December is the busiest time of the year.  Everyone's busy preparing for
the holidays and continuing family traditions.  Has it ever crossed your
mind, as to how many really stop and think what Christmas is all about? 
Are we teaching our children the true meaning of Christmas or how many
gifts need to be bought?  If we have taught our children the true
meaning of Christmas, what we've instilled in them will be carried into
generations to come.  I like to see families create traditions all year
long.  After all, the original gift to all of us here on earth, was
given from His heart.  For through our hearts, one single gift of
kindness, can touch an endless amount of hearts forever. 

This is a story about a child that saw the importance of giving and
never thought about giving up.  Some may think a child isn't old enough
to carry enough wisdom to teach us all a lesson in living.  But I've
learned a heart grows from life's many challenges and sometimes a
child's challenges can be far greater than some adults.  We met a little
girl seven years ago, during one of my daughter's occasional hospital
stays.  Her name was Beth and she was my daughter's room mate for a
week.  Beth was a very happy girl despite her medical problems she was
facing.  Her long blonde curls always seemed to bounce with her smile. 
The girls got to know each other well and had become good friends.  On
the pediatric floor of the hospital, we saw many seriously ill children.
 It was so sad, even though my daughter had an uncurable kidney disease
and not a very good chance of living to see old age herself.  We always
saw many children with all kinds of cancer, and sadly enough Beth was
one of those children.  She was doing two weeks of chemo and radiation. 
I was amazed at her will and determination to never give up despite how
very sick her treatments made her.  She was always concerned about my
daughter and the other children with cancer she grew to know over her
many hospital stays. 

My daughter's IV treatments were done after a week and I was happy to
finally bring her home.  We were awaiting the final discharge orders
when Beth appeared from the other side of the curtain that separated
their beds.  She said, "I want you to have this.  I know you need a new
kidney, so keep this angel pin with you till you get better.  She will
watch over you so you smile all over.  My friend, John gave this to me
to watch over me, but it's time for this angel to watch over you.  When
you get your new kidney and smile, you can give this angel to someone
that needs her too.  I'm done reading my book so here's my bookmark that
has a poem on it called, Don't Quit!, I know it by heart anyhow." My
daughter thanked her and the girls exchanged hugs and big smiles.  I
knew, we may never see Beth again, but we never forgot the gift she gave
from her heart that day. 

During that year, we found out Beth has passed away.  It was so sad to
know such a beautiful little girl was no longer bouncing smiles to
everyone she would meet.  Her sincere kindness will stay with us
forever. 

We kept that angel for six more years.  My daughter had gone beyond what
medical journals had studied and expected from her disease.  Was it the
angel watching over her or pure luck?  My daughter ended up on kidney
dialysis for over a year, and one month after almost loosing her, a
kidney became available and she received a transplant.  My heart tells
me, an angel upstairs was watching with a loving smile.  My daughter had
kept that angel pin and now she felt it was time to give it to someone
who needed watched over till they could smile again.  She gave it to an
elderly man trying to overcome the damage from heart problems and
undergoing extensive therapy.  His family has informed us, that when he
returns home he wants to give the angel to someone he knows suffering
from a brain tumor. 

How many families and hearts this angel has touched no one knows for
sure. 

But all it took was one single gift of kindness, that has and will touch
an endless amount of hearts forever. 

So this Christmas season, look around and see that gift that can't be
bought.  Create a tradition with your children or maybe someone you
love.  Make someone's day and do the unexpected, let a friend know you
care, or greet a stranger with a warm smile.  Give the gift that keeps
on giving.  It's open twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and
sixty-five days a year, it's a gift from your heart.  After all, isn't
that what Christmas is all about?
Author Unknown

Whisper Willow 2002

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