Butterfly kisses

We often learn the most from our children. Some time ago, a friend of mine 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 tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father on Christmas morning and said, "This is for you Daddy."

He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found that the box was empty.

He yelled at her, "Don't you know that when you give someone a present there is supposed to be something inside of it?"

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy, it's 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.

My friend told me that he kept that gold box by his bed for years.

Whenever he felt 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 parents, has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children.

There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

--Tom Gallinatti