This is long, but worth the read......
To My Friends
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>> > During the waning years of the depression in a small
>> >
>> > Idaho community, I used to stop by Mr. Miller's
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>> > roadside stand for farm fresh produce as the season
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>> > made it available. Food and money were still extremely
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>> > scarce and bartering was used extensively.
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>> >
>> >
>> > One day Mr. Miller was bagging some early potatoes
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>> > for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and
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>> > feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a
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>> > basket of freshly picked green peas.
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>> >
>> >
>> > I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the
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>> > display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for
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>> > creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I
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>> > couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr.
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>> > Miller and the ragged boy next to me.
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>> >
>> >
>> > "Hello Barry, how are you today?"
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>> >
>> >
>> > "H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them
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>> > peas...sure look good."
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>> >
>> >
>> > ; "They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"
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>> >
>> >
>> > "Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."
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>> >
>> >
>> > "Good. Anything I can help you with?"
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>> >
>> >
>> > "No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."
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>> >
>> >
>> > "Would you like to take some home?"
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>> >
>> >
>> > "No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."
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>> >
>> >
>> > "Well, what have you to trade me for some of those
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>> > peas?"
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>> >
>> >
>> > "All I got's my prize marble here."
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>> >
>> >
>> > "Is that right? Let me see it."
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>> >
>> >
>> > "Here 'tis. She's a dandy."
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>> >
>> >
>> > "I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is
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>> > blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one
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>> > like this at home?"
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>> >
>> >
>> > "Not zackley ... but almost."
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>> >
>> >
>> > "Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you
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>> > and next trip this way let me look at that red
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>> > marble."
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>> >
>> >
>> > "Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller."
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>> >
>> >
>> > Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over
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>> > to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two
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>> > other boys like him in our community, all three are in
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>> > very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain
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>> > with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.
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>> > When
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>> > they come back with their red marbles, and they always
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>> > do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he
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>> > sends them home with a bag of produce for a green
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>> > marble or an orange one, perhaps."
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>> >
>> >
>> > I left the stand smiling to myself, imp ressed with
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>> > this man.
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>> >
>> >
>> > A short time later I moved to Colorado but I never
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>> > forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their
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>> > bartering. Several years went by, each more rapid than
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>> > the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to
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>> > visit some old friends in that Idaho community and
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>> > while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.
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>> > They were having his viewing that evening and knowing
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>> > my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.
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>> >
>> >
>> > Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to
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>> > meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer
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>> > whatever words of comfort we could.
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>> >
>> >
>> > Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in
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>> > an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts,
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>> > dark suits and white shirts ...all very professional
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>> > looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing
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>> > composed
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>> > and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young
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>> > men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly
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>> > with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light
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>> > blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man
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>> > stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the
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>> > cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary
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>> > awkwardly, wiping his eyes.
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>> >
>> >
>> > Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I
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>> > was and mentioned the story she had told me about the
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>> > marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand
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>> > and led me to the casket. "Those three young men who
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>> > just left were the boys I told you about. They just
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>> > told me how they apprecia ted the things Jim "traded"
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>> > them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind
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>> > about color or size...they came to pay their debt."
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>> > "We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this
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>> > world," she confided, "but right now, Jim would
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>> > consider himself the richest man in Idaho."
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>> >
>> >
>> > With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless
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>> > fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath
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>> > were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
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>> >
>> >
>> > Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by
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>> > our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths
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>> > we take, but by the moments that take our breath.
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>> >
>> >
>> > Today ... I wish you a day of ordinary miracles...
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>> >
>> >
>> > A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself
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>> > An unexpected phone call from an old friend
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>> > Green stoplights on your way to work
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>> > The fastest line at the grocery store
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>> > A good sing-along song on the radio
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>> > Your keys right where you left them
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>> >
>> >
>> > They say it takes a minute to find a special person,
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>> > An hour to appreciate them, A day to love them, But an
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>> > entire life to forget them.
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>> >
