The Spirit Of Christmas
Most children are counting down to Christmas morning, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to tear into the presents waiting for them under the tree. But not Joseph Martin. This 11-year-old boy has decided to return all of his presents rather than open them. And the reason why completely restored my faith in the next generation!
Credit: WKRC News
Katrina Luck, best friend to Joseph's grandmother, suffered a massive heart attack on Thanksgiving and has been on life support ever since. The doctors are unable to do any more for the woman, and so they plan to remove her from life support in the next couple of days. Because Katrina did not have life insurance, a fundraising page was set up to help the family pay for her funeral.
“She was always a very happy person. Very outgoing. She was a very smart woman and she was a very loving mother,” Kim (Joseph's grandmother) says about her best friend.
Joseph decided he wanted to help. And so, he and his grandmother took many of the gifts that waited for him under the tree and returned them.
Credit: WKRC News
He received a total of $95 back, which he gladly turned over to Katrina's family. And the boy's family couldn't be more pleased.
"I’m just proud of him. I am really touched by it. But he also wanted to let kids know that Christmas is not all about receiving. Christmas is also about giving,” says his grandmother, Kim.
In fact, Joseph's generosity was so touching, it inspired his grandmother to follow suit. She returned an expensive Coach purse her daughter had given her and donated the money to her best friend's funeral.
The selfless act had a profound impact on Katrina's family during this difficult time. Katrina's daughter says,
"It was touching to me. It was something nice to do. Because he is 11. He’s a child. You’ll never know if some kids would have did that."
But Joseph knows that it's truly better to give than to receive. He says,
"…I wanted to help my grandma out and she’s one of my friends."
Since Joseph's story hit the news, the fundraising page for Katrina's funeral has reached the $3,000 goal.
Credit: GoFundMe
And folks who have also been touched by Joseph's kindness have been submitting requests to send the boy Christmas presents. But according to an update on the page, the humble young man insists that no presents be sent his way, but that donations be made to the grieving family instead.
What a beautiful reminder of the Spirit of Christmas! May God bless this kind boy, and may He also bring comfort and peace to Katrina's family.
Be inspired by another little boy who's praying for a Christmas miracle for a family he doesn't even know!
h/t: WKRC News