THE DOLL AND THE WHITE ROSE
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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.
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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."
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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
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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."
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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.
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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
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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.
I want to Thank Jacqueline for her Beautiful Artwork.
If this story touched your heart, then click on "Angels Among US" to see how you can make a difference in another boys life.
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