A LITTLE BOX AND A BIT OF GOLD FOIL

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There is a story of a five year old girl who lived during the Great Depression.

It was Christmas Eve and little Annie noticed a roll of gold foil lying near the tree. Finding her toy scissors and an old box she went to work. 

A few minutes later her father walked through the front door. He had had a hard day at work, and wasn't in the mood for any shenanigans. As he entered the living room, he noticed Annie cutting the gold foil and wrapping the box.

Well, Sam and Julie weren't rich, and every penny counted during this critical period in our nation's history. And as a result of Annie's apparent waste of good wrapping paper, he was livid.

"Annie, what do you think you're doing?" he screamed.

And without waiting for an answer, he swatted her bottom, and sent her to her room, but not before she retrieved the little box.

The next morning Annie joined the rest of the family in the living room, and her father distributed the very few gifts which lay under the tree. Now Annie placed the gold wrapped box in her father's hands.

"This one is for you, Daddy."

Of course, her father recognized the box. As he took it from her, it seemed extremely light, and he couldn't imagine what might be in it. As he stripped off the expensive gold foil, and opened the box, he became angry again. 

"Annie! There's nothing in this box! It's bad enough you used the gold wrapping paper, but there's nothing in the box!"

Annie teared up again, but managed to respond.

"No, Daddy. The box isn't empty. I blew kisses in it 'til it was full, and then I shut the lid, and wrapped it up."

Now Annie's father felt hot tears well up in his own eyes, and he scooped his little girl up in his arms, and pleaded for her to forgive him.

A few years later, Annie experienced a life threatening illness, and after lingering a few days, the angels took her to heaven.

From that day forward Annie's father kept that little gold wrapped box next to his bed, and when he felt sad or lonely, he would open the box, reach in, and pull out one of his daughter's invisible kisses.

Transcribed from an old story by William McDonald, PhD