This morning a mom came up to me at school. She said, “I’m sorry I have been unable to volunteer to help for the school musical. We are grateful for everything you do.” Then she handed me a $25 check made out to Sharolyn Borris.
Surprised, I said, “Oh, this is help with the budget for costumes,” or some teacherly thing similar to that. She said, “It’s for you, do with it what you want.”
Although it is not a large sum of money, what I do with it reveals my character. What would you do?
1) Spend it on yourself. She said it was for me.
2) Cash the check and buy something for school.
3) Shred it, as the tax payers and P.T.A. have already paid me.
Rach 2:47 pm on 4 November 2009 Permalink
Early Christmas present? Would you reject a gift that were not cash? Is it illegal?
sharolyn 5:20 pm on 4 November 2009 Permalink
Good point. If it were a gift card, I’d be off to spend it. It feels weird to take dollars directly out of this woman’s bank account.
michael 5:51 pm on 4 November 2009 Permalink
Take the money, loudly praise her child at every public gathering for the next month, then sit back and let the Christmas miracles rooooollll on in!
(I would take it – Christmas gift.)
michael 5:51 pm on 4 November 2009 Permalink
And also, what she did was very tacky. It should have been a gift card.
Chad 10:08 am on 5 November 2009 Permalink
It was tacky, but you just got a free meal.
Being a musical mercenary keeps you real, IMO.
june 12:04 pm on 5 November 2009 Permalink
If she didn’t have time to help, maybe she didn’t have time to get a gift card either. As a crazy-busy Mom, I must admit that I feel GREAT gratitude for my son’s amazing teacher and sometimes GREAT guilt at not being able to volunteer more. When volunteer form #3,857 came home the other day and I skimmed it, I literally thought this: “Hmmm…when do I want to volunteer?…How about Never-o’clock on Neverday in the year 2000 and never.” I DO volunteer at his school, but I can’t volunteer nearly as much as they seem to need. All this to say, take the check and enjoy. It was tacky, for sure. But, she was probably desperate to show her gratitude.