A timely message

[Barbara Braxton <barbara@DYNAMITE.COM.AU>]

Dear Everyone,
I have taken this from another source, and as with the breast cancer
message, make no apologies for using the power and coverage of these
listservs to spread this message.

From one who has survived ... please take care.
Barbara
                                                            *****
"I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute
Christmas gifts. I looked at all the
people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I had so much
to do.

Christmas was becoming such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep
through it. But I hurried
through the crowd to the toy department and I mumbled to myself at the
prices of toys, and wondered if the grandkids would even play with them.

I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little
boy about 5 holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and held her so
gently. I wondered who the doll was for. I watched the boy turn to a woman
he called auntie and said,"Are you sure I don't have enough money". She
replied a bit impatiently, "You know that you don't have enough money for
it." Then she ask the little boy to stay put and wait for her a few minutes.
Then she hurried off.

The boy continued to hold the doll. Finally, I asked him who the doll was
for. He said, "It is the doll my
sister wanted real bad for Christmas. She was sure Santa would bring it." I
told him that maybe Santa
would. He said "No, Santa can't go where my sister is now... I have to give
the doll to my Mamma to take to
her". I asked him where his sister was. He looked at me with the saddest
eyes and said "She has gone to be
with Jesus. My Daddy says that Mama is going to be with Jesus soon too and
she can take the doll with her
to give to my sister."

My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said,
"I told my Daddy to tell Mamma not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait
till I got back from the store". Then he showed me a picture of himself
taken in the store, holding the doll. He said "I want my Mamma to take this
with her too so she doesn't ever
forget me. I love my Mamma and I wish she did not have to leave me. But
Daddy says she has to go be with my
sister."

The little boy lowered his head and grew very quiet. I reached into my purse
and pulled out a handful of bills then asked the little boy, "Shall we count
your money one more time?"

"Okay",he said "I just have to have enough". I slipped my money in with his
and we began to count it. There
was plenty for the doll and even more.

Softly the boy said, "Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money." Then he
looked at me and said "I was
just asking Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Mama can take
it with her to give to my sister
and He heard my prayer. I wanted enough money to buy my Mama a white rose
too but I didn't dare ask Him.
Then He gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Mama. You know, my
Mama loves white roses so very,  much".

In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away.  I could not
keep from thinking about
the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than
when I had started. I remembered
a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk
driver hitting a car and killing
a little girl. The mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding
on whether to remove the life support. Could this be the little boy's sister
and mother?

Two days later I read in the paper that the family had disconnected the life
support and the young woman had
died. I could not forget the little boy.

Finally, I could not help myself. I went out and bought some white roses and
took them to the funeral
home where the young woman was. And there she was, holding a lovely white
rose, the beautiful doll, and
the picture of the little boy in the store. I left in tears, my life changed
forever.  The love that little
boy had for his little sister and his mother was overwhelming. And in a
split second a drunk driver had ripped his life apart."


Barbara Braxton
Teacher Librarian
Palmerston District Primary School
PALMERSTON ACT 2913
AUSTRALIA

T. 02 6205 6162
F. 02 6205 7242
E. barbara@dynamite.com.au
W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au
"Together, we learn from each other."

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