The Gold Box
The story goes that some
time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping
paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to
put under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said,
"This is for you, Daddy,"
He was embarrassed by his earlier over- reaction,* but his anger flared again when he
found the box was empty. He yelled at her, "Don't you know that when you give someone
a present, there's supposed to be something inside it?"
The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy, it is
not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her
forgiveness. It is told that the man kept that gold box by his bed for years and whenever
he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child
who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each of us as humans have been* given a gold container filled with
unconditional love and* kisses from our children, friends, family or God. There is no more
precious possession anyone could hold.