As the holidays get crazier and people start being less careful about their driving, read this and remember that this is not a season to have to suffer losses. Ley True or not.....you will cry.....DON'T LET ANYONE DRINK AND DRIVE The Doll and a White Rose I 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 I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become = such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep through Christmas. But I = hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once = again I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys. And wondered = if the grandkids would even play with them.=20 I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a = little boy about 5 holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and he held = her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at = the little boy and wondered who the doll was for.=20 I watched him turn to a woman and he called his aunt by name and said, = "Are you sure I don't have enough money"=20 She replied a bit impatiently, "You know that you don't have enough = money for it. The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere that she had to go = get some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she left = the aisle. The boy continued to hold the doll. After a bit I asked the boy who the = doll was for. He said, "It is the doll my sister wanted so badly 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 Momma to take to her."=20 I 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 Momma 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 Momma not to go yet. I told him to tell her to = wait till I got back from the store." Then he asked me if I wanted to see his = picture. I told him I would love to. He pulled out some pictures he'd had taken at = the front of the store. He said, "I want my Momma to take this with her so = she doesn't ever forget me. I love my Momma so very much and I wish she did = not have to leave me. But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister."=20 I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so very = quiet. While he was not looking I reached into my purse and pulled out a hand = full of bills. I ask 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" So I = slipped my money in with his and we began to count it. And of course it was = plenty for the doll. He softly said, "Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money."=20 Then the boy said, "I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy = this doll so Momma 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 Momma a white rose, = but I didn't ask him, but he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my = Momma. She loves white roses so very very much."=20 In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away. I could = not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a = totally different spirit than when I had started.=20 And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and = the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on removal of = the life support. Now 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 forget the little boy = and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I = could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them = to the funeral home where the young woman was. And there she was 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. The love that little boy = had for his little sister and his mother was overwhelming. And in a split = second a drunk driver had ripped the life of that little boy to pieces.=20 =20 Written by V.A.Bailey=20 This holiday season and through out the coming year, please, Don't Drink and Drive! >>