posted December 19, 2003 08:00 AM         

I received this from a friend who had a choice to make. It said
that I had a choice to make too. I've chosen. Now it's your turn to
choose.

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her 5-year-old
daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was
tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold paper
to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother
the next morning and said, "This is for you, Mommy."
The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over-reaction, but her
anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was
empty.

She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner. "Don't you know,
young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be
something inside the package?"

The little girl had tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Mommy, it's not
empty!
I blew kisses into it until it was full."

The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms
around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her
thoughtless anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later,
and it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all
the years of her life. Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult

problems she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and
remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, have been given a
golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our
children,
family, friends, and God. There is no more precious possession
anyone could hold.

Friends are like angels who lift us to our feet, when our wings have
trouble remembering how to fly.

posted December 19, 2003 05:13 PM         

juniperb