Melanie’s Calling in Life

Two Days ago Melanie was getting ready to go out the door.  She had her coat and was looking for her other jacket.  I asked her why she needed it when she already had her coat on.  She said she was going to take it to her friend at school, Humana, because she wears 3 jackets and doesn’t have a coat.  5 minutes later Melanie asked me “Mom, can we buy Humana a coat?”  I had already been thinking about that but told Melanie I would look while I was out to see if I could find one.  I went to 3 different stores to look!  Winter coats in that size are hard to find these days!  But I finally found something at Walmart and got gloves and a hat.  My friend, Angela, who drove carpool that morning called me while I was out looking.  She called worried because Melanie had said on the way to school that her friend didn’t have a coat and was sleeping on the floor.  I told her I knew about the coat and was getting one but Melanie hadn’t mentioned no bed to me.  So she called the school and talked to the principal who is also in our ward.  The principal and Mrs. Foote called in Humana and talked with her.  They found out that she doesn’t have a coat or boots, her and her brother sleep on the floor and a lot of other things that they needed.  When Melanie got home that day she told me that I didn’t need to give Humana a coat because the school was going to give her one.  I called the principal and talked to her and expressed my desire to give Humana the coat.  She was relieved because they had already used most of their resources and the teachers had already given so much.  After looking at the coat I got at Walmart I decided it wasn’t warm enough.  So that night I took the girls to JCPenney and we found a  different coat, snow boots, gloves and a hat that matched.  It helped to have Melanie with me to pick out and try on stuff.  Melanie said at the store “I feel like we are doing something so good!”  I agreed!  We came home and wrapped up the gifts and took them to Humana’s home that night.  It is so cold here I did not want her to have to walk to school cold another day! 

The next day I got a  call from my friend, Angela.  The principal had put her in charge of putting together bedding and toiletries and gifts for Christmas.  The principal sent out an email to our ward asking for help.  In one hour 2 beds were donated.  Someone was going to buy Christmas presents for Humana,  $160 raised for Christmas presents for her brother, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, bedding and clothes were all ready!  The beds were delivered that night!  Melanie was so excited to hear that Humana would be sleeping on a bed that night!

I am happy to hear that they will be getting Christmas too.  Humana had told Melanie that her dad told her Santa wasn’t coming to her house because they were to poor.  Broke my heart!

I told Melanie that Heavenly Father puts us where we are needed a lot of times.  If she wasn’t in Mrs. Foote’s class she probably wouldn’t have been friends with Humana and no one would have known there was a need there.  The principal even said that no one knew because she came to school with her hair done and she didn’t look unkept to raise suspicion that she needed things at home.  The teacher didn’t even know.  At the end of the school year last year Melanie cried and cried and begged and begged for me to switch her class.  I did not and she has LOVED her teacher.  But now Melanie knows there was a bigger reason for her to be in that class.  More than just having a good teacher. 

When I told David about this he said “that is Melanie’s calling in life”.  I agree.  She has a huge heart and is genuinely concerned about others.

Melanie and Humana at the class Halloween party