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Many children have had their annual visit from Santa Claus last night. They are busy playing with their new toys. How sad for the ones who got nothing or who are in the hospital suffering because someone hurt them.  I did not get the chance to purchase something this year for any child who needed or wanted a new toy or clothing. Finances are too tight for us here, but in the past I have done that, plucking a name off a tree in the store, checking to see what this particular child requested, and trying my best to get that item. Now I have another opinion about this issue.

I read with interest a blog by a friend who mentioned his job in welfare. What he does is not important, but what he said made me angry and defeated. Children are putting large items on their wish lists, expensive things like Ipods, computers, and even TVs. Why? Because once they get that item, their parents take it and sell it. Why? For drugs, for other things they want. The children get nothing. I think there should be some sort of way to keep the lists from having these high priced items on them. Or people should refuse to purchase such for the “needy” children who are lucky enough to have their names and wishes on a store tree. I won’t be buying such things. I don’t even buy them for my own kids.

Has greed taken over this holiday? That’s what I see anymore. Children want the biggest and the best. Yet there are some who are lucky enough to get a few items from the dollar stores under their tree because Mom and Dad don’t have the money, but they have pride in buying for their children, not getting the free things that some receive.

We need to help, but we don’t need to make things worse for these needy children. Somehow there has to be a way to stop the parents from taking given items back to stores for refunds or selling items given for gifts. I don’t know how we can do this, but this needs to be thought out. In the meantime, I will be limiting my donations (when I can afford them) to local organizations who will help with donated food or clothing. I won’t be purchasing new items to give, never again.