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.
Share this 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 shared this to"Thanks for your time"
A mix collection of inspirational stories gathered from the internet and personal experiences.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
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