A Difficult Christmas

In talking with many of my friends, they all agree -this has been a difficult Christmas.  Along with economy issues it seems that many people are on edge about the future of this country and worried about how this will all play out in their own lives. 

Businesses are short handed and therefore employees are short tempered.  Families are doing without and therefore parents aren't able to deal with a child's excitement.  Even churches are having financial trouble that leads to sermons less about love and more about sacrifice.  Amid all of this when friends or family relationships are wounded, a person can feel alone and afraid. 

Ron sent this in an e-mail and it broke my heart.  I think if we all keep the following story in our head that this "Difficult Christmas" can turn into something beautiful. 

This made me cry. Life is short – love your family and friends like there is no tomorrow!

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her five 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 then said, 'This is for you, Momma.'

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 child's blond curls shook as tears filled her blue eyes.  'Oh, Momma, 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, pets and GOD. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

God loves you,

Debbie