The Cardboard Christmas Tree
This Christmas I wanted to share a message with you that is special to me and my family. It’s the story of The Cardboard Christmas Tree. Please watch. It has changed Christmas for us forever.
This year our family got to play sub for santa for a local refugee family. They fled the war in Syria almost 4 years ago. They lived in a refugee camp in Jordan for 3 years before coming to the United States 8 months ago. The refugee camp in Jordan is one of squalor. Seven families share one bathroom. They are not allowed to work and children are not allowed to go to school. They are instructed simply to exist. The water is putrid. Children die, freezing to death in the night.
Their story is one of millions. 65 million people have been forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge in any country that will let them in. Some, like Jordan, welcome them in, take UN money, and then force them to live in deplorable conditions.
We were warmly welcomed into the home of our assigned family. While they are of the Muslim faith, they had a Christmas tree proudly displayed. They expressed their love and acceptance of all people. They are just glad that they finally have a home where they feel safe. Our state has welcomed them with open arms.
We are truly grateful for 1-800Wheelchair who has been working with us to provide a perfectly fitted wheelchair for the father of our Syrian Refugee family. He is unable to walk due to childhood polio and is confined to a wheelchair. It took one email to this company for them to immediately offer assistance and help to this family. There are so many good people in this world. An unbelievable amount!
This family, like many other refugee families, is not concerned with gifts and money and things. They have learned through their experience that those things come and go. What they need most is friendship. It is something that anyone can give. You can contact local refugee centers and charities in your area to connect with these amazing families and provide the gift of friendship to them. They come from all backgrounds from numerous warn torn regions throughout the world. Their stories will make you weep, they will make you angry, and they will change you forever.
Christmas is not about things. It is about love. The world needs YOUR love and kindness. You don’t have to be rich or famous or in a position of power to make a difference. YOU are enough. You are enough exactly the way that you are. You have the ability to make a change in this world. All it takes is showing love and kindness. The world needs you now more than ever. Be that person!
My T-shirt is from The Do Good Shop. They sent it to me after seeing my Be That Person video and are coming out with a Be That Person t-shirt. Jordan, from The Do Good Shop said this:
“I was moved by your post. I left my job a couple years to start some businesses that can fund life-changing programs to help kids aging out of foster care reach self-sufficiency.A lot of those kids have a really hard time with how they see themselves, because they’ve been told they don’t matter their entire lives. So one of the businesses is The Do Good Shop, which is all about positive-message clothing.Whenever I hear stories like yours, I always show it to them to show them that they get to decide how they feel about themselves. So thank you for your post and giving me something to show them. “
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