Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his backyard in the snow. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them and they did a poor job of keeping out the cold. He had been in his backyard for about an hour already and try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother's Christmas gift. He shook his head as he thought, "This is useless, even if I do come up with as idea, I don't have any money to spend."
Ever since his father had passed away three years ago the family of five had struggled. His mother worked nights at the hospital, but the small wage that she earned could only be stretched so far. Bobby had two older and one younger sister, who ran the household in their mother's absence. All three of his sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother. Here it was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing.
Wiping a tear from his eye, Bobby kicked the snow and started to walk to the shops and stores down the street. He looked into each decorated window. As it started to get dark, Bobby reluctantly turned to walk home when suddenly he saw the setting sun's rays reflecting off a shiny dime. A warmth spread throughout his entire body and he walked into the first store he saw. His excitement turned cold when salesperson, after salesperson told him that he could not buy anything with only a dime. He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line.
When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother's Christmas gift. He put his hand on Bobby's shoulder and said to him, "You just wait here and I'll see what I can do for you." A few minutes later the shop owner came out and moved to the counter. There, before Bobby's eyes, lay twelve long stem red roses, with leaves of green and tiny white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow. The shop owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box. "That will be ten cents young man." The shop owner said, reaching out his hand for the dime.
Sensing the boy's reluctance, the shop owner added, "I jut happened to have some roses on sale for ten cents a dozen. Would you like them?" This time Bobby did not hesitate, and when the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true. Walking out the door he heard the shop keeper say, "Merry Christmas, Son." As the shop keeper returned inside, his wife walked out. "Who were you talking to and where are the roses that you were fixing?" Staring out the window, and blinking the tears from his own eyes, he replied, "A strange thing happened to me this morning. While I was setting up things to open the shop, I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. Just a few minutes ago, a little boy came into the shop and wanted to buy a flower for his mother with one dime. When I looked at him, I saw myself, many years ago. I too was a poor boy with nothing to buy my mother a Christmas gift. When I saw that little boy tonight, I put together a dozen of my very best roses."