A Change of Heart
It was a cold winter and my family had a tough struggle. Mum had a bitter time raising us kids by herself in our small community as dad passed away five years earlier. We relied on social assistance.
Looking back, I realized what Mum went through sending us kids to school. Every morning she would place a new piece of cardboard in our shoes because our shoes were worn out. When we got home, Mum would have French toast ready for us. Constant moving was typical for my family in those days, and it didn't look like we'd be in our current house much longer. Rent was $25 a month, but Mum couldn't pay it, and we knew we would be forced to leave right after Christmas on the first of January.
The holidays were fast approaching, and we were given $25 for Christmas from social services. Mum said that instead of buying food, she was going to use the money to pay our rent. That way we'd have a roof over our heads for a little while longer. Then she told us that there would be no Christmas gifts.
Unbeknown to Mum, I had been selling Christmas trees, shoveling （铲） snow and doing odd jobs to earn enough money to buy a new pair of boots. I knew exactly which boots I wanted. They were ten-inch, Top-Genuine, Pierre Paris boots, and they cost $23.
The big day for getting my boots came on Christmas Eve afternoon. I was very excited as I hurried up the road to catch the bus into town. It was only a half-mile walk, but on the way I noticed a house with Christmas lights and decorations. It was then that I realized at our house, we had no lights, no decorations and no turkey or ham for Christmas dinner.
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As I continued walking, I began to feel strangely ashamed.
With decorations and food, I reached home.
