A Toy Drop in Mexico…Mom’s Greatest Gift.

The story that follows is one of the many stories we have received and certainly falls under the “YOUR DAY” category of our book. It is a story about Irene Martinez from Rialto, CA.

“I grew up in a very poor town in Mexico,” shared Irene. “We were so broke that my brothers and I had absolutely nothing…no toys, video games, bicycles, or books. But it also taught us a lot about the importance of relationships and kept us humble to this very day.”

Now an adult, living in America with two of her own children, Irene struggles with the concept of raising spoiled children with an inflated sense of entitlement. She has always wanted to give them the world and worked very hard to be able to afford the things that they wanted, but she was concerned she wasn’t being a good mother.

“One day,” she said, “I looked down and saw all the toys that my boys never play with any more. The house was cluttered with electronic gadgets and games that I never even knew existed. This is when I realized that maybe one of the things that I wasn’t giving them was an appreciation for how fortunate they are.”

Irene went to bed that night with a heavy heart and without any answers. But the next day, right in her front yard, Irene found the answer for which she was looking…an old blue bicycle with two flat tires.

The old blue bike brought back memories from when Irene wanted a bicycle as a little girl growing up in Mexico, but her parents couldn’t afford it.

“Toys were hard to come by and, if one of our friends happened to get one, we all played with it until it broke…and then we played with it some more,” shared Irene. “That old blue bicycle was my dream as a little girl, even with flat tires.”

With a flicker of inspiration and nostalgia, Irene went outside, got the old blue bike that had been left for trash, and planned to fix it up and take to her home town. The inspiration didn’t stop there however. She shared her idea with the boys, Casey and Ryan, and got them involved. Together, they went through all of their unused and mis-fit toys and came up with several boxes of toys they were willing to take and donate as well. Since then, she has even had neighbors and friends drop off old bikes and toys.

Irene smiled saying, “This trip to Mexico is going to be such a special time for us. Not only will be blessing a lot of families in my home village, but it is going to teach Casey and Ryan so many important life lessons. And this all happened because of an old blue bike.”

We know there is a blue bike out there for all of us. Something that speaks to our hearts and inspires us to make a difference. Your inspiration might not be that far from your front yard. It could be as simple as taking care of yourself, doing something for someone in need, protecting the environment, volunteering your time, giving from your heart or donating your possessions. This is “YOUR DAY.” Every day is “YOUR DAY” to go out and make a difference. So go make it happen and share it with the world.

Comments

2 Responses to “A Toy Drop in Mexico…Mom’s Greatest Gift.”

1. Melanie says:

   July 27, 2009 at 10:54 am

   What an amazing story! I’m excited to hear how the trip goes and see pictures. Please share a follow up story with us if you are able to!
2. jed says:

   October 12, 2009 at 10:41 am

   this kool how yall reaching out to people all around the world and we need more people to join this cuase because it is a cuase for greatness.