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Ed was really
anxious.
Children's Day
was getting
closer. He
couldn’t stop
thinking about
the gift he
would be getting
from his
parents. He
needed to make a
good choice! He
then thought:
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— What will I
ask for? A
remote-control
toy car? A
videogame?
Perhaps a new
bike, since his
present one is
quite old? Or
perhaps
Rollerblades,
similar to his
neighbour?
Ed couldn’t
decide.
He went to his
front door and
waited for his
friend to appear
so that they
could go out and
play. He then
saw someone
approaching on a
wheelchair. He
saw a boy who
looked like his
age. He was
being
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helped
by
another
man. |
Ed couldn’t stop
looking at the
boy. He felt
curious and
sorry at the
same time. The
boy passed by
Ed’s front door
and noticed the
boy’s interest.
He then
presented
himself:
— Hi! I am Julio
and this is my
brother Rafael.
Would you please
be able to get
my brother a
glass of water?
He is very
thirsty and our
house is a few
meters away.
Ed went back to
his house and
got a glass of
water. Whilst
the boy drank
it, he was able
to look at him
closely. He saw
the boy at the
wheelchair had
small legs. His
legs were much
smaller than the
rest of his
body. The boy
thanked him for
the glass of
water. Ed
stopped for a
moment and then
asked:
— Rafael, what
happened with
your legs?
— I was born
like this.
— Oh! Why?
— My mom says
God thought this
would be
important for my
spiritual
development. Who
knows? Maybe I
made bad use of
my legs in
another
incarnation?
Ed was very
surprised.
— Does that mean
you will never
be able to walk?
— I walk
everywhere with
this wheelchair,
together with my
brother Julio.
— But you will
never be able to
play with a
ball, run, and
cycle as the
other boys?
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Rafael smiled
and said with
kindness and
politeness:
— No, but it
doesn’t matter.
I can do things
which are
equally good. I
play several
interesting
games, play with
other toys, read
a lot, watch TV,
go to school, go
for walks, see
my friends, go
to the cinema
and much more.
Rafael and Julio
said good-bye.
Ed promised he
would visit them
soon, as he
really enjoyed
their company.
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Rafael had all
reasons to feel
angry, but he
wasn’t. He was
really happy,
even if he
couldn’t walk.
He then
remembered how
worried he was
about the gift
he would get at
Children's Day.
He felt ashamed
of himself.
He then got home
and started to
think about what
happened.
When his dad
arrived from
work, they had
dinner and sat
down to do their
Gospel at Home.
Ed said:
— Dad! Mom! I
would like to
tell you I don’t
want a present
for Children's
Day.
His parents
looked quite
surprised.
— What happened?
— His older
sister said —
Are you sick?
Ed looked at all
of them
seriously and
said:
— I have been
receiving many
presents. I
don’t need
anything else.
The boy then
told the meeting
he had with
Rafael and
concluded:
— I felt really
ashamed. He
lives in a
wheelchair and
is very poor.
Even being poor,
he thinks he has
everything and
doesn’t complain
at all. I have
everything and
complain all the
time! I keep
wanting more and
more. I have a
perfect body,
perfect legs
that take me
everywhere,
perfect arms
that obey my
wish and
intelligence to
be able to
think. I also
have great life
conditions, a
house, and a
family that
loves me.... I
now understand I
don’t need
anything. God
has given me
many presents.
His parents were
touched. His
sister, who was
always very cold
hearted, was
about to cry.
They all felt a
different
vibration in the
air. His dad
closed the
Gospel at Home
with a prayer.
He then said:
— The lesson we
learned today,
through Ed, was
one of the most
important ones
we had. Let’s
hope other
people will be
able to think
the same way: be
thankful for the
blessings God
gives us. Thank
you, son. We
would like to
thank you and
Rafael, who we
will hopefully
meet one day.
Aunt Celia
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