Uncle Ben:
Thanks for sharing this inspirational message. I wish we all understand
what friendship is all about. Then there would be no turmoil in this world.
Thanks for making my day. Sisters and brothers, get it. This is not one
of those messages that send you to the delete key. I hope we can keep
it in us.
Comfort Ateh

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Weller, Ben [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 1999 5:40 AM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Burden
>
> Folks, I forward the following from a brother as food for thought.
> -------
> A story is told . . . about a soldier who was finally coming home after
> having fought in Vietnam.  He called his parents from San Francisco.
> "Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask.  I have a friend
> I'd
> like to bring home with me." "Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet
> him."
> "There's something you should know," the son continued, "he was hurt
> pretty badly in the fighting.  He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm
> and
> a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."
> "I'm sorry to hear that, son.  Maybe we can help him find somewhere to
> live."  "No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
> "Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking.  Someone
> with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us.  We have our own
> lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our
> lives.  I
> think you should just come home and forget about this guy.   He'll find
> a way to live on his own."
>
> At that point, the son hung up the phone.  The parents heard nothing
> more from him.  A few days later, however, they received a call from the
> San
> Francisco police.  Their son had died after falling from a building,
> they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken
> parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to
> identify
> the body of their son.  They recognized him, but to their horror they also
> discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one
> leg.
>
> The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love
> those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people
> who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable.  We would rather stay
> away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.
> Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who
> loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever
> family, regardless of how messed up we are.
>
> Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer
> that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are,
> and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from
> us!!!
> There's a miracle called Friendship that dwells in the heart. You don't
> know how it happens or when it gets started, but you know the special lift
> it always brings and you realize that Friendship is God's most precious
> gift!
>
> Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed.  They make us smile and encourage
> us to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they
> always want to open their hearts to us.  Show your friends how much you
> care....
> Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND.  If it comes back to you,
> then you'll know you have a friend for life.
>
>                         Bro. Jimar J. William Wilson