Dear Yesica…

You have made my Christmas this year so special. When I was feeling down or a bit sorry for myself, from the weather, long check out lines, or all that is to be done at work…it was your letter that I received yesterday, that has given me the Christmas spirit I was trying to find this year. You are the reason, for the season.

I said I’d post a recipe today, but I’m going to save it for later this weekend, because yesterday I received a very special letter that has made me warm and full.

Yesica is a child from the Dominican Republic that Alan and I have signed up to sponsor. A couple of months ago, when for what felt like the 10th time I was arguing that “I did not mind giving up a little to help those in need” (i.e. tax increases), I decided it was time to get off my high horse and actually do it. Yesica is a child of the Compassion International Program, which after much research I have complete faith in. Granted, we are not Catholic, but I agree with what they do (that they pay special attention to keeping art in the children’s lives was HUGE), and to save any sugar-coating, appreciate how they spend our money and account for it. So I decided that I would sponsor a child.

It’s a little less scrapbooking supply per month, and a few less lattes.

Big deal.

So I visited their website to ”pick” a child, which is darn near impossible. All the faces, the hope, the sadness – I had no clue how to find the right one. I knew I wanted to sponsor a girl… I am a big proponent of fostering strength and resilence in young women, and I knew I wanted to find a child from the Dominican Republic, as another blog I follow and trust just recently posted lots about how her husband and daughters witnessed first hand the good sponsors money did there. So it felt safe.

And so I searched.

And there she was.

Yesica… like me, Jessica. And her birthday is September 19th. Mine is September 20th.

And with a click, it was done. And yesterday, we received our first letter. Her handwriting is so beautiful! And though in another language, the translation they provide shows how intelligent this little 8 year old is. She loves we have the “same name”… I suppose Yesica must be Jessica in her language. Wait until I tell her about our birthdays. She loves math, in which we are… um, not so alike. But that’s ok.

So it’s because of this little girl that today I’ve found my Christmas spirit at last, and just had to share it with you. If you feel a little rushed this year, or like it’s not quite the same either, than I strongly encourage you to just do something a litte more for someone in need. I promise, that your holiday spirit will come.