Story of a well-to-do elderly woman, who befriends the homeless and volunteers her time with children, who learns she has an incurable illness and wants desperately to reunite her three grown grand children (who are scattered across the U.S. living their own lives), with their estranged father, her son. She hires a private detective to search for them so as to try to get everyone together on Christmas Eve.
When Grace comes to live with her daughter and son-in-law, she is eager to find a way to be useful in the community. She loves to read stories to children, and decides to read one on public access television. The response is so strong that a large company hears about it and offers her a television series. Her life becomes complicated as she is forced to make some serious decisions. Through it all, Grace is able to help a young mother realize that time is the most valuable gift she could give to her daughter.