THE DOLL AND THE WHITE ROSE

 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 had so much to do.  Christmas was beginning to become such a drag.  I sort of  wished I could  just sleep through it, but I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I mumbled to myself at the prices of all the toys, and wondered if the kids 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 just  kept  looking over at the little boy, I could not seem to help   myself, and  wondered who the doll was for.  I watched him turn to a woman whom he identified as his aunt, and said, "Are you sure I don't have enough  money?"   She replied rather sadly, "Honey, I'm   sorry, but you don't have enough money for it."
 
         His aunt told him not to go anywhere, to stay and look at all the toys, that she had to get some other things, and  would be back in a few minutes. The boy continued to hold the doll.  After a moment, I asked the boy  who the doll was for.  He said, "It is the doll my sister wanted real bad for Christmas. She just knew that Santa  would bring it."  I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it.  He said,   "No, Santa can't go where my sister is...I have to give the doll to my Mama 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 have to go be with her."  My heart nearly   stopped beating.  Then the boy  looked at me again and said, "I told my Daddy  to tell Mama not to go yet.  I told him to tell  her to wait till I got back from the store."  He then asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to.  He pulled out some pictures that had  been taken at the front of the store in one of  those quick photo booths.    He said, "I want my Mamma to take this with her so she won't ever forget  me.   I  love my Mama so much I wish she did not have to  leave me, but Daddy says she's going  to go be with my sister."
 
         The little boy lowered his head and  grew very quiet.  While he  was  not  looking, I reached into my purse and  pulled out some money.  I asked  the   little boy,  "Shall we count that money one more time?"  He grew excited  and  said, "Yes, I just know it has to be enough."  As we counted, I carefully slipped the money in with his.  Of  course it was plenty for the doll.  He softly said, "Oh, thank  you, Jesus, for giving me enough   money."  Then the boy said, "I  just asked 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 to ask Him for enough to buy my Mama a white rose, but  I didn't ask Him, and  He  gave  me enough to buy the doll and a rose for  my Mama! She loves white roses a  whole lot."  In a few minutes the aunt came back, and I went about my shopping.
 
         I could not keep from thinking about  the little boy as I  finished what I needed to do in a totally different spirit than when I had  started.  I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier,  about a drunk driver hitting a car,  killing a little girl, and leaving the  Mother in critical condition, and the family with the decision  as  to  whether  to remove the life support or not.  Surely this little boy did not belong  with that story.  Two days later, I  read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support and  the young woman had died.  I could not
  forget the little boy, and  kept  wondering  if the two were somehow connected.  Later that day, I went out  and  bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home where the young  woman  was.  There she lay, holding a lovely white rose,  the beautiful doll, and  the picture of  the little boy in the store.  I left there in tears, my life changed  forever -- overwhelmed by the love that  little boy had for his little sister and his mother, and how cruel it seemed  that in a split second,   a drunk driver had ripped the life of that little boy to pieces.

If this story touched your heart, then click on "Angels Among US" to see how you can make a difference in another boys life.



 

I want to Thank Jacqueline for her Beautiful Artwork.