MERRY
CHRISTMAS
Freepers 
Posted on 12/23/2001 9:19:55 PM PST by Dr. Good Will Hunting
Edited on 04/22/2004 12:31:57 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
In the global cataclysm of war and terrorism, the small actions of individuals may seem insignificant. But in fact, they are what matter most.
My last column critiqued feminist male bashing and called for good will toward men. It stated, "the father who worked every day to make you safe and comfortable is not the enemy." An angry reader wrote to accuse me of being raised in a "white, middle-class, nuclear family." She dismissed me as coming from a privileged background that was out of touch with harsh reality.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Very moving Christmas story with a message.
I'm glad I was raised so out of touch, my wife was raised so out of touch, and my children are being raised so out of touch with harsh reality.
Thanks for the bump Will.
Merry Christmas
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
redrock
MERRRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
redrock
Back in 1988, I was one a wayward path. Using family problems as an excuse, I turned to some hard drugs. While looking in parked cars at a shopping mall for some loot, I got noticed by Atlanta city policeman Gil Fernandez, who promptly arrested me. On the way to the city jail, we talked about why I chose this path.
I was booked and put in a cell with no idea what I was going to do. The next day, the guard called my name. I was taken to be released. I couldn't beleive it. As I went to go out, Officer Fernandez was there. He told me he talked to the judge and since I had a clean record and there was no real harm done, he would drop the charges. But, he told me very clearly, that this was my only chance and I best make use of it. Before I left, he gave me $10.00 and told me not to worry about paying it back.
8 Years later,1996, I had my life together. Clean, married, going to night school. I sat down to read the local Atlanta fishwrap when a story about a policeman caught my eye. I read with sadness that Officer Fernandez had a blood clot in his brain let go while driving his patrol car. I had all but forgotten about him, but wanted so much to let his family know what he did for me, that he made a difference. So I wrote a letter to the Chief of Police and told him the story. He replied and assured me he would tell his family and fellow officers.
Saturday night at my families Christmas party, I told this story to my cousin's husband, who just joined the Atlanta police force.
Thanks to all who serve us fireman,nurses,doctors,soldiers,sailors, and policeman. You are the best among us.
MERRY
CHRISTMAS
Freepers
The man who recently, as I was stranded at the side of the road out of gas, brought me a can of gas.
My friend in high school, Lynn Alazaraki, whose family treated me as their own daughter, taking me to the beach, letting me play their piano and join in their Jewish celebrations.
Another friend, whose parents took me in when I was kicked out of the house when I was 18, not only took me in, but let me stay there for months, bought me clothes, introduced me to such delicacies as See's Candy, Hebrew National hot dogs, ribs.
The elderly lady who gave me records and a record player when I was seven or eight and brought Gilbert & Sullivan and My Fair Lady into my life.
We cannot possibly know all the good we do as we go about our daily lives.
Here is an account from a fellow FReeper that I think ya'll will enjoy!
I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces.
A nicely-dressed little girl was excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well, with a roll of money clamped tightly in her little hand. When she came upon a Barbie she liked, she would turn and ask her father if she had enough money to buy it. He usually said "yes," but she would keep looking and keep going through their ritual of "do I have enough?"
As she was looking, a little boy wandered in across the aisle and started sorting through the Pokemon toys. He was dressed neatly, but in clothes that were obviously rather worn, and wearing a jacket that was probably a couple of sizes too small. He, too, had money in his hand, but it looked to be no more than five dollars or so, at the most.
He was with his father as well, and kept picking up the Pokemon video toys. Each time he picked one up and looked at his father, his father shook his head, "no."
The little girl had apparently chosen her Barbie, a beautifully-dressed, glamorous doll that would have been the envy of every little girl on the block. However, she had stopped and was watching the interchange between the little boy and his father.
Rather dejectedly, the boy had given up on the video games and had chosen what looked like a book of stickers instead. He and his father then started walking through another aisle of the store.
The little girl put her Barbie back on the shelf, and ran over to the Pokemon games. She excitedly picked up one that was lying on top of the other toys, and raced toward the check-out, after speaking with her father. I picked up my purchases and got in line behind them. Then, much to the little girl's obvious delight, the little boy and his father got in line behind me.
After the toy was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier and whispered something in her ear. The cashier smiled and put the package under the counter.
I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things in my purse when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier rang up his purchases and then said, "Congratulations, you are my hundredth customer today, and you win a prize!"
With that, she handed the little boy the Pokemon game, and he could only stare in disbelief. It was, he said, exactly what he had wanted!
The little girl and her father had been standing at the doorway during all of this, and I saw the biggest, prettiest, toothless grin on that little girl that I have ever seen in my life. Then they walked out the door, and I followed, close behind them.
As I walked back to my car, in amazement over what I had just witnessed, I heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I'll never forget what she said to him.
"Daddy, didn't Nana and PawPaw want me to buy something that would make me happy?"
He said, "Of course they did, honey."
To which the little girl replied, "Well, I just did!"
With that, she giggled and started skipping toward their car.
Apparently, she had decided on the answer to her own question of, "do I have enough?"
I feel very privileged to have witnessed the true spirit of Christmas in that toy store, in the form of a little girl who understands more about the reason for the season than most adults I know!
May God bless her and her parents, just as she blessed that little boy, and me, that day!
by Sharon Palmer, Tennessee
Giving, loving people are all around us...this is what makes America the wonderful place that it is.
What other country in the history of the world, after being viciously attacked, and being forced to go to war with one of the countries responsible, would, after the defeat of the evildoers, then proceed to generously feed, rebuild, and guarantee the security of, that nation and people??
God Bless America.
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Bump for another Christmas Thread Merry Christmas to one and all on Freerepublic!! And a Very Happy New Year!!
As a tradition I always design a Christmas page at this time. This is my 8th, you are all welcome to visit. Cacique's 8th Annual Christmas page
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May you enjoy the happiest of holidays!
Certainly God blesses others through others, often when we are not even aware, "for thus some have entertained angels unawares"(Hebrews 13:2).
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