Christmas Memories

A lesson in the gift of giving

By Madelyn Denniston Keach

It had snowed all Christmas Eve day that Christmas of 1948, and the excitement of Christmas was reaching its peak!

Mother had the four of us bathe and get to bed early in anticipation of Christmas morning. We heard the front door open and our father’s voice say to mother, “Dot, call Mr. Baugh and have him meet me at the store.”

Mr. Baugh owned the only general store in our small town of 500 people. “Oh, and ring up, Mr. Fisher, and anyone else you can reach.”

My mother, concerned about all this fuss asked, “What is going on?”

“I just came from my last house call, and this family has absolutely nothing for Christmas, and I want to get a tree, food, clothes and presents for all of them.” The door slammed, and out into the bitter cold night our father went with a Christmas mission in his heart.

The small group of townspeople gathered at the general store with arms of food, clothes, presents and a tree. Later that evening, they all went out to deliver the best Christmas ever for this family.

My father was like that all of his life, always thinking of the other person when it came to his patients. He graduated from Tufts Medical School, became a general practitioner and served in western Kentucky, then later he became a pediatrician.

Our mother shared that story with us often, and the lesson learned is having compassion for others. Our Father in heaven shows compassion for us in the gift of his Son. The Son shows compassion for us in the gift of our salvation. The Holy Spirit shows compassion for us in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit have given themselves to us—go therefore and give them to others! This is what we have been called to do! Serve with compassion!

This is an excerpt from a poem I wrote in honor of my dear father:

Being a physician, your Hippocratic Oath wholeheartedly taken

Bound your family to a life unwittingly forsaken

You and your family were at the mercy of the sick

Compassion for others was our chosen edict.

I now realize that our chosen edict is a gift and a blessed, God-given legacy!
 

(Madelyn Denniston Keach attends Mass at Mount St. Francis in Floyd County.) †