GIVING BUTTONS, A GIFT FROM THE HEART.

Once upon a time, there lived a little boy in Brooklyn, who was taught to give his change to the Church. And who made him do this, might you ask? His Mother, who in her opinion was next to God.

Now this kid went to a very fancy cathedral like church, in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, and hated to go to church every Sunday, but go he did.

One Sunday his Dad gave him 2 nickels for the collection, and then turned over and went back to sleep. (This was man's way of atoning for staying in bed.) The little boy, being industrious, took the money and realized he could do “Better” things with the money. For in the days when men were men and girls were a mystery, a small package of white donuts cost 10¢! What to do? Being the “Good” boy he was, he carefully thought through what should be done. What was the “right” thing to do. So he summoned up all his spirituality for a 6 year old, and bought the donuts.

Now, faced with the dilemma of no money for the collection, he was suddenly inspired by “divine,” yes “divine” inspiration. Quietly, and without being noticed, he went to his Holy Mothers sewing box, and took out 2-shinny silver like buttons. Slipping the buttons into his pocket, the little boy went off to church with his Mother.

The first of 2 collections began, and the man with the basket passed it in front of the little boy, who deposited 1 shinny silver-like button into the basket and looked at his Holy Mother’s face. No reaction!

The second collection came around to the little boy, and he similarly deposited the second shinny silver-like button into the basket, looked again at his Holy Mother’s face, and again, no reaction! At this rate he calculated, he would be rich by the time he was seven, or have at the very least, own a whole dollar.

On the way home from church, he tried to engaged his Mother in some small talk, a bit of conversation, to no avail. Mother was just not responding, and the little boy was wondering if: 1.) Her hearing was going, or 2.) Boy was he gonna get it! When Mother and Son reached the top of the third floor landing, the little boy said, “well, I’m going back downstairs, see ya later Mom.” Just then, he felt the iron grip of discipline, the wrath of retribution, the scourge of a woman’s anger. He got #2. Boy did he get it! All day! He started to pray for company to shorten the sting of penance, and the ending of the constant phrase “Embarrass ME in church will you!?”

But yes, there is a GOD; company arrived that afternoon, somewhat like the U.S. Marines, to the rescue, airlifting civilians out of an embassy being stormed.

And what did the little boy with the silver-like buttons learn? If you are going to cheat the Church out of their share, do it later in the day.

This is a true story, the names have been omitted to conceal the guilty little boy.