A Christmas Story

December 9, 2007

A CHRISTMAS STORY

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.

All 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 salesperson after salesperson told him that

he could not buy anything with only a dime.

He saw 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 gently

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 20 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 for Bobby, he heard the shop keeper say, " Merry

Christmas, son. "

As he returned inside, the shop keepers 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 cold at

all.

Author unknown

December 9, 2007

Thanks for sharing that dhyana! Happy Holidays to you! )

love & light ~Jen~

, " novalees "

<Novalees wrote:

>

> A CHRISTMAS STORY

>

> 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.

>

> All 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 salesperson after salesperson told him that

> he could not buy anything with only a dime.

>

> He saw 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 gently

> 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 20 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 for Bobby, he heard the shop keeper say, " Merry

> Christmas, son. "

>

> As he returned inside, the shop keepers 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 cold at

> all.

>

> Author unknown

>

December 9, 2007

What a beautiful story! *sniff, sniff*

Sarita

, " novalees "

<Novalees wrote:

>

> A CHRISTMAS STORY

>

> 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