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Author:  larry larry
E-mail:  lmooremnm@yahoo.com
Date:  6/12/2005 5:14:50 PM
Subject:  Early Daddy's day story
Message:  Ok here's another story for you. My pastor told it this morning and I had him email it to me.


Bill Butterfield says, "There is something magical about a birthday when youare a kid." Remember the feeling? In one day, you gain a whole year on your friends. You go to bed 5 one day and the next you are 6. It is a special day
and should be carefully planned.

These sentiments came through loud and clear with my son Jesse. Formerly 5, now solidly 6. He wanted a birthday
party at a certain place with certain friends with a certain menu with acertain type of birthday cake and certainly gifts.

Jesse is not the type of kid to spout out a list of gifts a mile long. He always knows exactly whathe wants and not only that, exactly where to find it. You see, Jesse has
Toys-R-Us memorized. If asked where the Parcheesi game was, he would say itis with the games on aisle 12 between PacMan and Payday.

Wanting to make this a special birthday and wanting to get him exactly what he wanted, I asked him what he wanted for his birthday. However, I did not get the answer I expected. Instead, I was given a lesson in love.

"Dad, I would like a ball to play with for my birthday." was Jesse's carefully planned reply.

"Great!" I responded, "What kind of ball would you like?"
I think I'd like either a football or a soccer ball.
"Ok." I agreed, but pressed him further. "Which one would you like more?" A football or soccer ball?"

"Well," he mused slowly. I should have known by his pause that it was coming. "Well...., if you had some time to play ball with me this next year, I'd
really like a football for you and me to throw around in the back yard. But if you are going to be real busy this next year, maybe you'd better just get me a soccer ball because I can play soccer with the rest of the kids in
the neighborhood.

He paused again......, The silence was deafening..... "Ok buddy, ... Uh....I'll make a choice, ... uh...and surprise you for your birthday. How does that sound?"

"Great Daddy,.....I love you."

I grabbed my wife and went into another room to relay the conversation that had just transpired. It was as I was retelling the story that my son's message came through. He wasn't longing for gifts. He was longing for the
giver. It took an almost 6 year old to remind me that relationships are more important than things.

By the way, the oddest thing occurred on my son's 6th birthday. It's amoment we will never forget. A grown man and a little boy embracing and sobbing tears of joy over a dumb old football.

Long for the giver and not the gifts. Don't invest in stuff. Invest in people.


 Early Daddy's day story by larry larry  at 6/12/2005 5:14:50 PM
 Re: Early Daddy's day story by Lee F. at 6/13/2005 10:27:21 AM
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