We had our Christmas party a bit early because all of the little girls go to visit family members for the real holiday. The party was an absolute delight – the group of Portuguese doctors, the sisters, and I all decorated our big cafeteria for Christmas, and even made a makeshift Christmas tree out of a wooden post and four huge palm tree leaves. We all donned our best clothing – earrings, a touch of perfume, the seldom worn hair barrets.
Sister Lucília prepared buttered shrimp, delicious soup, French fries and cake for everyone. I made good ol’ fashioned American Christmas cookies complete with red and green frosting (that three of my girls helped me decorate.) After dinner, we all got simple presents, and then sang and danced to Christmas songs.
A former volunteer sent Christmas stockings and presents for all the girls. The contents: a picture of them in a frame with their name on it, a Christmas pencil and eraser, two or three little bags of candies, and two new pairs of underwear! They were all ridiculously excited to get new underwear.
Yolanda was so excited when she pulled out the picture of herself – she planted a big sloppy kiss right on her own face!
Julia, amazed and shocked at her good fortune to have received her very own stocking, kept running out to dance and sing with everyone after the present-opening, only to return every couple minutes to check and make sure her gifts were still there. When I asked her why she kept coming back, she just grinned and said, “This is the best Christmas present I’ve ever had!”
I, along with all the beautiful little ones, appreciated a very simple Christmas party this year – but what joy to see the light in a little girl’s eyes over a new pair of pink underwear! I hope you and your families all can share such joy, too, this Christmas season!
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