volunteer

RED MARBLES

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas..

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.

Pondering the peas, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

‘Hello Barry, how are you today?’

‘H’lo , Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus’ admirin’ them peas. They sure look good.’

‘They are good, Barry. How’s your Ma?’

‘Fine. Gittin’ stronger alla’ time.’

‘Good. Anything I can help you with?’

‘No, Sir. Jus’ admirin’ them peas.’

‘Would you like to take some home ?’ asked Mr.. Miller.

‘No, Sir. Got nuthin’ to pay for ’em with.’

‘Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?’

‘All I got’s my prize marble here.’

‘Is that right? Let me see it’ said Miller..

‘Here ’tis. She’s a dandy.’

‘I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home ?’ the store owner asked.

‘Not zackley but almost..’

‘Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble’.. Mr. Miller told the boy.

‘Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.’ A

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.. With a smile she said, ‘There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store..’

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr… Miller had died.

They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts….all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband’s casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her, and moved on to the casket..

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband’s bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

‘Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim ‘traded’ them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about colour or size…..they came to pay their debt.’

‘We’ve never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,’ she confided, ‘but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho.’

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband.. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds…. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath…..

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn’t make yourself…An unexpected phone call from an old friend…Green traffic lights on your way to work….The fastest line at the grocery store…A good sing-along song on the radio…Your keys found right where you left them.

Send this to the people you’ll never forget.. I just Did….

If you don’t send it to anyone, it means you are in way too much of a hurry to even notice the ordinary miracles when they occur.

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED

A Successful Person Is One Who Can Lay A Firm Foundation With The Bricks That Others Throw At him!

Try & Fail, Try & Fail, Try & Fail,

But Dont Try & Fail, Try & Fail, & Fail To Try!!!

STONE

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING THROUGH THE DESERT .

DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN

ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE

IN THE FACE

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT

SAYING ANYTHING, WROTE IN THE SAND ,

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE .

THEY KEPT ON WALKING, UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,

WHERE THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A BATH

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE

MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING, BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING,

HE WROTE ON A STONE:

‘TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE’

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND

ASKED HIM, ‘AFTER I HURT YOU, YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW, YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?’

THE FRIEND REPLIED

‘WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN

IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.

BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US,

WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE WHERE NO WIND

CAN EVER ERASE IT’

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO

CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

THEY SAY IT TAKES A

MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL PERSON,

AN HOUR TO APPRECIATE THEM,

A DAY TO LOVE THEM,

BUT THEN ,

AN ENTIRE LIFE TO FORGET THEM.

SEND THIS TO THE PEOPLE YOU’LL NEVER FORGET.

I JUST DID..

IF YOU DON’T SEND IT TO ANYONE,

IT MEANS YOU’RE IN A HURRY AND THAT YOU’VE FORGOTTEN YOUR FRIENDS.

TAKE THE TIME TO LIVE!

DO NOT VALUE THE THINGS

YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE, BUT VALUE

WHO YOU HAVE KNOWN IN YOUR LIFE!

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.