The Gift

As a family, we have been given many gifts from our relatives and friends. These gifts have been tokens of their love and support to us as well as their testimonies of our Heavenly Father’s plan. They have been gratefully received.

Let me share one story with you about a miraculous gift. It was just a few days after Josh had passed away and a dear friend, Wendee Butters, was at our home gathering up pictures and other items to be displayed at Josh’s viewing and funeral. I found many treasures worthy to share as I sorted through Josh’s art box, a collection of masterpieces that began before his preschool days.

There was one thing I couldn’t find though. It was a poem that Josh wrote in 6th grade called, “I’m”. A copy of it was bound in a book his teacher sent home with him on the last day of school and I knew we still had the book, somewhere. After looking in the art box, I searched the small drawer where I kept his grades and certificates. No luck. I then scanned the shelf where school yearbooks and journals are kept, without success.

I was unwilling to give up. I carried his art box upstairs and set it down on the rug in the entryway, pulling things out one by one. As I was kneeling there, the doorbell rang. When I opened the door, there stood Josh’s 6th grade teachers, Mrs. Donaldson and Mrs. Holmes. They offered their condolences and handed me a gift. To my amazement I held in my hand a wooden frame and behind the glass was a picture of Josh and overlaying the picture was a poem. Josh’s poem.

I'm green Virginia, never ending hillsides of grass.
I'm fishing, look I caught a bass!
I'm the brilliant red sunset, such a peaceful sight of light.
I'm city night with a mosaic diamonds bright.
I'm patriotic colors of red, white, and blue.
I'm excited, the ball is coming now, the goal's in view.
I'm flying way up in the sky, what am I? An airplane of course.
I'm galloping, running way fast; I want to be riding a horse.
I'm playing all day with my fantastic friend.
I'm with all my money, I either lend or I spend.
I'm jumping for joy when homework has ended.
I'm diving for toys and I'm really quite splendid.
This year Pluto escaped planet-hood.
I don't want to go on anymore, but I could.

Joshua Cummings (6th grade 2007)


It still amazes me that at the very moment I was kneeling broken hearted at the front door, seeking something small, yet precious to me, there appeared two angels with the gift I desired.