Father Peter's Forum

We asked our boys and girls to write about what they would give some for Christmas, perhaps a gift that did not cost money, but would be very expensive because it came from the heart. We share these reflections with you because we know they will touch your heart as they have ours.

1. If I could give a gift to someone in my family for Christmas it would not be bought with money. It would be a changed me. I would show my mom a changed me, yes. It wouldn’t be the old foolish me running around robbing people, burglarizing. Instead it would be a newer improved me that has replaced his ignorance with confidence so that he can do right, a new me that accepts feedback. He can do whatever he puts his mind to, positive things and not negative things that got me here. --Gabriel

2. If I could give any Christmas gift whatsoever, I would give my mom a gift of thanks because if she did not hear about Boys Town from an old friend, I would not be the kind of loving person I am today. I would give, also, to my parents the gift of love. They never gave up on me even after many struggles. I would give a gift of thanks to the Lord who led me here to get me better. --Terri

3. The gift I would give my mom would be peacefulness. I have always made her worry every single Christmas. I was always in the streets during the holidays. I wouldn’t spend time with my mom, the person who gave birth to me. And now I am sorry and want to give her peacefulness. --Manuel

4. If I could give a Christmas gift to my Boys Town family members, I would give all of them a huge gigantic hug and spend a whole lot of time with them trying to get to know them better and better each and every day. --Reagan

5. If I could give any gift to someone back home, I would give a gift to my grandma. I would give her the promise that I would never lie, cheat or steal again. I would show her that by living my life to the fullest and best and being successful. Along with that gift, I would give her the promise I would not end up being an alcohol like some members of my family. That would be my promise. --Kahli

6. If I could any gift to my Boys Town family, I would give the holiday spirit and help them have a better Christmas, even when they cannot be home. I would help them understand it is a blessing to be at Boys Town for Christmas. --Tyler

7. If I could give any gift to the Lord, I would give faith. God has done a lot for me. It is the best thing I could do to give to the Lord. --Tim

8. If I could give any gift to someone in my family back home, I would give my guardian freedom from all his pain which he lives with physically and emotionally. That way he would not have to feel he let me down by not raising me right. Please God, heal him of his pains and sorrows. --Tom

9. For my family at Boys Town, I would give everyone I’ve met here a gift. It would also be to a friend who feels she’s lost it all because she lost her mother and no strength to deal with it. I just pray the Lord will bless her with that strength. --Joe

10. My family is a scattered few. I don’t know where my mom or dad are or even where my two younger brothers
are. We are scattered because of my mother’s actions which were inconceivable for me, but I was taken at 12. I would love to give all of them happy memories to replace all of the painful memories of our past. --Jackey

10. Since being here, I have noticed all of us deal with many life issues. Maybe some not as big as others. But I
think that I would give everyone the opportunity to live in a loving, safe home. I believe all families at Boys Town and around the world should possess the qualities of being loving and safe. --Joan

11. I don’t think all gifts need to be bought. A lot of my family I have not seen in a long time because I was either in
lockup or here at Boys Town. I am spending Christmas back home with my family. The gift I can give them is myself, my time, my thoughts and my love. All of that cannot be bought. It all comes from my heart and it is not replaceable. That is the best Christmas gift anyone can receive. --Jasmine

12. A gift I would give my family back home is a gift to my sister. It is the gift to understand nothing is always
fair. I want her to understand things happen for a reason and they are not always her fault. I want to take the pain away she is feeling. I want to give her the gift of reassurance to let her know that God will make things better at the end. --Natalya

13. A gift I would give to a girl in my house is the gift of self-esteem, to let her know she does not need a guy in
her life to be beautiful or to feel worthy of something. I want her to know that God loves her just the way she is and the way God made her. I want her to have the gift of knowing that if she puts her mind into something good and wants to change then she really can. I love her and many other people do, as well. --Alice

14. If I could give any Christmas gift to my family, I would give them my presence by being there. I have not always
been there for them and with them. I believe that the gift of my being there with them would be greater than any materialistic thing. I have not been able to actually live and stay with my family since I was 13. This would be my gift. --Kenny

15. I would give my Family-Teachers a vacation wherever they would be pleased to go. They take so much time out
of their own personal lives because they care about me and the other young men in our house each and every day. They help us. They show me how to be a better man in life and in society. What they do does not go unnoticed to me and I thank them. --Joseph

16. I would give the gift of love and obedience to my mother this Christmas because I know it was hard for her to
to raise three boys. I would give her peace and comfort and I would do something with my life so that she could feel she did not fail as a parent. --Rashaun

17. To my Boys Town house, I would give the gift of sharing I care about my housemates. We all need help, some
more than others. But just being there for them would be a good thing to encourage them to do good when they are feeling down. --Randy

18. A gift I would give my mother is the satisfaction to let her know I will be staying in Boys Town until the
day I graduate. Her dream for me was to be in Boys Town to complete my high school. I am going to stay. --Gustavo

19. I would also give my Boys Town Family-Teachers great happiness that I have changed and telling that I
want to stay here for four years in high school. And they will be so happy to know that I want to change. --Jerry

20. If I could give a gift I would give my grandma my high school diploma to show her that I made it through high
school and to show her that I’m a changed person. I know that my grandma wants me to be better than anyone in my family. I want to show my grandma that I can be the first one to finish school and get a high school diploma so I set a goal. My goal is to make my grandma proud of me when she comes to my graduation. --Daniel

21. I would give my Family-Teachers a vacation to wherever they want to go for all of the things they did for me and
other people in my home. They are great Family-Teachers and I love them with all of my heart. I’m not saying they are the best because they are my Family-Teachers. I’m saying it because they want the best for us and want us to be successful in life. They changed my life around. I am thankful for my Boys Town family. --George

22. If I could give any gift to someone in my own family back home, I would give my brother the gift of sobriety. He
has difficulty accepting some of the things that not only happened to me but also to him and he needs sobriety. It would be my gift.