 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
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One day, when I was a freshman in high school,
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! [& \( C9 y4 U: |/ }; EI saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.
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" H" @. x- ]% v* }3 M8 `/ }His name was Kyle.1 v8 v, }; O# e$ Z8 G2 I, J2 {
+ T4 t* `0 P Q6 K3 ^1 MIt looked like he was carrying all of his6 Y, r8 e+ X* L- S3 [
Books.( y& W( E5 b0 v* C
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I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?# o4 r$ p2 X( }3 N8 g
- g9 ^) R8 E' L# f( o" jHe must really be a nerd."
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. @+ W2 e9 }3 V( HI had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.1 e# ~: c e5 D5 ]! v
, u0 r) S1 }! U9 v3 x9 Z, F5 VAs I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.% g: ]. x8 E4 P% H# z
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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.
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+ w7 Q2 ?) U/ o( R; B. NHe looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes8 @# x& x( U; k0 e. x
, K, f5 k% X. i1 @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.
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+ w! b" V) W3 J7 X4 [They really should get lives.
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$ X7 A$ G: q9 G1 `& B/ O" He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!"
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There was a big smile on his face.
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- A8 I; R7 c" p5 RIt was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
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I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
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As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before./ @4 E. _- Z3 u0 |5 m
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He said he had gone to private school before now.% a& r5 y2 f8 K' }9 B
; k8 B8 }. ]8 L" q1 e6 ]I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.! _3 s7 k: [+ I8 M
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We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.
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3 G$ G7 x4 G @' P% pHe turned out to be a pretty cool kid.$ f; h5 G6 c( v0 @) l" `7 r, ~! U
& Q" X( G# Z( }* DI asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends.7 X* q# Y. f4 o5 }3 V
) k4 O3 E) y2 X- k7 X& G( k* BHe 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.* ^; P( q8 `0 A; ?7 { a2 `/ R
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Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.9 E$ V) o, Q' E
0 y2 U5 `1 K6 _2 Z$ QI stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!
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& ^. d7 W8 A$ {- X& k& y* Q+ ~" He just laughed and handed me half the books.
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Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.
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When we were seniors, we began to think; l' M- {& f s) N- x
About college.
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, m( E3 Z7 ?; ]2 kKyle decided on Georgetown, and I1 Y5 t+ F5 I! _/ w7 H2 a9 v
Was going to Duke.
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I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
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9 g% ?3 y$ V# D( NHe 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.5 Q& U+ m+ o4 y6 ?# q( X
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I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
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He 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/ k+ m6 p9 e& k& z
& O4 x; }0 P4 g1 T% n- d) HGraduation day, I saw Kyle.! n4 g" A* O8 p% b+ y* @
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He looked great./ k+ x4 h6 R2 X
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He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.1 `* ?2 _, |3 g& Y8 _0 x
, L6 ]; t' o8 o3 o$ @ LHe filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
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9 `( O: I8 C! E& N& M- GHe had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.
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) ^8 x- V4 d, }$ LBoy, sometimes I was jealous.
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K. o7 Z% {5 W" ^8 HToday was one of those days.! Z/ u- \: x( X0 n' x
, O) `/ H$ t' A: [# @& GI could see that he was nervous about his speech.
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4 `) ]6 n$ _: WSo, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"; O4 ~- b6 a3 p. d3 H
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He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.( \' y) |8 m# n, f, V0 V" x
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"Thanks," he said.
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As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began
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"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. `& z% N! a5 e0 b
; P# f- {$ B* X8 s; yYour parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends...4 Y6 C5 ^8 F* W3 A* @2 ]9 `. C2 g
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I am here to tell all of you that being a
" ]2 m; B4 F& HFriend to someone is the best gift you can give them.! _$ N/ r5 n, [; W n6 C; P
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I am going to tell you a story."% e, C; D* | z" p, O9 ^1 F5 U
/ l5 m0 V! ]) n B5 `, H$ W1 n! ZI just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.5 `) B5 D. a7 O {1 y- ~5 ]. \" ~
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He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.
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2 N0 x, }0 B# nHe 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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8 A, n4 r/ S# y3 E) {7 d. YHe looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.4 Z. F B3 t6 V" I
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"Thankfully, I was saved.0 s* |9 O) M% H( _ |8 D# v
3 ?. k) x8 y% ]; X+ XMy friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.". o5 N R* q) d9 O. m3 a+ D5 s
# p5 F' b+ A1 a- P9 dI heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.- \7 A6 Y( t7 z' j9 M6 L
G. |' \, x" ?2 n1 Q [I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.
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% z( z+ i- M9 r4 |Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.6 W. r' m) y9 v* N2 H3 C+ @
8 e) I2 L! s7 n0 p- i6 Z0 a* {Never underestimate the power of your actions.
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& ~: W9 F$ E$ T k$ Q# s0 JWith one small gesture you can change a person's life.% o# K5 ?1 a& ?. h% M" f
# V% X" m& E# Z) K' `4 f8 F$ yFor better or for worse.
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God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.# i. N9 |0 U8 ]
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Look for God in others.
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You now have two choices, you can:
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1) Pass this on to your friends or9 f) j. d3 {2 i6 k3 L( X; k, N
5 S A, Q) k) o# T5 {2) Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart. c4 b, s$ } D/ E, q1 `( S7 [' j. a, w/ B
5 y5 J* i4 B( [" K4 [+ x6 |As you can see, I took choice number 1.( r3 D# m. v3 O7 A7 L- j& K
"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."% w' r) u6 }' B% t' p8 M T4 N
$ p* U2 D& R+ V* n) u: J* {# n$ HThere is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history.) v2 M5 J% U9 p) i0 i0 H$ b
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Tomorrow is mystery.
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8 p$ `9 h/ v- @3 t8 AToday is a gift.% L" h, Q/ A6 V' }' p, x k
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It's National Friendship Week. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND.' a- O1 g( I& u/ Y' d, B* I& J# A
8 K. ^3 w, {6 x$ ?( r7 LIf it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends. |
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