About 10 years ago I read the story of The White Envelope. After reading this lovely story, I told my husband the story and that I wanted a white envelope for Christmas.
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The Story of The White Envelope
It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas–oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it–overspending… the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma—the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler’s ears.
It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn’t acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.” Mike loved kids – all kids – and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That’s when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition–one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.
The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn’t end there.
You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.
Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed a white envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing to take down the envelope.
Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit will always be with us.
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On Christmas morning, I awoke to find 3 white envelopes tucked within the branches of the Christmas tree. My husband had left a white envelope for me and our two children. My husband usually makes a donation to each of our favorite charities. I must admit, the white envelope is my most favorite thing about Christmas.
Great Job Buddy!!
You have such a generous heart, Leslie, in all ways. I just love this post.
Happy New Year to you!
Leslie,
Thank you for your kind words.
Wishing you a joyful and prosperous New Year!
Leslie
This is really lovely, and what a wonderful tradition you’ve started for your family.
Lisa,
Thank you for you sweet words.
Wishing you all the best for 2019!
Leslie
Leslie, what a wonderful post. The gift of giving, the white envelope, is a very powerful gift. Thank you for sharing your personal story.
Sheri,
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post. The white envelope is my favorite part of Christmas!
Wishing you a new year filled with blessings!
Leslie
This makes me love your posts even more, Leslie, because it shows your generous heart for others, the true meaning of Christmas.
Thank you for sharing this lovely but true story that will keep me pondering my own white envelope impacts throughout this year.
Love, Mitzi
Mitzi,
As we get so busy during the year it is so hard to remember the white envelope and helping others in need.
Wishing a New Year for us and remembering the white envelope all year long!
xo,
Leslie
What a beautiful story, Leslie! And a remarkable legacy you have begun! I know it will inspire many others as well…it has certainly inspired me!
Beautiful story
Rhonda,
I hope you had a Merry Christmas! This if my favorite tradition in our family.
Wishing you a joyful New Year!
Leslie
I love this!! What a perfect way to remember what giving should really be. Blessings to you and yours this Christmas and always!
Judy,
I do love this tradition-it makes my heart full every year!
Wishing you all the best in the New year!
Leslie
You’ve inspired me to start this tradition this Christmas–I love it! Merry Christmas to you and yours!!
Let me know if yr family enjoys the white envelope as much as mine does. Wishing you a joyful holiday!
Xoxo,
Leslie
Wow…this made my day. What a wonderful story that certainly personifies the true meaning of Christmas. Thank you for the beautiful reminder!
Thank you for sharing. It is so easy to lose the meaning of Christmas! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
All the best,
Leslie
This is the sweetest thing I have ever read. I do something similar but have never put it in an envelope. I give my children a child for Christmas that we take care of for the year. They look forward to that.
Lisa,
I wish you and your family a blessesd Christmas!
Xoxo,
Leslie
lovely.
pve