Mood:
hug meTopic: "Belling the Cat" (2)
Frodo and Gimli rang the bells, in harmony, for the soldiers of the Salvation Army again this past Saturday. Armed with the knowledge of eye contact, and preying upon the flashing smiles of toddlers, the Hobbit and the Dwarf brought forth echoes of clappers from the halls of the retail stores they surrounded. Offering the bell to a toddler to ring always produces a toothy grin and a parents' grudging need to offer coins for the kettle. Smiles and "Merry Christmas Y'All" make families skip into the parking lots with imaginary snowflakes blowing across their dreams of Christmas Day to come.
Frodo was interested in the "take," at first, but then he began to remember just how much fun it is to sing a little song, dance a little dance, and make little Hobbits laugh. More than anything else though, Frodo was humbled by the actions of one little boy, his Mom, and his Dad. The little boy was carrying a coffee can that he and his parents had been using as a collection point for extra pennies and nickels, all year long. Santa's little helper poured the entire contents into the kettle that the Hobbit and the Dwarf conveniently placed on the ground for easy access.
Santa's little helper may not know, today, that people displaced by Hurricane Katrina will benefit because of his coffee can. He may never have a chance to see hot meals being served to hungry people with no place to live. It is very unlikely that he will ever have someone walk up to him and remember him as Santa's little helper. What he will have is a memory, at Christmastime, that makes families, and days such as these so much a part of the Citizens of Middle Earth.
Frodo notes that Sam has a coffee can that is almost empty. Lessons learned dear reader, lessons learned.
Posted by loveysdaddyga
at 9:00 PM EST
