Advice – 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.’
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 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 color 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 stoplights 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
Joke – Four Friends
FOUR FRIENDS AT A PARTY !!!!!!!!
Four friends, who hadn’t seen each other in 30 years,
reunited at a party.
After several drinks, one of the men had to use the rest
room. Those who remained talked about their kids.
The first guy said, ‘My son is my pride and joy. He started
working at a successful company at the bottom of the barrel.
He studied Economics and Business Administration and soon
began to climb the corporate ladder and now he’s the
president of the company. He became so rich that he gave his
best friend a top of the line Mercedes for his birthday.’
The second guy said, ‘Darn, that’s terrific! My son is also
my pride and joy. He started working for a big airline, and
then went to flight school
to become a pilot. Eventually he became a partner in the
company, where he owns the majority of its assets. He’s so
rich that he gave his best friend a brand new jet for his
birthday.’
The third man said: ‘Well, that’s terrific! My son studied
in the best universities and became an engineer. Then he
started his own construction
company and is now a multimillionaire. He also gave away
something very nice and expensive to his best friend for his
birthday: A 30,000 square
foot mansion.’
The three friends congratulated each other just as the
fourth returned from the restroom and asked: ‘What are all
the congratulations for?’ One of the three said: ‘We were
talking about the pride we feel for the successes of our
sons. …What about your son?’
The fourth man replied: ‘My son is gay and makes a living
dancing as a stripper at a nightclub.’
The three friends said: ‘What a shame…what a
disappointment.’
The fourth man replied: ‘No, I’m not ashamed. He’s my son
and I love him. And he hasn’t done too bad either. His
birthday was two weeks ago, and he received a beautiful
30,000 square foot mansion, a brand new jet and a top of the
line Mercedes from his three boyfriends.