The Christmas Dress

Sam attends a Title One school. For those of you who don't know, this means there is a high percentage of children attending his school from low-income families. So the school is allotted extra money for learning programs and teaching assistants. I'm not sure my explanation is completely accurate, so if you are still not sure you should Google it.  

Most of the school is on reduced or free lunch. Several children wear the same thing to school everyday. Could be a choice, I'm not sure. 

This last December we got a call and an email explaining that a drama group from BYU held a Dress Drive and had collected over 400 dresses for our school. The dresses were displayed, much like a store and every girl in the school got to "go shopping" for a dress and take one home if they wanted one. 

That afternoon Sam said, "The girls in my school got dresses today." I told him that I had heard about that. 

Then he said, "I should have asked my teacher if I could get one for Lola." We laughed, I told him that Lola had plenty of clothes and dresses. Then I saw something in his expression that made me say, "You did ask your teacher, didn't you ?" He smiled and admitted that he had. I asked what she said and he told me she had said no.

A few days later he started talking about a picture he was drawing to give to Lola for Christmas. 

On the last day of school before winter break he closed himself up on the closet under the stairs and did some serious wrapping. I thought it was way too much effort for a drawing and I suggested (through the door) that he put it in an envelope. He declined. 

On Christmas Eve he was talking about his gift for Lola and tried to get us to guess. I said I thought it was a drawing and he said that was only part of it. We guessed and guessed and he ever told us it was a "Christmas blank." When we still couldn't guess he said the blank started with a D. We still had no idea. 

On Christmas morning Sam was almost as anxious for Lola to open his gift as he was to open the ones for himself. Almost. 

We were so surprised to see a dress in the package. I immediately put it together and knew where the dress had come from. He told us that when he had asked his teacher if he could pick a dress for Lola that she had said yes and then she went with him while he picked it out. 

Of course she had to wear it to church that day.

I think the look on his face says it all.