 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
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One day, when I was a freshman in high school,& A9 G; Y1 Z8 n# @" V7 x) L
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I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.8 i. w8 J& L! B. `% S; B6 h
, q F7 O6 Q2 z: C+ \* pHis name was Kyle.5 }5 Y0 G( O6 Q, c1 s, g
) @+ z+ O) G& L4 D4 uIt looked like he was carrying all of his
3 a ^6 L: \. K; h4 o+ OBooks.( i9 p9 m! G1 q$ \: [
" O) X- h+ [. u, p4 v+ dI thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?
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3 S/ u% y& ? D) S. rHe must really be a nerd."
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I 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." Q2 J4 y4 B# ?1 |) f( _5 {8 U
@) _" U* R7 VThey ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.4 E0 ~8 c+ J4 U9 N6 T9 o4 p0 A: K
6 @ I; r" U4 |' o: v& RHis glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.
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4 h( t2 m. k! M! q: u2 bHe looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes! b+ z& l9 f& i, Z/ `& ]7 C2 C& L' x& X
: N) ?' i* S( U) B b- C a* W; BMy 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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n3 G4 N( o8 I5 D. Z0 `- UAs I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks.+ ^6 X S5 Q2 z j5 x, B
* Z1 X6 ?6 F4 p9 \$ ]They really should get lives.6 \7 m! P& H, g) b/ y
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" He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!"
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There was a big smile on his face.
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It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.3 M/ s1 `$ i) [5 c b
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I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.4 `* K+ @$ _0 s, _& Z' \
6 _3 M9 E+ h+ v% v( v6 nAs it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.
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He said he had gone to private school before now.6 C# G4 y( i% f
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I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
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6 ^# }& X" o. @: JWe talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books./ p: A. Y& w+ c7 Q; y& e
- K; a; [9 F% F8 R% l! dHe 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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He said yes.
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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.* {3 l0 _5 f/ T) w! W: O3 S
) ~, r0 a& Z. F' r0 {Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.. b# d& [; j7 g( |7 Q# d% [
5 |' R) P% n, X0 c& l9 a. b1 `I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" a9 h5 `4 j) @+ V$ c
( X8 G$ y/ y4 L. g+ X/ a4 x3 g- _" He just laughed and handed me half the books.2 J6 D- x" V& a) j. F- G
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Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.& A$ v% b. I" _3 V p
3 ?* f) E* X% P# w' J5 HWhen we were seniors, we began to think
9 v6 o( e$ Q" n$ M8 @About college.7 I9 Y* G X8 S4 p. c9 g6 F
" v8 J; R& z8 ^5 O1 O& ^* I, }Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I' S. o; H# t/ a6 V# w
Was going to Duke.
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, w& x7 e" O& `; `! Q$ I. vI knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem./ x; e/ d( ^ x; q9 u
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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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7 j& S# A) H8 P& n- JKyle was valedictorian of our class.
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I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
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4 w) w9 O+ k/ A; z% w& ^7 LHe had to prepare a speech for graduation.& w0 f+ H8 O! t/ y y3 q( k! p
/ x' y) d, k8 ?& P0 J) z2 Z6 lI was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak
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" |4 ]& w$ h4 ?8 F& Q7 SGraduation day, I saw Kyle.
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8 U; h5 F9 \! s! [He looked great.& P: E2 g; _9 |
3 j/ |0 C6 p0 W: L Z1 j+ |. l% ]He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. L! J5 t) D# c: i' e, |! R, b
9 ]4 f( ?/ O% K* b+ R( c5 n; ZHe filled out and actually looked good in glasses.. s$ ?% G2 o4 V0 s
) L- J' s% T4 B6 EHe had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.( U3 s& f) h& i
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Boy, sometimes I was jealous.6 s! O: |. v) ^; i) [/ b* a; N% e
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Today was one of those days.
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+ ]2 `; `% X4 d! jI could see that he was nervous about his speech.1 C) d6 _* s& Y: G: r" \
- t; v! }) T8 W/ t! g/ X4 ]* c( A4 OSo, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"
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+ l Y! z% l8 \2 _) ZHe looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.6 ^6 ?9 b; S* X7 q2 c4 }
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"Thanks," he said.( `# `% o* B6 T- n8 D) }, n
3 ` p4 t0 x: k. Z& r7 p& d( OAs he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began% _% V6 W+ J* E* d
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"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.
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Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends...
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I am here to tell all of you that being a
2 O6 X7 g+ j0 c! OFriend to someone is the best gift you can give them.2 `# A9 @, {7 V e! P
: R% W4 o! p, N) W" ?I am going to tell you a story."
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I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.: A& l- h4 d+ k; t! K7 A; K& t
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He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.+ x) a- O9 C* x
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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., m/ a& C4 H9 H# n6 l( T6 n! O
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He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
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0 y. u A4 k3 i4 {6 d"Thankfully, I was saved.
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My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."6 a7 y/ }# H! r; v4 o) T; o
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I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.; D) o4 h% {% U% g+ W) M7 u
2 |2 I8 e% Y3 PI saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.+ a- }% d" X& L" b" O( O
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Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.
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- ~& I% ?2 W4 d! A, LNever underestimate the power of your actions.4 t& R4 R9 D) a' h% \- `/ S M* X
8 [3 ]7 J/ j# a, j. m5 k' `1 R! T) KWith one small gesture you can change a person's life." [0 G4 |: c4 A* ?5 h
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For better or for worse.
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: [$ D @* M# E8 T4 J0 F" kGod puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.
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! x* h2 x8 S0 E) e2 d; @Look for God in others.+ L7 @' z1 h+ S( o- G/ U
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You now have two choices, you can:
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6 P5 k% `$ y% k' e$ _, W1) Pass this on to your friends or
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2) Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart.
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As you can see, I took choice number 1.% Z; v- N3 Q; U9 k! o% T
"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."- D/ X7 z% `9 W; }( } J! N
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There is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history., X4 D) w) L( y/ V' V
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Tomorrow is mystery., j1 O9 V5 p. {/ G
0 K' a5 M$ N- S7 U- j# {Today is a gift.7 w! e! j9 R. O5 }( H" _1 D( e% e
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It's National Friendship Week. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND.7 B3 n2 K# Z' x! L/ B4 O+ Y
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If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends. |
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