Just right before the holiday, my younger brother had an exchanged gift kind of thing with his classmates. Well first of all, my brother is extremely young, he's primary three. Of course because of his age, he can't really go to a mall somewhere in the city and choose a gift right? Unless he's accompanied by an elder. So of course, the one who bought the gift that was to be given to one of his classmates was my mom.

       My mom is a busy person. She has to juggle with work as well as taking care of us. And to be honest, for a woman, her job is pretty tough. She has to handle shops. Not one or two. Not three or four. Because of her work, she doesn't really have time for basically leisure. Her office is about an hour drive from our home. That itself is not including the traffic. So because my mom couldn't really spare some time to buy the gift, she asked one of her employee to help her buy. Of course she would not manage to go to some toy shop like Toy R Us or something. Instead, she bought a sharperner. The big, boxy one. Not the one that can obviously fit into your pencil case.

       So during the exchange gift time in my brother's school, my brother gave to his best friend. Receiving the gift and having it open at home, he was not pleased with it. He told his mom and he was quite annoyed I guess and mad. Then, his mother messaged my mom about the gift her son had received. She explained that the child did not like it. She explained that the gift was simply a sharperner. What can you do with something so ugly? So cheap? Boys like toys not stationaries. My mom replied back that she was extremely busy, that she didn't have the time. And the friend's mom replied back that other moms also does not have the time to buy gifts. When my mom told me, I was simply shocked yet disgusted. I mean that parent does not have a job. She was a housewife. As well as alot of mothers in the school. In the other hand, my mom is a boss, having to deal with so many shops. The stocks, accountings, marketings and sales.

       It was as if the other mom was scolding my mom. Telling her that her son did not liked the gift. That she had to do something with it. Because my mom felt bad, recently, she went to a toy shop and bought an expensive LEGO toy for the child (brother's  friend). My mom even sacrificed sending the gift right to the other mom's door house. I was actually shocked and disgusted. Truthfully, I see it as impolite. It's as if you received a birthday gift from your friend and you told her that her gift was simply a trash. Something not useful. How would you feel?

       I mean, what happened to those days where even a candy would make you happy? What happened to those days where people would appreciate every single thing in life, every single thing they receive. What happened? If I was the child's parent, I would tell him how a sharperner can still be useful. How we should thank someone. How we should be grateful for everything we receive. It's just so....pathetic to see it in this society.

      My teacher told me in our last day of school before the Christmas break. She was a foreign teacher and back in her country, The Philippines, she taught in a prestigious, renowed boys school. She taught the rich, like the President's child, and all those high class people. Those who have tons of money. Who can afford the luxuries. And every Christmas, she told us that she would give the students inexpensive stuffs such as a single pencil or a candy. Instead of being grumpy and asking, "why give a candy?", she shared that the students there were very thankful. Even if it was just a candy. They smiled and thanked with all their heart.I just hope we all would learn how to be thankful. For every single thing. When we are not satisfied with something we receive, keep it quiet. Why share something that would hurt the one giving you. Where is the sense of respect and politeness? Where has it gone? When you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it, instead be thankful and think. Think how at least this person actually spent his time getting this gift for you, wrapping this gift for you and giving this gift for you. Think of the time the person sacrificed even if it is a second. Learn how to be thankful with everything you receive. Be thankful. 

I guess all this that happened had taught me such good values.