As if the Los Angeles Fire Department don’t do enough to serve their community by saving our homes from fire (ours on October 5, 2012), by putting out the wildfires that plague our arid landscape, and no doubt rescuing an occasional cat up a tree…now that the Holidays are here, they are organizing a toy drive for needy children.

I spotted a banner for their Spark of Love Toy Drive on the side of our local Fire Station and decided I wanted to give something to this worthy cause (http://www.lacity.org/311-directory-online-services/servicedetail/3364). One of the toys we had given our son Theo for Christmas last year – a magnetic face-making game – had sat unopened all year so it seemed to be of no interest to him. I had been planning on re-gifting it, with his permission, so when I learned that the Fire Department wanted “new unwrapped toys” to give out to kids during the Holidays, I figured this would be perfect.

At first when I asked Theo if it would be ok for me to give it away, he was initially resistant saying that he’d forgotten he had it and actually he wanted to keep it because it looked fun. I was disappointed but couldn’t force him to give it up. I tried to let go of the idea, but I have to admit, I was a bit depressed that my Giveaway for today wasn’t going as planned. I racked my brains trying to think of any other new toys I might have somewhere that I could give instead, but there was nothing. I think Theo sensed how glum I was. When it was time for him to go to bed, I asked him one more time if he was sure about the toy, and he replied, “It’s ok. You can give it away.” I was genuinely surprised, touched and delighted that he had decided to give it away and to help me out by doing so. I headed off to the Fire Station clutching the toy gratefully and feeling that the Holidays are off to a very nice start.