True Gifts   by Al Geist

The snow was lightly falling as the last shoppers left the stores
on Christmas Eve. Sally was already asleep in bed dreaming of the
doll she hoped Santa would bring. For months she had been steadfast
in wanting this one toy, but unknown to her it was so popular that
Santa was having a hard time finding one in any store.
And so it was that a call came in from a store on Christmas Eve
that the long awaited backorder had arrived. Santa picked up the 
gift on the way home.

Sally's eyes lit up as she came down the stairs and saw her dream
doll sitting under the tree. She ran to it, picked it up, and 
hunged it tight. Then she began to talk to the doll like they 
were old friends. Eventually she got around to opening the other
presents, but they sat with the torn wrapping paper while Sally
and her doll went to the kitchen for breakfast.

After presents, Mom, Dad and Sally went to church. Sally insisted on
taking her doll with her. She sat the doll down in the pew right
beside her. Mom winked at dad at how cute Sally and her new doll were.
They listened to the readings. The story of Christ's birth in a manger. 
The shepherds and wise men coming. All the while Sally and her doll
sat quitely listening.

The church was especially full because it was Christmas and Dad had to
park the car several blocks down the street. After the service,
Mom, Dad, and Sally walked out into the crisp Sunday morning air
and began their trek to the car. With her doll tucked up under her
arm, Sally tagged along behind.
A couple blocks from church Sally glanced into an alley and saw 
an old tatered quilt lightly dusted with snow. Stopping to investigate
Sally saw a girl not much older than herself asleep under the quilt.
Beside the quilt was was a wad of green wrapping paper fashioned into
the shape of a little Christmas tree.
Sally stared at this scene for what seemed like a half hour
as soul and mind tried to understand and communicate.
Sally stepped a little closer then sat the doll down beside the little tree. 
She quietly backed out of the alley and ran to catch up
with Mom and Dad who had been too busy talking to notice her
momentary detour.

They were back home before Mom notice Sally wasn't carrying her
doll around. She asked Sally where her doll was, and Sally told 
her the story of the quilt and the little Christmas tree.
Mom could only think of the cost of the doll and how much trouble
it had been to get. There was this tinge of controlled anger in her 
voice as she asked Sally why she had left the doll in the alley.
Sally replied, "but didn't the kings give their gifts to the poor baby Jesus?".