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Editorials & Backgrounders

Gift Giving Creates Family Legends

By Christy Levings
December 2003

Finding that special remembrance or gift is consuming a great deal of thought and energy. As a parent who has done my time standing in line at the toy store clutching a much asked for item and being thankful it was in stock, I would emphasize the energy required in obtaining some gifts!

When our daughter was five, she requested a very popular doll from Santa. As the holiday season approached, she enjoyed the activities of her kindergarten class and our family traditions with a calm and serene faith that Santa would fulfill her request. On the parent front, however, a nationwide search was underway. One of the blessings of coming from a large family is having a huge network of holiday conspirators to call upon.

My grandmother, who was the oldest of 12, led an investigation the FBI would be pleased to call their own. The “most wanted” doll came by Express Mail on December 22 in a path across the country that most of us could not manage in a two-week summer vacation. On Christmas Eve, feeling relief at what was hidden in the upstairs closet and pride at our triumph for obtaining our child’s equivalent of the Holy Grail, I asked my daughter about her unshakable faith that her request would be granted. She gave me a sort of puzzled look as to why I would even think she would have doubts. You see, as she told me, she had not only asked Santa but added a prayer as well. I had to admit this combination was hard to question.

Long after my daughter stopped carrying the doll that was to become known as Alan, the family legend of obtaining him continues to be told and retold. I remember my daughter’s unshakable faith. While the real gifts of that holiday season were adults caring and investing in the bonds of our family, our children only felt, rather than saw, that support. Our investment in our children and teaching them that the adults in their lives support them as they reach for their dreams are those priceless gifts the TV advertisers try to pretend come from credit card usage.

Generally, we speak of gifts only as items that you can wrap and things you can touch. Actually, gifts come in all forms. Providing for family and investing in our children is a gift that, while it cannot be wrapped, is a priceless commodity. Strong communities are made up of adults who recognize that supporting and providing strong services to children and families make our state stronger and more productive. As we invest in all the children in our community, we not only support them and their families, we strengthen our communities as a whole.

Kansas has a long history of giving the gift of quality education to our students. That promise has allowed many of us to grow up and reach our goals and, in turn, made Kansas an even better place to live and work. The hard work and dedication of our teachers and support staff is an unbelievable gift that cannot be wrapped, yet touches the lives of many.

The holidays are a good time to reflect on those good things in our lives. Kansas public schools are one of those good things. Our schools are a pillar of strength for our state and we are proud of the achievements of our students. We owe a “thank you” to the generations before us for the gift of good schools. We recognize we are now the guardians of the quality of those schools for the future. Let us cherish these gifts and prepare to support and enrich our schools for the students of today and for the students who will arrive tomorrow.

Great public schools for every Kansas kid is a gift we must guarantee. I have learned to have faith that the adults in our communities and in our state will demand the best for each generation. I learned they will give the gift of an excellent future by supporting outstanding public schools. I may make that learning a wish and a prayer just to be sure!

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