I was walking around in a Target store, when I saw the cashier hand this little boy his money back.

The boy couldn’t have been five or six years old.

The cashier said, “I am sorry but you do not have enough money to buy this doll.”

Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him, “Granny, are you sure I do not have enough money to buy this doll?”

The old lady replied, “You know that you don’t have enough money to buy that doll, my dear.”

Then she asked him to stay there just for five minutes while she went to look around. Then she left quickly.

The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.

Finally I walked toward him  and asked him who he wished to give the doll  to.

“It’s the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas. She was  sure Santa Claus will  bring it to her.”

I replied to him that Santa Claus may bring it to her after all and not to worry.

But he replied to me sadly, “No, Santa Claus can’t bring it to where she is now. I have to give the doll to my Mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.”

His eyes were so sad while saying this.

“My sister has gone to be with God. Daddy said that Mommy will go to see God very soon, too. So I thought Mommy can bring the doll with her so she can give it to my sister.”

My heart nearly stopped.

The little boy looked up at me and said, “I told Daddy to tell Mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back  from the mall.”

Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He told me, “I want Mommy to take my picture with her so she won’t forget me.”

“I love my Mommy and I wish that she doesn’t have to leave me, but my Daddy said she has to go to be with my little sister.”

He looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.

I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy, “suppose we check again just in case you have enough money for the doll.”

“OK, I do hope I have enough.” I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count them. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money. 

“Thank you, God, for giving me enough money.”

Then he looked at me and added, “I asked God before I went to bed last night to make sure that I will have enough money to buy this doll so that my Mommy can give it to my sister. He heard me. I also wanted enough money to buy a rose for Mommy, but I didn’t dare to ask God for too much. But he gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose. My Mommy loves white rosess.”

A few minutes later, the old lady returned  and I left with my basket.

I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started.   I could not get the little boy out of my mind.

All of a sudden, I remembered a newspaper article two days ago that mentioned a drunk man in a truck who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl. The little girl died immediately and the young woman was in critical condition. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug off the life-sustaining machine because the woman would not be able to recover from the coma.

Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after my encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young lady had passed away.

I could not stop myself from buying a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the young lady was. She was there in her casket, holding a white rose in her hand, with the photo of the young boy and  the doll on her chest.

I left the place teary-eyed, feeling that my life had changed forever.  The love that the little boy has for his mother and his sister is to be cherished forever.

Note:

Mr. Cesar J. Mesina forwarded this e-mail to me two days ago. The moral lesson is worth sharing. Hence, this publication for the readrs to appreciate the story.