Take time to appreciate what you have now.

On the last day before Christmas, I hurried togo to the supermarket to buy the remaining of the gift I didn't manage to buy earlier. When I saw all the people there, I started to complain to myself," It is going to take foreverhere and I still have so many other places to go. Christmas really is getting more and moreannoying every year. How I wish I could just lie down, goto sleep and only wake up after it..." Nonetheless, I made my way to the toy section,and there I started to curse the prices, wonderingif after all kids really play with such expensive toys. While looking in the toy section, I noticed asmall boy of about 5 years old, pressing a dollagainst his chest. He kept on touching the hair of the doll andlooked so sad. I wondered who this doll was for. Thenthe little boy turned to the old woman next to him, "Granny,are you sure I don't have enough money?" The old lady replied, "You know that you don'thave enough money to buy this doll, my dear." Then she asked him to stay here for 5 minuteswhile she went to look around. She left quickly. The little boy was still holding the doll in hishand. Finally, I started to walk toward him and Iasked him who he wanted to give this doll to. "It is the doll that my sister loved most andwanted so much for this Christmas. She was so sure thatSanta Claus would bring it to her." I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus willbring it to her, after all, and not to worry. But he replied to me sadly. "No, Santa Claus cannot bring it to her where she is now. I have to givethe doll to my mother so that she can give it to her when shegoes there." His eyes were so sad while saying this. "My sister has gone to bewith God. Daddy says that Mommy will also go to see God very soon, so Ithought that she could bring the doll with her to give it to mysister." My heart nearly stopped. The little boy lookedup at me and said, "I told daddy to tell mommy not togo yet. I asked him to wait until I come back from the supermarket." Then he showed me a very nice photo of him wherehe was laughing. He then told me, "I also wantmommy to take this photo with her so that she will not forget me." I lovemy mommy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me but daddy says that shehas to go to be with my little sister." Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes,very quietly. I quickly reached for my wallet and took a fewnotes and said to the boy, "What if we checked again,just in case if you have enough money?" "Ok," he said. "I hope that I have enough." I added some of my money to his without himseeing and we started to count it. There was enough forthe doll, and even some spare money. The little boy said, "Thankyou God for giving me enough money." Then he looked at me and added, "I askedyesterday before I slept for God to make sure I haveenough money to buy this doll so that mommy can give it to my sister. Heheard me." "I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for mymommy, but I didn't dare to ask God too much. But He gave me enough to buythe doll and the white rose." "You know, my mommy loves white rose." A few minutes later, the old lady came again andI left with my trolley. I finished my shopping in a totally differentstate from when I started. I couldn't get the littleboy out of my mind. Then I remembered a local newspaper article 2days ago, which mentioned of a drunk man in a truckwho hit a car where there was one young lady and a littlegirl. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in acritical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on thelife-assisting machine, because the young lady would not be able to get out of thecoma. Was this the family of the little boy? Two days after this encounter with the littleboy, I read in the newspaper that the young lady hadpassed away. I couldn't stop myself and went to buy a bunchof white roses and I went to the mortuary where thebody of the young woman was exposed for people to see and makelast wish before burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding abeautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of thelittle boy and the doll placed over her chest. I left the place crying, feeling that my lifehad been changed forever. The love that this little boy had for his motherand his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine.And in a fraction of a second, a drunk man had taken all this awayfrom him.