True Christmas Spirit

It all happened last week. I wasn't there, but my wife was, so I will relate the story the way she told it to me.

Our third son, Nick, has been the recipient of many prayers and blessings throughout his short life. It has been an actual miracle to see his progress, it has truly been a faith strengthening experience having him in our family. Well, Nick was able to give some blessings of his own one afternoon at the local Costco. Jodi, Nick and Allie had gone in to get some groceries in preparation for the upcoming holiday. Nick had recently received a small box of SpongeBob Squarepants story books from his Grandma and was toting them around the store. He loved those books, and very much enjoyed reading them and having them read to him. As autistic children tend to do sometimes, he had become very attached to them. As they finished up their shopping and proceeded to the check out, a woman and her son, who was in a wheelchair entered the line behind Jodi and the kids. The child in the wheelchair was about Nick's age, and Jodi believed he must have had Cerebral Palsy, as he couldn't move, except for some facial expressions. Well, immediately the boy noticed Nick's books, which wasn't hard since Nick was in the middle of throwing a small fit. He was tossing his books around a bit, and Jodi could see this little boy's eyes following the books. Jodi said to Nick, "Look, that little boy is watching you." Nick seemed to settle a little bit, clinging to Jodi as he glanced towards the other child. Jodi asked the boy, "Do you like SpongeBob?" And with a giant smile, Jodi immediately knew the answer. His mother said, "Oh, he loves SpongeBob." Then it was Jodi's turn to check out. Once through the line, Jodi asked Nick if he wanted to give one of his SpongeBob books to the boy. Nick enthusiastically said, "Yes!". He opened the little box with a handle on it, picked out a book about SpongeBob and a boat, and ran back to the boy, with instructions from Jodi, as they were coming out of the line. Nick proudly held out the book for the boy to take. But being in the state he was, he couldn't reach for it. His mother, chocking up a little, asked, "Are you giving this book to him?" "Merry Christmas", Nick said, with a smile as big as Costco itself. He ran back to Jodi, and, as sometimes children do, had a very difficult time channeling the wonderful feeling that gift giving can bring. Then, in a statement more true than anything else that could come at that moment, as he hung on to Jodi with his head tucked firmly into her side, Nick said aloud:

"Merry Christmas to all."