TOO BUSY TO BE A FRIEND?

TOO BUSY FOR A FRIEND…..

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as soon as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the techer wrote down the name of each student on a seperate piece of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list.Before long, the entire class was smiling. ‘Really?’ she heard whispered.’I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!’ and,’I didn’t know others liked me so much,’ were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again.She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter.The exercise had accompished it’s purpose.The students were happy with themselves and one another.That group of students moved on.

Several years later one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student.She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before.He looked so handsome, so mature….

The church was packed with his friends.One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin.The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her.”Were you Mark’s math teacher?” he asked.She nodded: ‘yes’ Then he said: ‘ Mark talked about you a lot.’

After the funeral, most of Mark’s former classmates went together to a luncheon.Mark’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

‘We want to show you something,’ his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket,’They found this on Mark when he was killed.We thought you might recognise it.’

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times.The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him.

‘Thank you so much for doing that,’ Mark’s mother said.’As you can see, Mark treasured it.’

All of Mark’s former classmates started to gather around.Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said,’I still have my list.I’ts in the top drawer of my desk at home.’

Chuck’s wife said,’Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.’

‘I have mine too,’ Marilyn said.’It’s in my diary.’

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. ‘I carry this with me at all times,’Vicki said and without batting an eyelash she continued:’ I think we all saved our lists.’

That’s when the teacher finally sat down and cried.

She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget life will end one day.And we don’t know when that one day will be.

So, please tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important.Tell them before it is too late.

And one way to accomplish this is:

The more people that you tell this to, the better you’ll be at reaching out to those you care about.

Remember you reap what you sow.What you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.

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Responses

  1. This was so wonderful to read… you never do know how what you do touches another person’s life and through them the lives of many. I know in my life some random acts of kindness and purposeful kindnesses have helped me through tough times. The person who gave me the little bit of extra I needed at the grocery store cashier many years ago caused me to pass this on many times in my life. I am a big and constant tipper… I think a little overboard, because a man once left me a huge tip on a terrible day… a long time ago. Sometimes there is no adequate means of thanking someone, but there is always a way to pay it forward- and I always feel good when I do.

  2. I see some of the same thing going on in here. I have witnessed members posting kind words to those in need and watch as their spirits are lifted. Very nice post Tania and all who responded.

  3. Thank you for posing this beautiful story. I hadn’t read it before and I must admit to the odd tear in my eye. We don’t realise, sometimes, that the things we do echo long after we have moved on to other pathways. The good and the not-so-good. It is important to try and leave behind the good and to let people know how much they mean to us… tell them that they are “the Wind Beneath Our Wings”.. xxxx.