A Christmas Story

by | Jun 2, 1999 | Christmas, Love

A word of kindness lasts all day To light another’s heart and way, And if we add a caring smile, It adds a joy to traveled miles. A simple word of kindly care Or just a smile to ease despair, It means so much to those who cry For loves and joys their life denies. It costs us nothing to be kind And calm another’s grieves of mind Or to add charity of heart That Christian love and care impart… For Jesus preached in days on earth That we respect each other’s birth And love each other, in His name, Who live and pray and die the same. –Michael Dubina

As I read this poem I thought of my dad and one of the many times I saw him show respect and compassion.

My parents owned a Variety Store in a small town. The Christmas season was always a busy one. Part of my job was to help get the dolls out of the boxes and straighten their hair and dresses so they could be put on display. Daddy would set up a little place in the back of the store and assemble the wagons and tricycles. I always enjoyed helping him and my brother put together these toys. This was a service that daddy provided and it kept him very busy.

Christmas time was a mixture of happiness and sadness when watching parents shop for their children’s Christmas presents. Happiness at knowing that some children would wake on Christmas morning and have the gifts they wanted from Santa Claus. Sadness at knowing that some would wake on Christmas morning with little under the tree and be disappointed.

One Christmas season a little girl came into the store looking at the dolls on display. After looking at the dolls, she told us that there was one special doll that she wanted Santa to bring her. Her dad, a farmer, came into the store just before Christmas to shop for Christmas presents. He picked out some socks and underwear for his daughter. My dad told him that his daughter had been looking at one particular doll asked him if he wanted to see it. The man said that it had been a bad year for the crops and money was scarce. He could not afford to buy any toys. Even though this was in the 1950’s and toys were not very expensive, it was still expensive for him. Daddy told him that it was near Christmas and he did not want to keep any toys in his inventory so several of the dolls were on sale. He told the father that this doll was on sale for one dollar. The father said he could afford that and bought the doll.

A couple of days after Christmas the little girl came into the store carrying her doll. Beaming with joy, she told Daddy that Santa Claus had brought her the doll that she wanted. With tears in his eyes, he told her that he was happy that Santa had been so good to her. This really made the true meaning of Christmas, which is giving, come alive for my dad. He had turned what could have been a sad time for that little girl into a happy one.

I was about 10 or 11 years old when this happened but this event has stayed with me all my life. The compassion and respect that my dad showed to this man had a profound impact on me. He knew that my dad was not offering him outright charity but, by allowing him to pay something for the doll, he knew that my dad was giving him respect as a person. And as one father to another, he knew that my dad cared about families.

By example, my dad showed me what it meant to have compassion and respect for others. Through the years, I learned that this was very much a part of my father’s life. His respect for others earned him respect in return. This was taught to him by his parents and he continued to live what he had learned from them and pass it on to his children. Isn’t this what we are supposed to do as parents? Our lives are enriched when we show compassion and respect for our fellow man. This is what God expects of each of us. When we show compassion and respect, we are spreading God’s love and witnessing to that love in our lives. This respect is returned to us many times over. My hope is that I have continued in the tradition of my dad and taught my children compassion and respect for others and they will then teach their children.

Laura Young copyright 2002 lyoung1941@yahoo.com

I am retired public school secretary. I am married to a retired Methodist minister. I had a story on 2theheart on November 5 entitled “The Hill”. I am grateful for the good response I received from that story. Christmas always brings back memories and this is one of my favorites.

Post

A Christmas Story

Topics

Series

Archives