Take Care ....
A
young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next
door.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack,
did you hear me?"
"Oh,
sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm
sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack
said...
"Well,
he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd
reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he
put it," Mom told him.
"I
loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You
know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you
had a man's influence in your life," she said.
"He's
the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business
if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought
were important. Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack
said.
As
busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his
hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children
of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The
night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the
old house next door one more time.
Standing
in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into
another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as
he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of
furniture. Jack stopped suddenly...
"What's
wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
"The
box is gone," he said
"What
box?" Mom asked.
"There
was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have
asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the
thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It
was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it,
except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken
it.
"Now
I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some
sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It
had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one
day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox: "Signature required on a package.
No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three
days," the note read. Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The
small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago.
The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his
attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and
ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope.
Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon
my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the
thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His
heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box.
There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.
Running
his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover.
Inside he found these words engraved:
"Jack,
Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."
"The
thing he valued most was.. my time"
Jack
held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his
appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant
asked.
"I
need some time to spend with a friend," he said.
"Oh,
by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"
Think
about this. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.
1.
At least 15 people in this world love you in some way..
2.
A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like
you.
3.
Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to
sleep.
4.
You mean the world to someone.
5.
If not for you, someone may not be living.
6.
You are special and unique.
7.
When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably
won't get it, but if you trust God to do what's best, and wait on His time,
sooner or later, you will get it or something better.
8.
When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from
it.
9.
When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most
likely turned your back on the world.
10.
Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
11..
Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude
remarks.
12
. Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better
when they know and you'll both be happy .
13.
If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are
great.
Send
this letter to all the people you care about, if you do so, you will
certainly brighten someone's day and might change their perspective on
life... for the better.
To
everyone I sent this to,
"Thanks
for your time. "
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