THE MAGIC RED DRESS

My new student, Crystal was a beautiful child
with a head of curly black hair and big brown eyes.
At first I thought she was shy and withdrawn
because she was new to our school. Even in reading
class she never spoke above a whisper. She wouldn't
look at you when she spoke; she always looked at the floor. 


After several weeks had passed and Crystal still spoke
in a whisper, I became concerned. The other children 
seemed to like her.  She tried very hard in her work
and made remarkable progress. Most of the clothes
 she wore were either too large or too small, and often threadbare. As the weather turned cooler, I was
concerned about her lack of warm clothes. 


One morning near Christmas I was walking from the
office. As I passed Crystal in the hall, I noticed that
 she was shuffling awkwardly down the hall. "Crystal,
pick your feet up when you walk, sweetheart." 


Looking down at the floor, she whispered, "I can't;
 my shoes come off when I do." I looked down
 and noticed that her tiny feet were lost in a pair 
of worn loafers at least four sizes too big. "My 
Sunday School teacher gave them to me because my shoes were too  little," she whispered.



At noon I went to the office and called her mother.
I told her that Crystal had made remarkable progress
 in reading, and I would like to do something special
 for her. Her mother agreed to let me take her home 
with me, and I would bring her home later. 


While Crystal bathed and washed her hair, I went through
 my daughter's closet pulling out things she had outgrown. Hanging in the back of the closet was a beautiful red
 dress which had been passed down through family. I had planned to pass it down to another niece, as it was
 an expensive dress. I thought how beautiful that dress
 would look with her shiny black curls. On impulse I 
added the dress to the clothing. After dressing her
warmly, we headed out to the mall. Crystal seemed to
 be in awe of the large stores and cheerful decorations.
 She said she had never been to the mall before. After
 buying her some shoes, white socks trimmed in
lace, and a jacket, we headed to get something to eat. 


"Would you like to go to Wendy's, MacDonalds or
 Burger King? This is your night." "I don't know," 
she whispered,"I have never been there before." 


I could not hide my look of amazement. "You've 
never been to MacDonalds?" 
"No, my mama says you have to pay for your
 food there. " After polishing off a cheeseburger, fries,
and a milkshake we headed for her home. 



The next morning I was standing in the hall greeting 
my students; as I glanced down the hall, I was astonished.
 Crystal was walking, or should I say prancing down the
 hall in her beautiful red dress. Her black curls bounced
 with each step. I was even more astonished when she
spoke in a voice I had never heard in anything but a whisper, "Good morning, Ms. Webb. Merry Christmas." 


The other teachers were amazed by the transformation.
 A community effort started, and within a week, she had 
an entire wardrobe of clothing brought by the other
teachers. Every morning we would watch anxiously for
Crystal to make her appearance as she came down
the hall, walking tall and proud. Crystal began to bloom,
 like the beautiful Christmas flower in our window. 
he never spoke in a whisper again, or looked down
at the floor when she spoke. 


Crystal moved to another school in the county, and
 I received letters from her for several years. I lost touch
 with her, but I never forgot her or the lessons she had
 taught me. 


Every Christmas I think about Crystal in her red dress
 with the rows of ruffles trimmed in white lace, and I 
count my blessings that I had so often taken for granted.
Crystal taught me the true meaning of Christmas.....the
 joy of giving.