A nice story for the day!
I believe this has been around before, but for some reason, I
felt I must pass it on. . The end says it all.
A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy
next door.
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man.
College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved
clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and
nothing could stop him.
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 my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet...thanks for your time!"
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by
the moments that take our breath away,"
Think about this. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.
1. At least 2 people in this world love you so much they would
die for you.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3 A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they
don't like you.
4 Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to
sleep.
5. You mean the world to someone.
6. If not for you, someone may not be living.
7. You are special and unique.
8. 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.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can
still come from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a
look: you most likely turned your back on the world.
11. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
12. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about
the rude remarks.
13. Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel
much better when they know and you'll both be happy.
14. 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.
