It’s hard to believe that Christmas is already upon us.  Like, in four days. Part of our team has already left to spend the holidays at home with family and friends, braving the crazy weather across the country to get there. Many of us are still here working until mid week when we will then all go and enjoy the holidays and some time off to recharge and energize for the start of a fantastic new year filled with new clients, projects, challenges and achievements. We feel so lucky every day to get to work with one another and with the wonderful clients that make up our roster.

This year, Jamie and I really wanted to do something as a company to help make some else’s holidays special. We decided to adopt a family and give them the wonderful Christmas they may otherwise not be able to enjoy.

We worked with a lovely woman named Syliva at Dress For Success here in San Diego and were assigned a family of six. Single mother, 5 kids. But this family had an especially heartbreaking story. Earlier in the year, the mother and her youngest child, a sweet one year old little boy, underwent an extremely risky surgery wherein the mother donated a portion of her liver to her little baby in order to save him from a rare, life-threatening condition he was born with.

Fortunately, the surgery was successful, but for this loving mother of 5, the intensive recovery period kept her from working for months and although they were able to keep a roof over their heads and she has been able to recently go back to work, they remain in dire financial circumstances.

On Saturday morning, we had the profound privilege of being able to deliver our family’s Christmas to them in person at their home. To say it was a humbling experience is an understatement.

So sweet, loving, grateful and honest they were. As we brought in bag after bag of gifts and household necessities, the mother told us about their year, showing us the matching scars stretching across the abdomens of her and her little boy that will forever remind them of the challenges they faced and survived together. The older kids, ages 18, 12, 5 and 4 playing nearby – so sweet and well behaved. So…happy.

Not just happy because of what they were getting. They were happy with what they already had before we ever showed up. Each other and love. Love you could feel the minute you walked into the tiny apartment they all share.

And boy, did that put things into perspective.

From our JPR family to yours, we wish you a wonderful holiday season filled with moments and experiences to treasure with your loved ones. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year. xoxo