SHARING CARING
If you are a bit
downhearted today because of your life situation or experiences, it is vitally
important to look outside of yourself.
In truth, compared to so many others, you are bountifully blessed. So instead of being self-absorbed and feeling
depressed, why not sow a moment of joy into some soul who really needs it,
perhaps much more so than you. Bill
Renda revealed an inspirational personal experience that I would like to share
with you. He entitled it, “Show Someone
You Care.”
I was having lunch in
a local restaurant, consumed with thoughts about how tough life seemed lately,
and how sick and tired I was of the daily grind. I own a landscape company, but never felt I
had made a difference in people’s lives.
As I sat there feeling
sorry for myself, a young woman (about 25 years old) walked in and sat down in
a booth, apparently waiting for a friend.
It didn’t take long before I noticed her trying to hide from the gaze of
other people, and my heart sank. I could
tell her hair was falling out and, at such a young age, she must have been
receiving chemotherapy.
I watched secretly as
she tried her best to remain composed, but she was having a tough time of
it. My heart ached for her, imagining
how she might feel right at this moment going through that terrible experience,
and yet I was intimately familiar with her pain.
You see, I buried my
wife, the love of my life, just a few short years ago and had to watch
helplessly as she slowly faded away. So
I desperately needed to get a message of hope to this struggling young
lady. But how? What could I do?
Then it hit me! I called over her waitress and explained that
I wanted to buy lunch for this young lady and her friend, but also insisted
that it remain anonymous. I handed the
waitress a note to give to the girl when she would inform her that her tab was
already paid.
My note read as
follows: “Someone today thinks you are beautiful. Someone today thinks your smile glows with
excitement. Someone today thinks your
eyes light up the world. Someone today
cares and just wants you to know that you are special. Enjoy the rest of your day, pretty young
lady.”
When the young woman
asked for her check, I watched as she was told it had been paid for. She asked why? Who?
What for? The waitress simply
handed her my note and informed her that the gentleman who paid wanted it to be
an anonymous gift.
I watched as she
slowly read the note. Gradually, her
eyes grew teary, and then I witnessed a marvelous transformation. Her face glowed with a beautiful and hopeful
smile! It literally seemed to brighten
the room. She sat up straight, not
caring who noticed her sick condition or missing hair. Her friend also beamed, not for what had been
done, but simply because her friend was feeling alive and beautiful again.
What is the measure of
your life? I can tell you definitively
that it’s not about how you look, nor what you possess, neither how much money
you can earn. At the end of the day,
none of these are very important. Life
is all about how much we care and what we can do for others.
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