Caleb Miller - Gifts for Good

Kids can surprise you some days. I love working as a principal because this is true everyday. And when you are a kid, everything seems big and important and immediate. Now. What I want, how I feel, let's do it now. That's more typical for a kid.

In this story, Caleb Miller postponed his need for presents. He found out his neighbors were struggling with some health problems. Mom next door was recovering from surgery. Dad was struggling with chemotherapy treatments. They had a little eight year old girl. Caleb was about to celebrate his 11th birthday and instead of typical birthday presents, he asked his friends to bring food donations to his birthday party. So, when the big day came, he ended up with 6 bags of groceries to bring over to the neighbors to give them a boost. He didn't want anything for it, and he wasn't expecting anything in return. He simply felt he had enough and he could share.

The family was very grateful and told others which resulted in Caleb winning some recognition. The St. Germain Wisconsin organization called Angel on My Shoulder, works to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. They found out about Caleb and gave him the Angel on my Shoulder award along with some more typical 11 year old birthday gifts. It all worked out.

Today, in my school, one boy came to another girl and apologized about the way his mom had treated her. The mom had been somewhat confrontive and had upset a group of 3rd graders. He didn't have to apologize, and he certainly could have ignored the whole situation and pretended it didn't happen. But instead, he gave the girl a sincere apology and with such a small gesture made an impact on her. The girl had started the day sobbing and a bit afraid, and ended the day with the thought that she had another friend.

I love it when kids are nice just because.