Oh, nice story; really enjoyed it, and thanks so so much for sharing. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Helen" <h...@sympatico.ca> To: <RecipesAndMore@googlegroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 6:43 AM Subject: [RecipesAndMore] Re: THE DIME
> > What a nice story that was! > > Thanks for sharing it with all of us. > > Helen > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "steve doyle" <steve.doy...@ntlworld.com> > To: <RecipesAndMore@googlegroups.com> > Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 5:53 AM > Subject: [RecipesAndMore] THE DIME > > > THE DIME > > > > 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 house hold 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 the salesperson told him that he couldn't 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 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 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 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. > > A single candle can illuminate an entire room. A true friend lights up > an entire lifetime. Thanks for the bright lights of your friendship. > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
