A man named Bob May, depressed and broken-hearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.
His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.
Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never
come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked,
"Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's
jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question
brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the
story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.
come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked,
"Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's
jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question
brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the
story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.
Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied
by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in
sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember.
From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit
in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and
was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery
Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with
his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout
with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob
and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment
in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.
Bob
struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford
to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was
determined to make one - a storybook! Bob had created an animal
character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara
to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story,
embellishing it more with each telling. Who was the
character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May
created was his own autobiography in fable form. The
character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The
name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with
a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in time to give
it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there.
The
general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook
and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the
book. Wards went on to print, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By
1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of
Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights
from Wards to print an updated version of the book. In an unprecedented
gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights
back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and
marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a
growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to
comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either.
Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to
Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular
vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , it was recorded by
the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed
Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal
success, selling more records than any other Christmas song,
with the exception of "White Christmas."
by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in
sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember.
From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit
in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and
was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery
Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with
his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout
with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob
and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment
in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.
character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May
created was his own autobiography in fable form. The
character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The
name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with
a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in time to give
it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there.
gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights
back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and
marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a
growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to
comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either.
Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular
vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , it was recorded by
the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed
Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal
success, selling more records than any other Christmas song,
with the exception of "White Christmas."
The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
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