Love in a Box

At this time of year my children are preparing for their Harvest Festival at school.

I've told you before how much I love autumn. One of the reasons I love autumn is it is harvest time. We celebrate our fortunes and pray that we have harvested enough to feed us throughout the cold barren winter. Well, at least that is the idea. Nowadays we just import what we don't have and many people I know don't give a second thought to buying out of season fruits and vegetables. Very few people I know can or freeze their summer garden produce. Very few people I know even have summer gardens.

And this summer our garden was a complete catastrophe. How lucky I am to have the option of a supermarket.

One of the traditions at St George's School is to participate in the Love in a Box Program. The idea is the you collect items for a girl and a boy within selected age ranges and fill a bx with goodies and useful stuff.

So in goes toothbrushes, toothpaste, face cloths, scarves, hair brushes, combs. and then in go fun stuff like cuddly toys and modelling clay, and coloured pencils and notebooks. Of course, we also include chocolates and sweets. the best part is when I ask the children to go to their toy boxes and pick out their favourite toys to give away.

I'm amazed at their generosity. Maybe I shouldn't be. My children are fortunate to have a lot. They have so much they will probably hardly notice or miss what they have given away. But in that moment, they have chosen something that is special to them and given it to someone else far less fortunate than them.

How lucky I am to have them!