I got this from a friend

Let's see if you send it back

*** ( don't send back to me just share with others if you like )( I am sending it as I got it)(I must admit that I cryed when I read it. She had no idea who close to home that would hit because of a foster kid)


One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw


a kid from my class was walking home from school. His


name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his


books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring


home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a


nerd."


I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football


game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I


shrugged my shoulders and went on.


As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward


him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his


arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses


went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten


feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible


sadness in his eyes.


My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and


as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw


a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said,


"Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives." He looked


at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It


was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.


I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where


he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him


why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private


school before now.


I would have never hung out with a private school kid


before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some


of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I


asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my


friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the


more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my


friends thought the same of him.


Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the


huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said,


"Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles


with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and


handed me half the books.


Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best


friends. When we were seniors, we began to think


about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I


was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be


friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He


was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business


on a football scholarship.


Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the


time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for


graduation.


I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and


speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He


was one of those guys that really found himself during high


school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.


He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.


Boy, sometimes I was jealous.


Today was one of those days. I could see that he was


nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back


and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!" He looked at me


with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.


"Thanks," he said.


As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and


began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped


you make it through those tough years. Your parents,


your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly


your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a


friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I


am going to tell you a story."


I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the


story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill


himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had


cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do


it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and


gave me a little smile.


"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from


doing the unspeakable."


I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular


boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad


looking at me and smiling that same


grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.




Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse.


God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.


You now have two choices, you can:


1) Pass this on to your friends or


2) Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart.


As you can see, I took choice number 1. "Friends are


angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have


trouble remembering how to fly."


There is no beginning or end..Yesterday is history.


Tomorrow is mystery.


Today is a gift.


It's National Friendship Week. Show your friends


how much you care. Send this to everyone you


consider a FRIEND. If it comes back to you, then


you'll know you have a circle of friends.


WHEN YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER, YOU'RE REQUESTED TO SEND IT TO AT LEAST


10 PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE PERSON WHO SENT IT TO YOU.

*******************************************************

Friendship is hard to come by, and harder

to keep, But it is definately worth all the work

it takes to make a friendship last.

********************************************************

Stacy Wade Harris II
Franklin County , North Carolina , CSA

www.southernprideracing.homestead.com

Camp 310 Louisburg,N.C.
The Franklin Rifles
http://members.aol.com/sonscv/

Point Lookout Prisoner of War Descendants Organization
http://plpow.tripod.com/

My Photo Album
http://community.webshots.com/user/_unreconstructed1

sic semper tyrannis
Deo Vendice

This message was edited Tuesday, Jan 14th 9:03 AM