Have to share this- Sweet story!

[SacredCow]

It's a sub-article from my local lifestyle magazine. The author was using wood from hurricane Gustav to make his own charcoal for outdoor cooking.

http://www.225batonrouge.com/news/2009/jan/26/gustavs-unexpected-gift/

A lump in my throat

Sometimes a tiny gesture can mean so much.

A little background: I posted an ad on Craigslist offering to trade some of my homemade charcoal. Two days before Christmas, a woman named Vonda e-mailed me, asking if I would sell her some charcoal. She wanted it for her son. For Christmas.


The finished product
The boy—a good boy—had actually asked for coal for Christmas, but they couldn’t find any, she said in her e-mail.

I replied offering to give them the charcoal. On Christmas Eve morning, Vonda’s husband came by and picked up a small bag. I thought little more of it until another e-mail arrived. It touched me deeply, mostly for how her son looked beyond himself to the needs of others and how such a tiny gesture meant so much.

“We want to tell you thank you once again for being so kind and sweet to us,” Vonda wrote. “I am handicapped, and my boys help me a lot while my husband works. They are two of the best boys any parent could ask for.

“The tape I have of my son calling Santa is so beautiful. ‘Santa, please give my toys to all the poorer kids in the world. They need it more than I do. Thank you Santa. Oh wait! WAIT! I do want something! I want a lump of coal! I’ve never seen one, and I really want one! I haven’t been bad ... really! I just want one! So if you could stop by and just leave me a lump of coal ... that is all I want!’

“Thank you sir for doing this for us. We drove all the way home with huge smiles and much happiness. It gives us great joy. It would seem that it would be a thing that wouldn’t be important to a child, but he kept saying he hoped Santa left him his coal. We went and got a beautiful box and the prettiest bows to cover it in.

“They really are great kids, and this meant so much to us to complete our little ones’ Christmas! I’m more than sure the coal will be the highlight of his Christmas morning. :) You’ve made our Christmas complete.

“Thank you so very much and have a very merry, wonderful Christmas!!!! You certainly made a little boy’s Christmas perfect.”

I wrote back to tell her that her note was one of the best Christmas presents I had received. Her gratitude and her son’s concern for others continue to touch me.—C.F.

[DarkTirade]

1. How does one make charcoal?

*edit* Ah, I see. It says in the article. Nifty. Never knew that. :)

[rurallib]

2. great story