It turns out we were a bit late in getting our Santa's Anonymous donation ready to go.

Bryan and I talked about it weeks ago, but only got around to it today. We went to the Bay downtown, and picked out a really neat Fisher Price Peek-a-Block set. I never pay attention to when the Santa's Anonymous bins are taken away, but I was pretty sure that the mall would still have one, even this close to Christmas. Nope! Bryan asked at the customer service desk, and the bins were picked up on Monday. Oops.

We talked about what to do. Bryan suggested keeping the gift until next year, but I didn't like that idea, so we decided we would return the gift and donate the same amount to the Christmas Bureau, who run the Santa's Anonymous program. They had a booth set up by the Bay, so we would be able to drop the money off after we did the return. Bryan went to the news stand to buy scratch tickets for our stockings, and I took the baby and the stroller to sit down for a rest. What I didn't know, was that Bryan had left the gift on the other side of the stroller where I couldn't see it. I thought he had it, and he thought I had it. When he came over to where we were sitting, he said to stay put, and he would take the gift back and do the donation. Then he asked for the gift.

You guessed it - I didn't have it. I felt sick. We looked over to where he had been standing in line for the lottery tickets, but it wasn't there. Bryan said, well, then that takes care of the donation. I asked him to go back to the news stand; maybe someone had turned it in. There was nothing there.

I started thinking, maybe the person that took it needed it more than us. Maybe it was someone with a kid that wasn't getting any other gifts. I really hoped the person that took it didn't just return it for cash. Bryan went back to the customer service desk, and asked if anyone had turned in our parcel. The lady at the desk gave a big grin, and handed him the bag.

Not wanting to stand in the long line up at the Bay, Bryan went to the Christmas Bureau booth to see if they had a late drop-off box. One of the gentlemen working the booth said that he would personally take the gift to the Santa's Anonymous Depot. He said that he gets a few of these every year, and that he really doesn't mind. Bryan gave them another $20 donation in addition to the gift.

We changed the life of a child today, and a Good Samaritan changed our life today too.

Whoever that person was, bless you, and have a Merry Christmas.