The $5 Reindeer Candy Cane

Another week has passed by and every day has been a blurr. We had a problem with my cards so have had to make two trips to Costco with another one probably tomorrow. I wrapped Spencer's kids Christmas and sent it yesterday. It's always a good feeling when their presents are on the way. I'm still mourning them moving back to Boston, but I keep telling myself that all my kids need to walk their own pathways. So if they want to walk it in Boston, so be it. Last night at around 2:30 we had a loud thunderstorm. It woke me up because it felt like our roof was going to come off. I spent the rest of the night feeling sick, first with cold symptoms, then chilling and stomach issues. Why is it when I have so much to do I get sick, maybe stress? Last night when I was sitting in the car with Trulie while Mindi went in to Costco, an older Hispanic lady came up to the car. I rolled the window down and asked her what she needed. She had some little candy canes with eyes on them and a piece of black pipe cleaner around the top so it would look like a reindeer. She then went on to tell me her husband wasn't getting paid and they didn't have a Christmas tree yet. I asked her how much she wanted for them and she said, "just anything you want to give me." I pulled out a $5 bill from my purse and handed it to her. That's probably the most I have ever spent for a single candy cane. I have also seen numerous families standing near the shopping center entrances holding signs asking for help. Sometimes I wonder why I've been so blessed. Did I do something different than them? Or is it that we all have our own struggles in life? I want to feel the Christmas spirit not because of what I'm buying but because I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and am so thankful for his birth and sacrifice he made on my behalf. I wish I had the resources to help all those that need help but I do know that God loves his children and wants them to return to him. I'm just thankful I had $5 to give to the lady that needed help.