A little 5-year-old girl had written her Christmas wish list to Santa, and, along with the rest of her kindergarten class near San Diego, attached her list to a balloon and released it outside.
Her note read: “Dear Santa, I would like to have a mermaid doll with a bow for Christmas. Thank you, Love, Joie.”
Joie. Hmmm… Well, that’s a.. that’s a strange name for a little girl… and the spelling J-O-I-E… that’s pretty strange too.
A few days later, and several miles away, Terry Hardin was just leaving work when he spotted a red balloon floating down from the sky. He stopped and watched it for three or four minutes before it landed in the parking lot. So he got out of his car and walked over to pick it up. He wanted to see what that was attached to it. And he quickly discovered that it was little Joie’s Christmas list.
Now, most of us might smile at that and think that it was really cute, that this little girl had sent her Christmas list for Santa up in a balloon. But Terry had a much different reaction to it; one that actually chilled him to the bone. Terry’s mom had died the year before and they were NOT on good terms at all. As a matter of fact, Terry was extremely angry with her just before she died.
But there was something in little Joie’s letter that made him want to seek that little girl out and give her that mermaid doll with a bow for Christmas. So, with a some help from a TV news station, Terry was able to find out where her class was and he personally delivered to her that very special present for Christmas.
But Terry had ALSO received a very special present that year. Because when he read little Joie’s note attached to that balloon, he realized his mom was trying to tell him that everything was ok, and she wanted to make things right. Because his mom’s name…. was, in fact, Joie. J-O-I-E.
We are sure you enjoyed the above story… watch for more: https://youtu.be/guCcpuc12_U?t=529
