 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
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One day, when I was a freshman in high school,. u2 Z8 H1 A6 A. S6 x( S" U
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I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.+ g8 {+ M( Z" ^1 c
. n6 H4 O) |+ t# x% I) Q) c. RHis name was Kyle.
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It looked like he was carrying all of his8 O; |7 n# h* \5 v6 y
Books.
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I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?
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' Z8 l/ H1 r. q7 sHe must really be a nerd."+ A4 ?6 O5 |1 d
% s5 Z) ]: _" ]) z. n* G! q MI had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.% f5 W* { l$ z% d0 w
% f. c G i' s( r, [, ^As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.7 ~' g) K+ U1 X# d5 _
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They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.
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His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.6 D2 X) F) n1 \" Q
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He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes
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: Z3 A1 N/ I% ~0 KMy 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.' c- d0 i1 F1 [/ b: i; Z
* D) P/ f& [$ R, K, qAs I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks.
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They really should get lives.
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! B7 i h# ]- j" r) l( p" He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!"
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There was a big smile on his face.
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( T' h$ \5 M$ [; BIt was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.$ j( ], ]* ]5 [/ M
; v% m6 F, k3 G' HI helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
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' M3 a9 t2 a2 sAs 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.: i/ N+ r: O$ Y" G; t
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I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
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) r. H$ [9 d; c8 a' ^% Q8 N$ c( XWe talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.7 c) [% R) T6 [& V7 Y
5 }; J: r2 x) J' jHe turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
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( ]. Y6 Y' o( P: \# r: C5 EI asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends.9 _% z0 Q6 T( b+ Z9 P2 c' g7 V
! i) a. \0 i- o$ G- a9 OHe said yes.* J0 Y0 f5 }; `: c4 D
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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.- U, Q, Q( r1 ?4 f, t6 l
* D$ z3 r4 I; n, W6 R2 sMonday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.1 g" Q; a/ U7 u$ I5 S
( k! \. I) D p6 U) [0 g9 u! jI 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.) G2 L! u/ e) d& }6 z* \
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When we were seniors, we began to think
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% \6 p# M( b( kKyle decided on Georgetown, and I
. z w, b1 z( j8 X! [& Z8 ZWas going to Duke.+ F( x. ]& {/ c. n6 I) P9 G
( [/ d# W& b2 p8 c* DI knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
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1 ?* [ W+ \* {& _) f: WHe was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
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Kyle was valedictorian of our class.% v% ]" [; a1 a4 N, X4 d, G
+ o' s+ s. z4 }9 c1 f: N, [3 jI teased him all the time about being a nerd.
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: j! z5 B1 X9 \% }% ^8 N+ RHe had to prepare a speech for graduation.
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4 t! K3 l# k j/ `8 W }I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak
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Graduation day, I saw Kyle.+ m4 n5 e3 M; T7 d, @
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He looked great.
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He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.2 w! j* P- B9 p5 ?
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He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
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He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.
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Boy, sometimes I was jealous.# w ?* B( o* \* n# p
; V" E$ `0 K# b7 P tToday was one of those days. u g- E& d) K9 P% I5 p
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I could see that he was nervous about his speech.
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7 T# e9 K t2 E9 [So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"+ ?. C% Z- `; S. }" W6 E: V
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He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled./ E5 E4 D. ?4 ]2 T- z
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"Thanks," he said.8 I- T/ V9 v9 }1 F: Z& ?
8 d+ u+ _! }3 Z% U7 ?As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began/ s, R. J, p4 _) p8 C# q+ {" M5 y
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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...8 L! G( n9 L$ e+ g
: H( D/ c" p4 T5 H: zI am here to tell all of you that being a7 `* O5 P4 e$ F0 l: \
Friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. q* o. A1 h: W$ w8 p
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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.0 y" {4 T5 X: `
3 I+ a! ^* \) j( k$ T, s2 Y+ h& [He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.7 Y7 U/ g0 _0 n. v0 C
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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.0 G* G: G4 i! [( O1 t" L, J. ]
' Q% D/ _! [5 y2 |He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.3 E' i/ L1 r( ?- R6 E
) n% ]: K7 [. f"Thankfully, I was saved.
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My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
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7 L6 y, I2 r; Z: O6 Y W$ p. bI heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.6 U1 k9 x5 b7 [
) G& }; O4 i' c1 E- V) p! T7 JI saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.
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9 ]6 `- h) f- K/ x, a# I& H) tNot until that moment did I realize it's depth.
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Never underestimate the power of your actions.# I2 c8 X# A) c- `, C j
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With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
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For better or for worse.
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God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.
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Look for God in others.
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1 f+ a7 A# K- x6 J# O8 }0 JYou now have two choices, you can:
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" K/ [ {+ [" ^; u, J1 Z) K1) Pass this on to your friends or- q8 Q' j% }' E7 G+ g
1 \: k- j5 A0 j7 P2) Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart.
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As you can see, I took choice number 1.
, _% s7 R, B% X' }6 t$ q8 q"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
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3 w R' E6 V9 n% e) G+ L# Q7 V) }- v7 bThere is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history.
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Tomorrow is mystery.
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0 f; s: j" [6 G4 I5 H+ K) DToday is a gift.6 Q9 j# v) ^: F$ Y1 I+ R; H
0 f# V1 K$ }7 ]It'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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