Dana Birke Montgomery 1983

We were all shocked and appalled but Mrs. Blumberg was not. She wondered if the person could not afford gifts for their own family? Were they going to pawn them and keep the money for something else? She felt badly for whomever had done this. I remember her saying how very lucky she was that she could replace the gifts without it causing a hardship in her life. In that moment, in a passing story in class, Mrs. Blumberg embodied and expressed those ineffable qualities of compassion, gratitude, and grace that we should all aspire to. I actually think of this story often and her gentle humanity inspires me to this day.