It's Cyber Monday and elfing is going strong.
Analysts were quick to point out that actual Black Friday brick and mortar sales were down, but the reasons are simple - online shopping has made it possible to stay warm, safe (no incidents of people rushing the store doors and/or getting into fistfights over some 5am super deal in Walmart), and cost effective.
Black Friday deals began arriving in my inbox weeks ago. Black Friday is no longer confined to a single day, just as Cyber Monday deals were in full swing this past weekend and will continue all week.
So this elf has been able to surf, compare, and coupon code without the stress of bargains evaporating in 24 hours.
Your donations this past week have gone towards more sneakers, pajamas, winter boots, and yes, grocery gift cards. But there are also the fun items like art supplies, play make up, Barbies, plushes, race tracks, and even a set of wireless headphones for a very deserving boy whose Christmas morning is going to be pretty amazing. Face it, when you want something so badly, even though you know it simply cannot be, having the item materialize is akin to, well, magic.
And speaking of magic...
I have been working on the largest single purchase of this season. Rest assured, sales and coupon codes abound in this arena also, and being the cheapest elf alive, I am thrilled to have used your funds to add a crib to Santa's DGMS sleigh.
I am still in residence with my new granddaughter, and love the comfort and beauty she has been born into. Her bassinet, a full closet of cute clothes, an infant seat that sways, stuffed animals that are bigger than she is, and yes, a crib she won't even use for a few more months. It's easy to take these things for granted. But a request from a mom sent me back 30 years and I knew we had to help.
A little over 30 years ago, our oldest daughter was 4 months old. We lived in Hawaii and a hurricane swept everything from our lives, including her crib. This same thing happened when the hurricane whipped across Florida in late September - taking every THING from this family. Their attitude is like ours was - we had our daughter and each other, that was all we really needed. They have their infant daughter and each other. Rudy and I well know the slow process of rebuilding a life when the ground has literally been eroded beneath your feet. This mother is so grateful for family taking them in, helping them gain their footing again, but asked for help to obtain the one thing they need for their tiny one - a crib.
They may not be in a manger, but there is no crib for a bed. Currently their daughter sleeps in a Pack and Play (exactly like Culley did for months after our hurricane). And as we found with our child, theirs will outgrow that quickly.
Enter Yes, Virginia. Enter you amazing DGMS elves with hearts of absolute 24k. They will be receiving a crib (the kind that converts all the way up to a toddler bed), baby mattress, sheet set, and a super soft stuffed bunny to restart her stuffed animal collection.
THIS is what you do. You rebuild hope in a future. You rebuild faith in the goodness of total strangers. You rebuild smiles in hearts that are adrift, shell shocked, alone.
Every purchase I am able to make is special, they really are. But this one? This is one of those that will resonate forever.
THANK YOU from a very grateful Mom and Dad. THANK YOU from a baby who doesn't even know what Christmas is yet. THANK YOU from this elf who is constantly humbled by this community of ours.
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Please keep sending people to our sleigh. Or if your family needs our help, please ask. It takes a village.
And if you can donate, the usual routes are open 24/7:
Paypal > [email protected] > please do it as Send Money, not as a purchase. If you do it as a "purchase" they withhold a portion of your donation.
Zelle > [email protected]
Venmo - @Linda-Sharp-29
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