by Nancy B. Gibbs

      On a cold winter morning in the late 1930s Bobby awoke early.
      It wasn't a day that would be remembered by many, nor would it
go down in history as especially important.  But it was a day that
Bobby would never forget.
      Bobby, his mother, and his three younger brothers were once
again abandoned by Bobby's father.  When times got hard, the man who
was supposed to be the head of the house left home.  He couldn't
handle the responsibility of a hungry family.  It wasn't the first
time he left, so Bobby wasn't surprised.
      Bobby searched the bare cupboards and realized there was no food
in the kitchen.  His tummy was growling.  So he put on the warmest
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      He pulled on an old pair of socks and placed cardboard in his
worn-out shoes. With holes in the soles, he hoped the cardboard would
help keep his feet dry, at least for a little while.
      Bobby hit the roads looking for work.  He was a strong child and
had worked many times before.  His goal was to earn enough money to
purchase food for the day along with a few cans of vegetables for
Christmas dinner.
      A few blocks from home, Bobby came across some men working on
the side of the road.
     "Can I help?" Bobby inquired.
      "Sure," one of the men answered and tossed him a shovel.  Bobby
worked hard for hours.  Suddenly, the rain and sleet pounded down.
      "Here's your money," one of the men shouted, as he tossed him a
few coins. "Go home and get out of this weather."
      Bobby clutched the change in the palm of his hand.  He then ran
to the nearest grocery store.  He used the money to buy as much food
as he could afford.  His socks were soaking wet.  His feet were numb.
While holding a small bag of groceries, Bobby stopped to adjust the
cardboard in his shoes.
      A man in uniform, a representative from The Salvation Army,
witnessed Bobby's distress.
      "Hey son," the kind gentleman said.  "Are those the only shoes you have?"
      "Yes Sir," Bobby confessed.
      The uniformed man took Bobby and bought him a brand new pair of
shoes.  Bobby danced and skipped all the way home.
      I wasn't there on that cold December day.  But I've heard the
story many times and could always picture my father, as a child,
dancing and skipping, wearing a shiny pair of dress shoes home.
Daddy often spoke about how he could see his reflection in those
special shoes.
      Several years later, Daddy joined the Navy.  He continued to