What Are You Hanging On To?
The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting withher mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening whitepearls in a pink foil box.
"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please,Mommy, please!"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then lookedback into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'llthink of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money tobuy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might getanother crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went tothe neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for tencents.
On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at lastshe had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. Shewore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only timeshe took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mothersaid if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, hewould stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. Onenight when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse frommy collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gaveme. She's my favorite."
"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed hercheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do youlove me?"
"Daddy, you know I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my babydoll. The brand new oneI got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellowblanket that matches her sleeper."
"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed withher legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin wastrembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"
Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. Andwhen she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a littlequiver,she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."
With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out withone hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reachedinto his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuinepearls and gave them to Jenny.
He had them all the time. He was justwaiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuinetreasure.
What are you hanging on to?
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Karen --- Age 15