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One day, when I was a freshman in high school,
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, o0 D6 b' u" Q& `0 |I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school./ Z% P# g. _ W0 ~
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His name was Kyle.
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It looked like he was carrying all of his7 s ^3 v$ s9 [9 M) s, h
Books.
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. g, w5 {0 B a% Y v; a6 ?. }/ v" sI thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?& y5 K7 m E1 {
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He must really be a nerd."% u# n: y% E8 T* b3 l. }
! _6 w: _- B- g6 ~/ pI had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
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As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.3 S' N0 ~# q0 h0 G. l
' ] B! p, i$ { U( Y8 c5 a# _; gThey ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.! D# ~/ s# ^0 _- q: g
5 I$ ~6 w& V' T* e7 J4 MHis glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.
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/ e8 U/ g( B' j- nHe looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes
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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.
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As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks.% H( H A K s* ~3 E5 s) f. R7 m
! M0 q3 \2 k2 W% {1 k8 gThey really should get lives.8 S$ w1 T) n& A0 [# s
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" He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!"0 b0 k" ? W0 ~' j, u
$ q( G5 a) r8 X, |There was a big smile on his face.: }- N! }2 C/ X; W# N, W# V
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It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.% l v* a- @3 u, d: h# r% y
2 E* B( |: G2 a" W0 R1 |I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.- n1 N9 f$ _# U( z6 R$ B& b0 C
/ e" Y' |; E/ I% g' X- OAs it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.
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+ u a( o3 N% {8 x$ WHe said he had gone to private school before now.+ O% Z% C1 u# M' W+ k
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I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
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& s+ Z- w5 v1 t) D% |) u; Z: KWe talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.+ M0 p3 a: K* m1 W; X
- t0 O% s, f5 ~: c" MHe turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
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I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends.
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; T) j2 Y, H" t& F. vHe said yes.+ p7 k1 U! [$ i8 ?5 e U
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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.
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Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.
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) H7 i* y; `3 N4 _. [I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!
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" He just laughed and handed me half the books.
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Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.* O: V2 b- E3 d- H9 z- Y8 u
: Z- ?( |( T1 VWhen we were seniors, we began to think* A5 E' J5 K! d
About college./ D" ?* R: }5 E% i% @! X
/ K _" v. N4 \- r* s/ U9 ?Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I. d( \/ E6 ]) U, a6 u
Was going to Duke.3 v, p9 Z, n" ?
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I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.( n! _* A# A- ?9 a' ]* r* F9 ~
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He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
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$ x3 ? K, m- [4 E/ OKyle was valedictorian of our class.
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2 O) c; R, P& y1 q# v! W7 @I teased him all the time about being a nerd.8 h% f; q* U+ C+ U7 B9 r
8 k0 }; G& y2 ]$ f6 d5 iHe had to prepare a speech for graduation.
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I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak
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$ S" Z g0 i. R* cGraduation day, I saw Kyle.
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He looked great.
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He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.! G1 F) J0 |3 y* g u
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He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.# _; a3 k4 V4 W, ~" V( V$ a- O* X
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He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.4 D7 s5 \8 L: r' d
6 q! V, O/ P3 MBoy, sometimes I was jealous.6 l7 h5 ~% }# ]- l# @
+ W9 ~& m) ~3 Y7 ?! Z: hToday was one of those days.+ I+ x* c. Q9 ?3 S6 G3 ^" ]
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I could see that he was nervous about his speech.
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So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"! u) g1 `( J. ^3 L, ~ G
. e: S! u, ~# z' dHe looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled./ J0 K# v1 V; P" e5 ]0 }, ^
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"Thanks," he said." q$ ^9 x# }0 z
# ?9 @" b3 h ]1 lAs he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began
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/ B0 a. B6 ` Q! i"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.* r1 R2 q& _* G% t
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Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends...
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- u/ a( L) O1 |) }I am here to tell all of you that being a- y& r8 M2 _" _( c
Friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.% J. k8 K8 Q8 ^" @' I
: N9 \) f0 X+ T6 }3 F* s) E2 WI am going to tell you a story."$ g7 J- @; |+ O0 e
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I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.
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, R: x3 V" t, N8 L- V% [He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.6 i, F8 n& ` Z2 P
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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.# @% o5 K1 ]9 \/ j3 @5 D) N
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He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.0 r+ V6 Z$ q4 y$ i: r. ]9 N' N1 T7 f
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"Thankfully, I was saved.8 K: h7 r% }* x
. N1 @8 J; ~8 EMy friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
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I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
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& \/ O% s! O+ W# NI saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. q! b( `5 w( Y }
. D/ C: D) p" A5 iNot until that moment did I realize it's depth.# M4 O0 B0 J, g3 U. C
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Never underestimate the power of your actions.3 O3 c: U% v" k5 ]9 p: \
6 F$ S( G; X- L& Z# @With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
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+ D& n0 R+ n) ?% U2 zFor better or for worse.- Q0 ~' s* K' k! m/ Y
9 z3 P! L4 s8 T1 U; N: x$ WGod puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.! O3 d% P! e: h( ^9 P8 J& d
0 X% ]' W$ {7 `8 w2 yLook for God in others./ k# W2 Z- m' W6 b
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You now have two choices, you can:5 B- @( X' W4 b0 g
7 g. o" `. j% A2 r* X% B/ b; e1) Pass this on to your friends or
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! t1 x, D: M+ V+ f0 z. r2) Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart.
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As you can see, I took choice number 1.& f+ v+ c4 _/ f# C. ^$ t
"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
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) j: s; t/ a# r& ]There is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history.
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Tomorrow is mystery.
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Today is a gift.7 Y/ S# L% j2 P u1 M' H
& r$ P, k" I* A1 x! RIt's National Friendship Week. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND.
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If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends. |
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