Sharing a Little Christmas Joy

I'm just getting home from a wonderful outing with my youngest daughter. My oldest would have come along too, but she was at work today and the deed had to be done on time. We went chocolate shopping and delivering, you see, and it's important that the chocolates arrive at their destination before Christmas. Today's outing was a continuation of a tradition that my daughters and I began more than twenty years ago when they were both little.
There is a shelter for abused women that is close to the neighbourhood where we used to live, and I found out about it, although its presence is not generally publicized, in order to keep safe the women and children who go there to seek asylum from abusive relationships. When my girls were young, I first told them about the shelter late in December one year, giving them a somewhat simplified explanation to help them understand the existence of such a place. I told them that there might be children there who Santa would not know was there, and so that might make it difficult for him to get enough chocolate to them. They dug into their piggy banks and took out some of their savings to go shopping with me. We bought a couple of bags of chocolate candies and delivered them to the house on the day of Christmas Eve, telling the woman who opened the door to us that we wanted to help Santa make sure any children there got some Christmas chocolate.
When you go there, you have to press an intercom at the door. The staff inside will look out to see you, and ask your business. You have to identify yourself, and if you are accompanied by a man you can expect to be denied entrance. If you are a woman alone, or with children, the door will be opened to you. That first year we went began the tradition that my daughters and I have continued to this day. Some years, like this one, there has been one or the other of us who was not able to be involved, but always we have helped Santa to bring some Christmas happiness to that house. I firmly believe that if you have more than enough at this time of year, it is only right for you to share. It's a belief I have passed along to my two wonderful daughters. That's why today we went to a bulk food store not far from the shelter and there we enjoyed picking and purchasing over $70. worth of assorted chocolate treats, fruitcake and shortbread cookies to take to the women's shelter My daughter was so visibly pleased at every step of our mission and at the end of it all, as we walked back to our car from the door of the shelter, she turned to me and said, "That was the most awesome feeling to do that!" I totally agree with her.