 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
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One day, when I was a freshman in high school,- s ]4 X: L# _3 d h+ X8 m
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I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school., V) c" g2 ^* z+ x
, {- m9 e+ C$ w9 N1 y, [8 p" XHis name was Kyle.2 a3 u7 H( S7 ]9 K
2 _) F: e# S2 @4 y1 GIt looked like he was carrying all of his
& b) w, t0 S/ B) r# wBooks.9 E* C* z2 M3 d5 D( }
4 ]) ^1 ~# ~$ g: N* DI thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?8 M4 f; ?+ k2 P2 x9 ~( e$ C
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He must really be a nerd."% l; M( \1 ]1 S
# S+ t s2 V, \& ?2 _1 g, @I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.* b2 B* y3 a1 G+ u% s! b5 k) |. O1 l
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As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.' S' I0 o) B5 u' s8 L- a! x
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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.9 l8 f3 S" ^ L2 X( L9 e7 v
6 ^) @& X7 h4 ~# r K X0 UHis glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.% Y5 m c) o! H5 l& y9 V* k
3 M8 o' W1 |; I4 h& oHe 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.3 i/ O5 c, y0 I2 }1 r* E7 ]' F
0 ^, u, H( x* l C4 M! X8 ]8 IAs I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks.
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$ O% C. j: C+ W2 vThey really should get lives.8 k% s. F; w ]
% G) C3 V. W) G" He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!"
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6 {$ H% a/ I: YThere was a big smile on his face.
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It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.1 t9 L8 [5 a: i9 @9 c% M" P9 d$ F
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I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
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. a! G( p2 }" lAs it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.
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; d0 _2 F1 v' W3 F+ x# cHe said he had gone to private school before now.. p B$ y! V9 a5 _
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I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.$ E2 a7 B% E. E8 j
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We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.* k0 [& \; \; d) |$ J0 v6 c5 `& S
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He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.$ e, K* ~$ U* L- k- H! o- k* H" z
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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.: |! o _* T0 B6 ]$ |
. w( W: X5 W5 M% z& k J, s2 gWe 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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5 B+ T$ \: @7 {; y) s, XI 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.: Z+ ]' J9 Y& j, f* B4 [ R1 g
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Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.. P d$ |! Q' D; s( {4 N
+ v% H: ?4 a% ^4 m: ~. n: M% BWhen we were seniors, we began to think7 G+ M3 `/ u/ f: V; X
About college.
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Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I/ C$ s, k& `: j" i7 l4 n5 o- L
Was going to Duke., H1 }% s* T' x8 D: ]
2 n$ T1 Z, I( W: m' qI knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
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He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.0 \, K; i8 P9 M9 d! J. l+ y% t7 K
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Kyle was valedictorian of our class.
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+ m% ?6 B- U' D- E$ u, M- II teased him all the time about being a nerd.8 I/ V9 y# Q( E7 I& L& S5 T! B
g+ e/ N% F7 ]1 f; w0 F% VHe had to prepare a speech for graduation.' [! V1 y5 O: z2 j" l3 U( |
( v* P' _' z% h' k! M% O+ H1 n& OI was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak2 I+ W$ ^" ~/ _0 F! F& t5 C: T
1 R+ o0 u# n/ N3 @. q. Z9 s9 ]4 vGraduation day, I saw Kyle.2 e2 h1 R. H4 h9 n' y7 r- k
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He looked great.
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1 r% x! m& r9 P0 B) O$ x" `He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.
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' p! p# f2 w- CHe filled out and actually looked good in glasses./ w9 A& } b; F1 b* u
; b- l9 X/ k$ {4 r" R& NHe had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.$ i4 g7 M$ d7 i4 q. v$ R& z
# ?# f$ U, R; H# RBoy, sometimes I was jealous.' |! r, A) \+ M1 C- g( r5 L
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Today was one of those days.
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# o/ w5 j( t: Z1 H9 i6 z$ H |0 sI could see that he was nervous about his speech.0 F# W; [8 O( ^
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So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"9 s4 X6 ]9 Y; @+ C8 B2 T
4 {2 r* m7 {' pHe looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.( M. e/ C* c4 l! J; u9 w
3 O* K& S0 X0 q" x+ A; s' U"Thanks," he said.5 I" Q: Y- m2 O9 p* g
, |+ m' @) t% g- P P( qAs he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began
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' W' W0 R) S( Q% ?) F"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years., C/ }3 X5 i. t0 A- r* X# w! Z4 y8 B
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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
X0 `# f h: H0 wFriend to someone is the best gift you can give them.9 L. X; B. c$ u4 a3 O7 M
0 V4 S# o& ` |2 H* j0 v: iI am going to tell you a story."' z2 f8 l$ M; t* K( I X
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I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.7 O' M; T- J& t/ L. q$ ^& T2 G
+ \# J* R. u; }0 R! MHe had planned to kill himself over the weekend." @( b8 @3 d. i* ?
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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.
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He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.# n& |$ q8 r. E# W, k
- n, h% a1 [8 V: p0 i$ e% d* U"Thankfully, I was saved., @' V& n. X; m
$ s2 i( W5 A7 T* O4 h. S) tMy friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
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8 q( ?: a2 o, GI heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.# r! k9 g( j8 {: j* ?9 q
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I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. |1 A% ?) P, i
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Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.9 `1 L" ]1 L) Y3 I& ^
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Never underestimate the power of your actions.
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With one small gesture you can change a person's life.6 }) Q/ o5 O6 e; L7 o* B
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For better or for worse.0 `1 v% `* s6 j: d
- N1 x5 F$ d( ~/ M9 g* }& tGod 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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& b- ]1 Q4 \+ g( d( g9 FYou now have two choices, you can:
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2 t! X+ F2 K) m7 H6 W% d1) Pass this on to your friends or
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: v# z- J' G @2 m2) Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart.: g; U* @ U, T
6 k- A9 L2 ]3 i4 [7 `As you can see, I took choice number 1.
' y, G4 k* ^2 W* S: d* A/ C"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
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5 A* w$ p; o0 s3 Z) jThere is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history.( A# e3 V3 W% U+ Q9 q5 ?
% K; d4 a+ }4 r5 G* V" oTomorrow is mystery.
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! U' P9 @2 J: B+ H! hToday is a gift.
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9 Y$ E: ?1 g8 r: O$ ~! G; iIt'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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