THE LAST GIFT

The LAST Gift The old woman sat on the bench, watching the children play. She smiled as they laughed and ran around, carefree and happy. She remembered a time when she was like that, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. Her name was Mary, and she was 87 years old. She had lived a long and full life, but she was starting to feel her age. Her joints ached, her vision was blurry, and she had trouble hearing. But she was still grateful for every day she had. Mary had always loved children. She had raised two of her own, and she had been a teacher for many years. She loved their innocence and their sense of wonder. They reminded her of the good in the world. As she watched the children play, Mary thought about her own childhood. She had grown up in a small town, and she had had a happy childhood. She had played with her friends, gone to school, and helped her parents on the farm. But Mary's childhood had also been marked by tragedy. When she was 10 years old, her father died. Her mother had to work long hours to support the family, so Mary had to take care of her younger siblings. It was a difficult time, but Mary learned a lot about herself and about life. Mary had faced many challenges in her life, but she had always found a way to overcome them. She was a survivor, and she was determined to live her life to the fullest. As she sat on the bench, Mary thought about the gift she wanted to give the children. She wanted to give them hope. She wanted to give them the strength to face whatever challenges they might face in their lives. Mary reached into her bag and pulled out a small book. It was a book of poems, and she had been reading it to the children every day. The children loved the poems, and they would often ask Mary to read them again. Mary opened the book and began to read. The children gathered around her, listening intently. The poem was about a young girl who was afraid of the dark, but she learned to overcome her fear. When Mary finished reading, the children clapped and cheered. They thanked her for the poem, and they asked her to read another one. Mary smiled. She was glad that the children liked the poems. She knew that they would help the children to face their fears and to find hope in their lives. Mary continued to read to the children every day. She knew that she was giving them a gift that would last a lifetime. The end.