drill, a plane and a hand rasp. We scraped up the money and bought the lumber. I spent most of the summer building this thing. The joy I got from building it and giving i to her still stands out in the old memory banks.
Flash forward about 12 years. I am working at a relatively poor rural school district in the middle of NYS. There was a student there that I will call Bob. Bob's family was dirt poor, they rented the wall their back was to. My teaching partners class decided that they would have a Christmas party. Every kid contributed to purchase the things required for the festivities. Long story short Bob stole the money and was using it to buy food and other necessities. (Yes it was wrong I am not saying it wasn't) Word got around that the principal was considering pressing charges, if the money was not returned. I told Vergette this when I got home and she agreed that this could not stand. We took the money that we were going to spend on each other that year added a couple of bucks to it and I approached the Athletic Director, who was heading up the investigation. I gave him the money and told him all he had to say was "The money had been returned." I swore him to secrecy and that was it as far as he knew. When I got home that evening my lovely bride had gone shopping. She purchased all the trimmings for a Christmas dinner and gift cards to the local department store. About 11:00 that night we drove over to the young man's house and dropped everything off at the front door. Vergette called the house using her cell phone and told them Merry Christmas and asked them to open the front door. The porch light came on and Bob's father brought everything inside. This is the first time I am relaying this to anyone, but I am pretty sure that Bob suspected me. On Monday out of the clear blue he comes up to me tells me that there are some very generous people in the district. I agreed and left it at that.
Flash forward about ten more years. I am working at another relatively poor rural school district, this time in Virginia. I get word that one of m students is going to have a skinny Christmas due to some family medical bills. I approach the head of the guidance department and inform her that my lovely wife and I are going to anonymously donate money to this kids family. She takes care of ar it and the next year we do it again this time with about 3 students. Somehow word got out and the third year several other teachers are getting into the act. Since then this has grown exponentially. Teachers recommend students and the guidance department contacts the family and asks them if they are willing to accept these gifts. Anyone that contributes may specify giving to a special child of just anyone. This year we raised over $5,000. Each student is receiving around $150.
All this came about because a kid named Bob stole some money to hls feed his family, twenty plus years ago.
Yeah 2020 has been a crappy year, but Vergette and I are having a great Christmas this year. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays this year. May God richly bless each of you.
