A True Christmas Story...

A True Christmas Story...Beginning of December, and a house of six, which had tons of laundry to do and the washing machine broke down. Hauling laundry to local Laundromats was quite the ordeal, but it has to get done. Three days before Christmas we were all heading to Hannaford's Plaza to do our weekly business. The Laundromat was full of people doing their weekly deeds too. I had six washing machines full and was working like an assembly line putting laundry in, done, putting soap in, done, putting money in, done, going down the line. I placed my purse on the closed machine and starting closing all the machines and starting them one by one. Idea...Sears is having a closing sale and everything must go. We all jumped in the van and headed to Sears right next door. We walked in and looked around and everything was almost gone, even the shelves on the wall. Getting back in the van it dawned on me that I left my purse on the washing machine next to my baskets. In a panic we rushed back over and even though it was only five minutes, my purse was gone and the Laundromat was cleared out.

An elderly lady sat there and asked, "What's the matter? What are you looking for?" as she saw me going through everything, the trash, the machines one by one and nothing. The lady said she stepped out for a minute and went next door to use the restroom and didn't see anybody take anything. It was gone, and so was our Christmas money. We were there in Massena to get groceries and last minute Christmas gifts and decorations for our tree. I was devastated and in disbelief that I had forgot something so important. We called the police to come and report everything. Come to find out the cameras are fake and there is truly nothing they can do except call me if it gets turned in. Crying inside and out, I felt so violated and I never had that feeling before, NEVER! I didn't know things were that bad out there until this happened. I immediately called my parents, they have to tell me how to feel better, and they did comfort me, thank you to them for those words. Of course I went through the stages and one of them was anger. I got on my facebook and let the world know I was hurt and violated and how could they do that to me, a mother of four and days before Christmas too. How sad, yes, sad. And then I realized it was only money, and it was all replaceable. It could have been fate stopping me from being somewhere else, I remember sitting in the police car and the scanner said attention officers please drive carefully roads are very icy near the accident. I picked my head up and listened to my dad who said, get your sage out and give thanks and you will feel better, and I did and it made me feel worlds better.

Next day goes by and I had to call into work and go replace IDs and what not. Christmas Eve I go back to work, walk in, sit down, turn my computer on, and an amazing nurse named Xochitl (Sochi) came out and handed me a card and in the card signed by all my friends was money. She said, "We heard what happened to you and we wanted to help." I was a crying mess that morning, so happy I cried in joy. Thank you to them for helping me so I was able to get the groceries and decorations that we didn't get. That night we came home and we walk in our home and our front porch was full of presents and attached to it said "To Logan and Brody and Family from The Boys and Girls Club"...OMG really, really!!!! I fell to pieces and felt this warmth in my heart, a feeling you can't forget. The Club Members had heard of what happened and gathered gifts and a food card to help us. WOW, just amazing what this community did for us. Just amazing people and friends. I will always be grateful to them, all of them...A few things I learned this Christmas is that our community is wonderful and beautiful in so many ways. PAY IT FORWARD, I know I will...Love Randa Martin & The Lebehns