Reece Gardner: Reflect on things that really matter

With all the rancor and bitterness in our world today (Recession, Border Crisis, crime, Etc.), it would probably help if we stepped back a minute and reflected on things that REALLY matter in this world. To do that I want to re-visit and expand on a Column I wrote several years ago about Kevin Schull's experience.

He told about how he was walking around a store when he saw a cashier hand a little boy his money back and say, "I'm sorry, son, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll." The little boy then turned to his grandmother and said, "Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?" She sadly told him that he didn't and then, to hide her tears, she walked away for a few minutes.

Kevin walked over to the boy, who was still holding on to the doll, and asked him who he wanted to give the doll to. "It's the doll my sister loved most and wanted it for Christmas. She was so sure that Santa would bring it to her." Kevin replied that maybe Santa would bring it to her after all, but the little boy said softly, "No, Santa can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she joins her. You see, Mister, my sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God soon, so I thought that she could take the doll to my sister."

Kevin was very quiet as the little boy continued, "I asked Daddy to tell Mommy not to go yet, because I needed her to wait until I came home with the doll." He then displayed a nice photo of him when he was happy, and said, "I want Mommy to take this picture with her. I love my mommy very much, and I don't want her to leave us, but Daddy says she has to go to be with my little sister." Kevin then reached for his wallet and said to the boy, "Why don't we check again in case you do have enough money." He then added some money to what the boy had without him seeing. They counted it again and there was enough for the doll and even some left over.

The little boy said, "Thank God for giving me enough money!" He then looked at Kevin and said, "I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I would have enough money to buy this doll so that Mommy could give it to my sister, and He heard me!" He continued, "I also hoped to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, and God has given me enough to buy the doll and the white rose. My mommy always loved white roses." Kevin then went on to finish his shopping, but he couldn't get the little boy out of his mind. He then remembered a local newspaper article two days prior that told about a young lady and a little girl being involved in an automobile accident.

The little girl had died right away, and the mother was left in critical condition and would not be able to survive. Two days after this, Kevin read in the newspaper that the young lady had passed away. He immediately went out and bought a bouquet of white roses, and went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was being viewed by friends and loved ones. She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand, with the doll, and the photo of the little boy, placed over her chest.

Kevin said, "I left this place with tears in my eyes and a greater understanding of what true love is all about." Folks, when all is said and done, life really is all about love, both giving and receiving.

Tell someone TODAY how much you love them!

Now for a humorous note: A Kindergarten class had a homework assignment to find out something exciting and relate it to the Class the next day. When the time came to present what they'd found, the first little boy the teacher called on walked up to the front of the class, and with a piece of chalk made a small white dot on the blackboard, and then sat back down. Puzzled, the teacher asked him what it was. "It's a Period," he replied. "I can see that," said the teacher, "But what is so exciting about a Period?" "Darned if I know," said the little boy, "But this morning my sister was missing one, my mother fainted, my Dad nearly had a heart attack, and the boy next door joined the Navy!"

HAVE A TRULY WONDROUS DAY!