[Fredslist] A Holiday Story

[Fred Klein]

Below is a wonderful holiday story written by email member Jane Present
about the holiday party we, the Friends of the High School For Leadership &
Public Service, threw last night for our inner city students.  It's a
wonderful tale!

I am Jewish, but my family celebrated Christmas, tree and gifts and
Chanukah too. When I married and had children we also had a tree and gifts
and Chanukah too. My daughter is married to a Catholic and they celebrate
Christmas big time in Denver and Chanukah too. I was thinking last night
and this morning about what it all means, other than the frantic search for
the right gift, the confused, over-stimulated tourists taking up every inch
of my breathing space, the hype, the stress, that feeling of just not
having enough time to get it all done.

But if Christmas does mean sharing love with one's fellow man, giving
generously of oneself on behalf of another, caring enough to devote time,
energy, (physical and emotional) to someone who needs it, then I think
maybe I finally get it.

Last night was beautiful, nothing short of it. Watching you, (and I was),
interact with your students, observing their energy, their understanding
and acceptance and appreciation for all you are doing for them, noting how
beautifully well behaved they were, how nicely they dressed for you, was a
source of great joy. My husband commented on it, how much positive energy
was in the room. We have never done a quiz before, we needed to see if they
would embrace it. We never did birthday tables before, we needed to see if
they would balk, we never celebrated honor roll kids and those pairs who
had already completed their community service, much of how we planned last
night's event was new and needed testing. We like the results very much.

I know you probably think I say this every year, and to some degree I do,
but this group of mentors, the largest in the history of the program, is
simply amazing. Syracuse University should be over the moon at the
graduates and alumni they have produced. I know I am thrilled.

So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the reason to keep
going. If you haven't guessed it, I am no longer a young person, I am no
longer even a middle aged person, it would be so easy to just move on. But
your youth and enthusiasm and dedication makes me feel like I am your age,
sometimes I even feel like I am the students' age (well, that's a stretch).
I sleep very well at night. You should too. You have earned it.

May whatever God you pray to, bless you for all you are doing. You may
never really understand just how much you have enriched these children's
lives.

Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy Chinese New Year, Happy Russian New
Year, and all the best in 2008. Our family will be in Denver, all together,
"loving each other up" as my grand kids say. I wish you the same.




Jane W. Present, Chair
Friends of the High School for Leadership & Public Service
799 Park Avenue
Apartment 14 C
New York, NY 10021
Phone: 212-988-7602
Fax: 212-988-7315
E-Mail SUMMALEAD at AOL.COM


__________________________________
Fred C. Klein
Klein Zelman Rothermel LLP
485 Madison Avenue, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10022
(212) 935-6020
fklein at legal.org
http://www.kleinzelman.com
http://www.gothamnetworking.com

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