THE GIFT OF KISSES, It was Christmas time, and money was tight. I had just punished my 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. In my frustration, I couldn’t understand why she wanted to decorate a box for the Christmas tree. It seemed like such a trivial thing, and I was too caught up in my own worries. Despite my anger, the next morning, she came to me with a proud smile and handed me the gift. As I opened the box…
It was Christmas time, and money was tight. I had just punished my 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. In my frustration, I couldn’t understand why she wanted to decorate a box for the Christmas tree. It seemed like such a trivial thing, and I was too caught up in my own worries. Despite my anger, the next morning, she came to me with a proud smile and handed me the gift.
As I opened the box, my initial embarrassment turned into irritation when I discovered it was empty. I couldn’t help but yell at her, “Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside?” Her little face crumpled, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, she looked up at me and said, “Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They’re all for you, Daddy.” My heart sank as I realized how deeply I had hurt her. I pulled her close and begged for her forgiveness.
Tragically, only a short time later, an accident took my little girl’s life. That gold box remained by my bedside for years. Whenever I felt discouraged or lost, I would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love my child had given me. Her simple, heartfelt gesture became a powerful reminder of the true meaning of love and forgiveness.
