Off topic - thought for Christmas

[Guest guest]

> The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 5-year-old daughter

> for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and

> he became even more upset when the child pasted the gold paper so as to

> decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little

> girl brought the gift box to her father the next morning and said " This is

> for you, Daddy. " The father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction,

> but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He spoke to

> her 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 little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said " Oh,

> Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was full. " The father

> was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his little

> girl and he begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.

>

> An accident took the life of the child only a short time later and it is

> told that the father kept that gold box by his bed for all the years of

> his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems he

> 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 and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

>

> " Friends are like angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have

> trouble remembering how to fly. "