Re: Fw: Spirit of Christmas

Dear Friends,

This brought a tear to my eyes.  Read it.


The Spirit of Christmas:
 >
 >
 >>> >
 >>> >
 >>> >> Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his back yard in the snow.
 Bobby
 >>> >> didn't wear boots; he didn't like them and anyway he didn't own any.
 >>> >> The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them and they did a poor
 >>job
 >>> >> of keeping out the cold.
 >>> >> Bobby had been in his backyard for about an hour already. And, try as
 >>he
 >>> >> might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother's Christmas
 >>gift.
 >>> >> He shook his head as he thought, "This is useless, even if I do come
 >>> >> up with an idea, I don't have any money to spend." Ever since his
 >>father
 >>> >> had passed away three years ago, the family of five had struggled. It
 >>> >> wasn't because his mother didn't care, or try, there just never
 seemed
 >>to
 >>> >> be enough. She worked nights at the hospital, but the small wage that
 >>she
 >>> >> was earning
 >>> >> could only be stretched so far.  What the family lacked in money and
 >>> >> material
 >>> >> things, they more than made up for in love and family unity. Bobby
 had
 >>> two
 >>> >> older and one younger sister, who ran the household in their mother's
 >>> >> absence. Three of his sisters had already made beautiful gifts for
 >>their
 >>> >> mother. Somehow it just wasn't fair. Here it was Christmas Eve
 >already,
 >>> >> and he had nothing.
 >>> >> Wiping a tear from his eye, Bobby kicked the snow and started to walk
 >>> down
 >>> >> to the street where the shops and stores were. It wasn't easy being
 >six
 >>> >> without a father, especially when he needed a man to talk to. Bobby
 >>> walked
 >>> >> from shop to shop, looking into each decorated window. Everything
 >>seemed
 >>> >> so beautiful and so out of reach. It was starting to get dark and
 >Bobby
 >>> >> reluctantly turned to walk home when suddenly his eyes caught the
 >>glimmer
 >>> >> of the setting sun's rays reflecting off of something along the curb.
 >>He
 >>> >> reached down and   discovered a shiny dime. Never before has anyone
 >>felt
 >>> >> so wealthy as Bobby
 >>> >> felt at that moment. As he held his new found treasure, a warmth
 >spread
 >>> >> throughout his entire body and he walked into the first store he saw.
 >>His
 >>> >> excitement quickly turned cold when the salesperson told him that he
 >>> >> couldn't
 >>> >> buy anything with only a dime. He noticed a flower shop and went
 >inside
 >>> to
 >>> >> wait in line. When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby
 >>> >> presented
 >>> >> the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother's
 >>Christmas
 >>> >> gift. The shop owner looked at Bobby and his ten cent offering.  Then
 >>he
 >>> >> put his hand on Bobby's shoulder and said to him, "You just wait here
 >>and
 >>> >> I'll see what I can do for you."  As Bobby waited he looked at the
 >>> >> beautiful flowers and even though he was a boy, he could see why
 >>mothers
 >>> >> and girls liked flowers.  The sound of the door closing as the last
 >>> >> customer left, jolted Bobby back to reality. All alone in the shop,
 >>Bobby
 >>> >> began to feel alone and afraid.  Suddenly the shop owner came out and
 >>> >> moved to the counter.  There, before Bobby's eyes, lay twelve long
 >>stem,
 >>> >> red roses, with leaves of green and tiny white flowers all tied
 >>together
 >>> >> with a big silver bow.  Bobby's heart sank as the owner picked them
 up
 >>> and
 >>> >> placed them neatly into a long white box. "That will be ten cents
 >young
 >>> >> man." the shop owner said reaching out his hand for the dime. Slowly,
 >>> >> Bobby
 >>> >> moved his hand to give the man his dime.  Could this be true? No one
 >>else
 >>> >> would give him a thing for his dime! Sensing the boy's reluctance,
 the
 >>> >> shop owner added, "I just happened to have some roses on sale for ten
 >>> >> cents a dozen. Would you like them?" This time Bobby did not
 hesitate,
 >>> and
 >>> >> when the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true.
 >>> >> Walking out the door that the owner was holding open for Bobby, he
 >>heard
 >>> >> the shop keeper say, "Merry Christmas, son." As he returned inside,
 >the
 >>> >> shop keeper's wife walked out.  "Who were you talking to back there
 >and
 >>> >> where are the roses you were fixing?"  Staring out the window, and
 >>> >> blinking the tears from his own eyes, he replied, "A strange thing
 >>> >> happened to me this morning. While I was setting up things to open
 the
 >>> >> shop, I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a dozen of my
 >>> best
 >>> >> roses for a special gift. I wasn't sure at the time whether I
 >>> >> had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway. Then just a
 few
 >>> >> minutes ago, a little boy came into the shop and wanted to buy a
 >flower
 >>> >> for his mother with one small dime. "When I looked at him, I saw
 >>myself,
 >>> >> many years ago. I too, was a poor boy with nothing to buy my mother a
 >>> >> Christmas gift. A bearded man, whom I never knew, stopped me on the
 >>> street
 >>> >> and told me that he wanted to give me ten dollars. "When I saw that
 >>> little
 >>> >> boy tonight, I knew who that voice was, and I put together a dozen of
 >>my
 >>> >> very best roses." The shop owner and his wife hugged each other
 >>tightly,
 >>> >> and as they stepped out into the bitter cold air, they somehow didn't
 >>> feel
 >>> >> the cold at all. May this story instill the spirit of CHRISTmas in
 you
 >>> >> enough to pass this act along. Have a Joyous and Peace-filled season.
 >>> >>
 >>> > >>
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