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'Tis the season of giving and for a lot of kids that means gifting their teachers a little something special. (Because teachers are SUPERHEROES and deserve allllllll the gifts).
While the classic standbys like chocolate and coffee mugs are appreciated and treasured, one poor student came up with a gift for her teacher that'll go down in history as one of the "sweetest" gifts ever.
(Get ready for your heart to explode.)
Rachel Uretsky-Pratt is a third-grade teacher for the Kennewick School District in Washington State.
On the last day of school before the holiday break, many of her students gifted her "chocolates, sweet handmade notes, and some jewelry." However, it was one gift in particular that had such a profound effect on her that she decided to share it on Facebook.
Her post went viral...for all the right reasons.
"With it being the day before break and Christmas right around the corner, most teachers bring their kiddos something such as books or little treats and occasionally in return receive something from their students,” Rachel wrote on Facebook.
“Today I received some chocolates, sweet handmade notes, some jewelry, but these Lucky Charm marshmallows stood out to me the most.”
Rachel Uretsky-Pratt via Facebook
For those of you who may not know, Lucky Charms are sugar-frosted oat cereal made palatable by chunks of dehydrated marshmallows.
Rachel continued, "You see, 100% of my school is on free/reduced lunch. They also get free breakfast at school every day of the school week. This kiddo wanted to get me something so badly, but had nothing to give."
So, rather than come to class empty-handed, the little girl decided to gift her teacher the most prized possession of the day, the marshmallows from her Lucky Charms (Because let's face it, when it comes to Lucky Charms being "magically delicious!" we all know they have the marshmallows to thank for that.)
She painstakingly plucked each "pink heart, yellow moon, orange star, and green clover" out of her cereal one by one and wrapped them in the plastic packaging from her utensils.
This child sacrificed something she loves to a teacher she most certainly loves. And her sweet sacrifice wasn't lost on Rachel.
"Everybody knows the marshmallows are the sweetest part," Rachel told the Washington Post.
Rachel ended her post with these words of wisdom, "Be grateful for what you have, and what others give you. It all truly comes from the deepest parts of their hearts."
Rachel wasn't the only one touched by her student's creative and kind gesture. So were the hundreds of thousands of people who reacted and shared her post. It quickly went viral, making the rounds on social media and by news outlets. And although the original post is no longer available, thanks to the power of social media, it lives on.
Clearly the story resonated and people came out in droves to share their own touching stories.
One fellow teacher wrote: "When I worked in an elementary school a few years ago a little girl gave me three rubber bracelets as my Christmas gift. One was red, one green and one white. I had found out later that week that the police had been to her house over the weekend and discovered the living conditions weren’t good. This family had nothing. No beds for the kids to sleep in, no gifts for Christmas. The police department banded together to buy the kids beds, clothes and Christmas Gifts, but this little girl had nothing and still gave me something. It was the most meaningful gift I’ve ever received."
Another teacher shared: "Other teachers/staff planned a day of celebration at school on my 50th birthday. My fifth/sixth grade students were all asked to being me 50 of something. One young lady brought me 50 little pieces of gravel. She had spent days looking for pretty small rocks, and I kept them much longer than any other gift I received 
I treasured them and my eyes are a little teary writing this many years later."
*Sobs*
This little girl's gift may not have been the most beautiful or the most expensive, but it was undoubtedly, the most priceless.
While they say it's better to give than to receive, I think, in this case, the profound effect that this simple gift had on her teacher will last a lifetime.
It can be so easy to get caught up in the materialistic side of the holidays. The more the merrier! The bigger the better! Yet, as one little girl proves, it isn't about the glitz and glam, or how much money we spend. What is truly precious and what ultimately means the most, are the gifts given from the heart.
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