> -----Original Message----- > From: Doug Grim > Sent: Sunday, December 19, 1999 8:29 AM > To: Alan Hegwood; Angie Holley; Ann Archer; Bev Wright; Carla Carson; > Cathi Curry; Connie Adams; Corey Potter; Dave Cole; Debbie Craig; Dennis > Woehler; Diane McClintock; Donald Scott; Donald Scott; Doug DeShong; Doug > Dreher; Elaine Perry; Gail Loehmann; Hope; Jennifer Miller; Joann Hoff; > Joe Kenworthy; Kevin Padget; Leah VanHoutin; Lisa Akers; Marianne Hays; > Mark Williamson; Melissa Shanklin; Nancy Frye; Pat Carney; Sarah Lammert; > Sarah McCammon; Scooter Grim; Steve Danielson; Sue Cass; Walter McArty; > Wayne Pruner > Subject: FW: A Touching Story For Christmas > > THIS SAYS IT ALL!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! > > -----Original Message----- > From: Renee Marrs [SMTP:rmarrs@ivy.tec.in.us] > Sent: Thursday, December 09, 1999 4:28 PM > To: ronm@ccrtc.com; mmiller@ivy.tec.in.us; sallybands@aol.com; > erickarn@ccrtc.com; rowdy1@gateway.net; jadkins@ivy.tec.in.us; > jrick1@aol.com; jthomass@ivy.tec.in.us; ewright@ivy.tec.in.us; > wpowell@ccrtc.com > Subject: Fwd: A Touching Story For Christmas > > >From: JoRo35@aol.com > >Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 16:19:06 EST > >Subject: Fwd: A Touching Story For Christmas > >To: rmarrs@ivy.tec.in.us > >X-Mailer: AOL 3.0 16-bit for Windows sub 58 > > > > > >Return-Path: <swrush@bop.gov> > >Received: from rly-yc03.mx.aol.com (rly-yc03.mail.aol.com > [172.18.149.35]) > > by air-yc01.mail.aol.com (vx) with ESMTP; Wed, 08 Dec 1999 08:10:32 > > 1900 > >Received: from bop.gov (gatekeeper.bop.gov [206.138.130.2]) by > > rly-yc03.mx.aol.com (v66.4) with ESMTP; Wed, 08 Dec 1999 08:10:31 > > -0500 > >Received: by gatekeeper.bop.gov id <115252>; Wed, 8 Dec 1999 08:08:22 > -0500 > >Message-Id: <99Dec8.080822est.115252@gatekeeper.bop.gov> > >X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 5.5 > >Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 08:11:40 -0500 > >From: "Sheri W. Rush" <swrush@bop.gov> > >To: <grubbken@AOL.COM>, <jeffiger@AOL.COM>, <joro35@AOL.COM>, > > <REVE105892@AOL.COM>, <saybay2001@AOL.COM>, > > <beadams@befac.indstate.edu>, <kabjab1@gte.net>, > > <jawarner@harding.edu>, <sharkitt@iquest.net>, > > <terri_stott@oldnational.com>, <ejtevault@webtv.net>, > > <trexgoff@YAHOO.COM> > >Subject: A Touching Story For Christmas > >Mime-Version: 1.0 > >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII > >Content-Disposition: inline > > > >A Touching Story For Christmas > > > >Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his back yard in the snow. Bobby > >didn't wear boots; he didn't like them and anyway he didn't own any. The > thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them and they did a poor job of > keeping out the cold. Bobby had been in his backyard for about an hour > already. And, try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his > mother's Christmas gift. He shook his head as he thought, "This is > useless, > even if I do come up with an idea, I don't have any money to spend." > > > > Ever since his father had passed away three years ago, the family of > five > >had struggled. It wasn't because his mother didn't care, or try, there > just > >never seemed to be enough. She worked nights at the hospital, but the > small > >wage that she was earning could only be stretched so far. > > > > What the family lacked in money and material things, they more than made > up for in love and family unity. Bobby had two older and one younger > sister, who ran the house hold in their mother's absence. All three of his > sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother. Somehow it just > wasn't fair. Here it was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing. > > > >Wiping a tear from his eye, Bobby kicked the snow and started to walk > down > to the street where the shops and stores were. It wasn't easy being six > >without a father, especially when he needed a man to talk to. Bobby > walked > >from shop to shop, looking into each decorated window. Everything seemed > so beautiful and so out of reach. > > > >It was starting to get dark and Bobby reluctantly turned to walk home > when > suddenly his eyes caught the glimmer of the setting sun's rays reflecting > off > >of something along the curb. He reached down and discovered a shiny dime. > > >Never before has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby felt at that moment. > > > >As he held his new found treasure, a warmth spread throughout his entire > >body and he walked into the first store he saw. His excitement quickly > turned cold when the salesperson told him that he couldn't buy anything > with only a dime. He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line. > When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime > and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother's Christmas gift. The > shop owner looked at Bobby and his ten cent offering. > > > >Then he put his hand on Bobby's shoulder and said to him, "You just wait > >here and I'll see what I can do for you." As Bobby waited he looked at > >the beautiful flowers and even though he was a boy, he could see why > mothers and girls liked flowers. > > > >The sound of the door closing as the last customer left, jolted Bobby > back > >to reality. All alone in the shop, Bobby began to feel alone and afraid. > > > >Suddenly the shop owner came out and moved to the counter. There, before > Bobby's eyes, lay twelve long stem, red roses, with leaves of green and > tiny > >white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow. Bobby's heart sank > as > >the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box. > "That will be ten cents young man." the shop owner said reaching out his > hand for the dime. > > > >Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime. Could this be > true? > No one else would give him a thing for his dime! > > > >Sensing the boy's reluctance, the shop owner added, "I just happened to > have some roses on sale for ten cents a dozen. Would you like them?" > > > >This time Bobby did not hesitate, and when the man placed the long box > into his hands, he knew it was true. Walking out the door that the owner > was holding, Bobby heard the shop keeper say, "Merry Christmas, son." > > > >As the shopkeeper returned inside, the shop keeper's wife walked out. > "Who > were you talking to back there and where are the roses you were fixing?" > >Staring out the window, and blinking the tears from his own eyes, he > >replied, "A strange thing happened to me this morning. While I was > setting > up things to open the shop, I thought I heard a voice telling me to set > aside a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. I wasn't sure at the > time whether > >I had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway. Then just a > few > >minutes ago, a little boy came into the shop and wanted to buy a flower > for > >his mother with one small dime. "When I looked at him, I saw myself, > many > years ago. I too, was a poor boy with nothing to buy my mother a > Christmas > gift. A bearded man, whom I never knew, stopped me on the street and told > me that he wanted to give me ten dollars. > > > >"When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was, and I put > > >together a dozen of my very best roses." The shop owner and his wife > hugged each other tightly, and as they stepped out into the bitter cold > air, they somehow didn't feel cold at all. > > > >May this story instill the spirit of CHRISTmas in you enough to pass this > > >act along. Have a Joyous and Peace-filled season. > > > > > > >