Spirit of Christmas

In a message dated 12/09/1999 10:29:38 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
ShayDguy@aol.com writes:

<< 
 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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