Gifts

My 15th birthday and Christmas are almost here, and this year I wanted to make a difference. I pondered as I put on thick boots, and a snug jacket that wrapped around me tightly. How can I share kindness with others during the holidays this year? 

I take a step outside, and the warmth from the inside wisps slowly away, being replaced with a piercing cold. My boots thump across the shiny wet road as a chill creaps up my back despite my dense winter clothing. I glance at the warm glows that radiate in each home, and the messes of snow and grey slush that pile around roads. When I return home, I step into its warmth that grapples me like a hug. How can I share this warmth? Suddenly I had an idea… maybe my birthday can be more than a gift for me. 

When my birthday party rolls around, so does my plan. As each one of my friends arrive I see them add to the growing pile of gifts. Each gift is packed full of basic necessities, or other items that will be donated to a homeless shelter in Waukesha. I wanted to be able to give a gift of my own, and with help from my friends, I was able to give even more. By the time the party's over, my mom and I pack the trunk full of all the items. Snow began to gently trickle from the night sky, floating down, slowly coating the road as we closed the trunk. Despite the chill of the night, I felt a new sense of warmth within me that lingers even in the cold.