Father Peter's Forum

At Christmastime we ask our boys and girls to share with us their thoughts in this Holy Season. We pass them on to you with the hope that you will be encouraged to pray for our children and to choose goodness and happiness in your own lives.

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 a gift to someone in my Boys Town family, it would be a gift that came with time. It would be a success story, my success story about how I came to Boys Town as what society calls a criminal, a thief and a thug. And instead of sticking to old ways, I change for the better. Merry Christmas Boys Town. --Joe

3. If I could give any Christmas gift whatsoever, I would give my family honesty. I would tell the truth about everything that I used to lie about. I would give my parents the trust in me that I believe it worthwhile. I would be able to be trusted, even with small things. I lost a lot of trust. I need to regain it. --Shannon

4. The worst Christmas I ever experienced was 2006. I was in placement because of my actions. And the best Christmas I ever had was all my Christmases at Boys Town. I have learned here the true meaning of Christmas. --Tazzi

5. The best Christmas I ever experienced was my first Christmas at Boys Town. I have never seen so many presents. I was appreciative for everything I received. Whatever presents I unwrapped, I always had a smile on my face. I thank Bruce and Janele for the presents. --Manuel

6. One gift I would give to my family back home would be to give my dad a brand new toolset and a couple of dollars. Another thing I would give him is a brand new winter coat, hat and gloves. And a gigantic hug and a pair of new boots.

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

7. The worst Christmas I ever experienced was the first without my dad. I felt so empty. There was no possibility for me ever to have a family again.

The best Christmas I ever experienced was my second Boys Town Christmas with my Family-Teachers, the Baumgarts. This was my best Christmas because for the first time I felt like just maybe my hope and dream was coming true to have a family together. --Kahli


8. The best Christmas I ever experienced was here at Boys Town because I had a family to wake up to and was happy to give my help and to have the love and happiness surround me. It was the best Christmas I have ever experienced. --Tyler

9. I have never had a bad Christmas. Throughout my foster care, I have experienced many different Christmases. Each one has taught me more about family and how I need to be appreciative for family, not only about family but about the Baby at Bethlehem, as well. --Cristle

10. The best Christmas I ever experienced was in 2006, my first Boys Town Christmas. It was the first time that Christmas wasn’t about gifts. It was the day spent with family. I found I didn’t need presents to be happy. I saw I had a family to spend a real Christmas with. It opened my eyes and I became a grateful and caring person. --Chris

11. 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.

The best Christmas I believe is yet to come. I’ve had many beautiful and fun Christmases, but I think that when I get to have a family of my own that I will make the best Christmas ever.
--Jackey

12. Lately here at Boys Town, I have been getting in a lot of trouble. There have been many family meetings on my behavior and it is to the point where it seems the girls are in my house are babysitting and that’s not right. I am very close to all of them, Melissa, Alicia, Sara and Cheyenne. And I know I have let them all down. The best Christmas gift I can give them is my word, my word that I am sorry, my word that I am here to change. I want to do better. Lastly, I can give them my love. That’s all that matters in the end. --Name Withheld

13. A gift I would give my family back home is a gift to my sister. It is the gift to understand that 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 felling. I want to give her the gift of reassurance to let her know that God will make things better at the end. --Natalya

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 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. 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. --Reshaun

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

The boys and girls of Boys Town love Christmas just as much as you do. In so many ways, we are just like you…except for one thing…we don’t have much of a family.

We ask you and we plead with you, try to make Christmas a family day in your own home. Please read these reflections with your heart and go the extra mile. God bless you and Merry Christmas.

1. My best Christmas was when I was four. My mom shared her last Christmas with me before she passed. And I remember how joyful our family was, hanging up ornaments on the tree. --Molly

2. The worst Christmas was when I lived with my dad and his mean girlfriend who doesn’t believe in God nor does she celebrate Christmas. I was in the 5th grade and was excited to put up the tree my dad got for me and we put it in the living room so I could decorate it. When my dad’s girlfriend saw the tree, she yelled at me, told me how stupid it was and said I had to put it in my bedroom so she wouldn’t have to look at it.
3. The worst Christmas I experienced was when my mom and dad got a divorce. Yes, it solved the fighting, but it left three little girls without their father to spoil them in the Christmas season. He did not even want to be around us for Christmas. --Mary Anne

4. The best Christmas I ever experienced was my first Boys Town Christmas. I was in Kyle and Joya’s home. Joya was really creative. She used flower code names as our names for us girls so we couldn’t peek at our presents. We all shared with each other. We were having fun without arguing or doing things to offend each other. I hope this year’s Christmas will be just as memorable. --Jodi

