“Ten-Dollar Hug,” Friend, Mar. 2006, 46–47
Ten-Dollar Hug
(Based on a true story)
God loveth a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7).
“Erin, would you mind tucking the blanket down around my socks? My toes are cold.”
Erin tucked the colorful afghan around Grandma’s feet. Just then, Dylan and Jason came racing through the living room and almost knocked over a lamp. Mom went after them, calling, “No running in the house! You two head outside if you want to play tag.”
Grandma chuckled and winked at Erin. “Your brothers are getting restless, aren’t they? I guess my house is a little boring.”
Erin sat on the edge of the couch next to Grandma. “We love visiting you, even if you don’t have toys. The boys like finding pill bugs in the garden, and I love reading your old books.”
“But you can only do those things for so long. Hmmm. I have an idea.” Grandma called Mom from the kitchen. “Lucy, will you go into my bedroom and get my purse?”
Mom came back with Grandma’s purse and asked, “Do you need us to go to the store for you?”
“Actually, Lucy, I need you to get three ten-dollar bills from my purse and take the kids shopping. Let them each pick out something fun. How does that sound, Erin?”
Erin grinned. “Sounds great,” she said.
“That’s awfully generous of you, Mother,” Mom said, patting Grandma’s hand.
At the store, Dylan and Jason pulled Mom toward the toy aisle.
“I want a dinosaur,” Jason said.
“I want a robot,” Dylan said.
Erin wasn’t sure what she wanted. Maybe a new book?
Dylan and Jason hugged their toys and marched toward the checkout stands.
“Erin,” Mom said, “you’d better choose something. The boys are ready to go.”
Erin looked around. She thought about getting a box of stationery and writing letters to all of her friends back home. But then she saw another stack of boxes, and she knew exactly what she wanted to buy with her ten dollars.
Back at Grandma’s, Erin carried the bag into the house.
“Let’s see what you all got,” Grandma said.
Jason showed Grandma his stegosaurus. Dylan held up a robot that could turn into a car.
“And what did you get, Erin?” Grandma asked.
Erin reached into the bag and pulled out a box. She removed the lid and held up a pair of cozy slippers. “I got these for you,” Erin said. “To keep your toes warm.”
As soon as Grandma’s arms wrapped around her, Erin felt warm inside and out. She knew she had made a good choice. Grandma’s hugs and happy tears were worth every penny.
[Elderly Parents]
by busath.com
“We encourage families to give their elderly parents and grandparents the love, care, and attention they deserve.”
President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994), “To the Elderly in the Church,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 6.
Illustrated by Elise N. Black