Last years Christmas lesson

About this time last year a certain gentleman came up to me at the store with a surprising request. In general words he made the assumption I could tell a finacially struggling family from a well to do family simply by what it was they were buying for their daily food needs. The crux of the conversation was that he wanted to "upgrade" a family's Christmas and he was hoping I could find a family he could be a Good Samaritan to.
As I went about for a week observing families while they shopped I kept in mind the guidelines this gentleman was looking for and I grilled several potential customers as they became possible candidates.
I was talking with a customer named Cory, trying to see if his family just might be the one chosen for the Christmas benefactor.
"Cory, I see you are shopping by yourself again. Where is Barbara?" I asked as he came through my line.
"She isn't feeling well and hasn't been out of the house for nearly two weeks" he replied.
"Oh, why not" I inquired as I was looking for more information.
"You didn't know? Her liver is failing fast, she is very jaundiced and we are hoping she can get a transplant" Cory replied.
"Yikes!! I didn't know. How is she doing and how long has she been ill?"
"She has been very weak for several months"
I felt maybe I had the chosen family in mind now and I asked several other questions as to how the family was doing generally and let Cory know my thoughts were for their best progress.
The next time I met with the would be Christmas benefactor I told him of Cory and Barbara, their two children and the family condition.
"Perfect" he said. "This sounds like a family my family would like to help in the hopes we can "upgrade" their Christmas. If you wouldn't mind, would you ask them if we could make arrangements to help with their Christmas"?
He had given me a new charge and the next time Cory was in the store I asked him if I could speak to him for several minutes in private. Cory looked a bit puzzled, but still said sure, and up to the office we went.
I told Cory of the Christmas benefactor's request of me to help him find a family and that I hoped Cory and Barbara and their family could be benefitted by his gererosity.
Cory was quiet for ten or fifteen seconds and I could see he was pondering over the offer I had presented to him. His answer was quite different from what I had expected and I must confess it brought a tear to my eye.
"Rick" he said. "Christmas is Barbara's favorite holiday and we are quite certain this is going to be the last one she will have. We have pulled out money from her retirement fund knowing she will not live long enough to earn the payout. With that money we have gotten the kids a couple of things they want but with the rest, Barbara wanted to give it as a special Christmas to some other family that was in need. You can tell your benefactor we appreciate his offer, but we are planning on "upgrading" someone else's Christmas as well. Just the thought of doing this has brightened Barbara's attitude immensely and she is really looking forward to being a giver this Christmas..."
We both stood there looking at each other in an awkward way. Cory knowing he had confessed something their family had hoped to do in secret and me feeling much inadaquate in knowing they were being true examples of the meaning of Christmas...."It is better to give than to receive..."
I shook Cory's hand and wished him well as we headed back out of the office. I told him to give Barbara my best regards.
When I saw Cory in the store again the next time after Christmas I asked him how his holiday had gone.
"Best Christmas ever"!! he beamed.
Even though I knew of the problems they were facing in their family, I envied his joy of the season.