5. The worst Christmas I experienced was when I woke up and found out that mom and dad weren’t getting along and we were not going to grandma’s for Christmas…the best Christmas I ever experienced was actually every other Christmas except the one listed above because I’ve learned you cannot let people ruin your happiness. You should be thankful for things you get. Remember, it is the day Jesus was born and He loves us no matter what kind of struggles we are going through. --Gina

6. My worst Christmas I ever experienced was when I was four. My family was very poor. My dad had to pawn my mother’s wedding ring to buy us toys. That’s what he said, but instead he took the money and went and got drugs. The next day, my mom started crying at the Christmas table when my dad was out with his friends. I didn’t get gifts, not even a tender hug. --Christina

7. The worst Christmas I ever experienced was last year because I didn’t think about my family and how they felt. I just thought about myself and it was the worst because I argued with my parents all the time.

I haven’t had a best Christmas yet, but I think this one will be it because now I’ve learned to think about others and about the true meaning of Christmas. --Barbara

8. My best Christmas was when my brother came home from Iraq. It was my brother’s first home visit. He got off the plane. We hugged each other. We got home. We went to grandma and grandpa’s and opened presents. Just sitting by him on the couch made me feel good. I really didn’t care about presents because my big brother was home. --Maria

9. My best Christmas was the time I was six and my grandfather came to my house at 4:00 in the morning. He was dressed like Santa and had all my presents. And Santa and I ate cookies together. Later when I was nine years old, I found out it was him. --Chris


10. My worst Christmas I ever spent was when my father died and I spent it without him. I was only 11 years
old. It was so very sad. --Johnny

11. The worst Christmas I ever had was last year. I was locked up and in juvenile hall for Thanksgiving and
Christmas. --Eric

12. My best Christmas was last year. My whole family was there and a lot of people I had not seen in a long
time. We cared for each other. Gifts were the last thing on my mind. I was in Missouri at my aunt’s house. Everybody had fun. Everything was perfect. --Jasmine

13. The worst Christmas I experienced was several years ago in Lincoln with my dad’s family. They had
problems with drugs and popping pills. My dad drank a few beers, popped pills and broke into my grandma’s neighbor’s house, stealing a computer, laptop and other valuable things. We waited for about an hour not knowing where he was. He finally returned and about 45 minutes later, two cops showed up, arrested him and took him off in handcuffs. I cried my eyes out on Christmas Day as my dad got taken away. Christmas is supposed to be joyous, happy, spiritual family time and that ruined everything. --Tommy

14. My best Christmas was here at Boys Town. Even though I wasn’t home with my family, I have people
around me who really care about me. No one argues. Everyone is happy. I have caring Family-Teachers and housemates. They lift me up when I get sad. --Fred

15. The worst Christmas I ever experienced scared me for life. My mom and dad started to argue. It got out of
control. My dad beat my mother and every Christmas I have flashbacks to when that happened. I try to forget, but it never leaves my mind. --Regina

16. My worst Christmas was last year. I was making really bad decisions. I constantly chose fun over family.
I was present at Christmas dinner, but I wasn’t really acknowledged. I was with my family, but alone because of my own choices. --Brittney

17. I have had a lot of good Christmases, but the one I remember real well is when I was nine years old. I was
with my foster parents at the time and my sister and brother were with me. It was the first Christmas I was with my sister and brother and the only time I was with them. It was great. --Melissa

18. My best Christmas was the one coming to Boys Town. I was able to be with people who were respectful
and respected me, people who loved me and I loved them. I felt total love. It was great. --Pam

19. The best Christmas I ever had was when I went home and it was just mom and me. We were all we had, but
we cared for each other. We watched movies. We opened presents. We had so much fun. We loved each other. --Arnaldo

20. The worst Christmas was when I was in Pipestone, Minnesota. We traveled to Iowa to see my grandma
who did not like me. She told me to go sit in the basement until it was bedtime. It was Christmas morning when we arrived and I could hear them having fun upstairs. It was my worst Christmas.
--Name withheld

21. My best Christmas I have experienced was right here at Boys Town. The Christmas homes were a blast.
I’ve been here four years and I love every minute of it. We go to so many different places. We meet different people. Everyone is in a good mood. We have fun. I didn’t have to be afraid of being hurt. I got the gift of having many friends. --Cecilia