My readers often comment on how much they enjoy the little stories I include in this editorial. The stories are mostly classics that you will read many times during the course of your life, and each time you read the same story it will have a different meaning, totally dependent upon the particular circumstances in your life at the time you read it. My biggest fear is that I will run out of stories to share with you, but what I am finding is that this is hardly likely to happen. For example, the other day I was marking essays that my students had handed in and I came across the following:

Dear Mr. Kirwan,

I was wondering, you know how you have that article in the Vision. Well I was wondering if maybe you would put this in one of your articles and if you decide to, feel free to change it as much as you like. If you do this one thing for me I will appreciate it with all my heart!

Saying Good-Bye A True Story

Do you have one of those friends that is like a brother to you? Well, I have and here is a story about my friend. I hope you will feel the emotional feeling that I felt.

One day my mom was rushing to the hospital because she was having a baby. When I was born two weeks early lying in the crib in the nursery, I had no idea that the people that lived beside my mom and dad had a son lying there right beside me. I was named after my uncle. As I went home I never seen the kid that layed beside me in hospital until I was two years old. Our birthday was one day apart from each other's. When I was five coming home from school and got off the bus, I seen the most terrible, frightening scene. Right on the front lawn a big white sign. On the front of it said ‘Sold’ and on the front lawn, Eric, my best friend was sitting there with the saddest face ever. I had a long talk with him and he said, “My dad got a job in British Columbia so that’s why we’re moving.”

I also had a long talk with my mom and she said he would be able to visit every year. We are still best friends and I call him every day (after 6 of course) to talk and see how he is doing. I miss him very much, but we are still very good friends!

There is so much you could say about this letter.

The child’s mother should be commended for understanding how important it is that her son and Eric maintain their relationship, even though it is long-distance. She recognized the tremendous emotional impact the event had on her son and is willing to do whatever she can to help him cope with the separation of these two very close friends.

It is also a reminder to us that children have feelings too! So often we make major decisions that result in tremendous upheavals in the life of our children. We always say that children will cope and get over it, but sometimes the healing takes a long time - sometimes it takes forever. Who would have thought that two five year old boys would miss each other so much? Still, these two boys felt the bond between each other and are willing to do whatever it takes to keep it strong.

 For me, the story shows that no matter how long I continue to write this column, there will always be inspirational stories and messages that will turn up for me to share with my readers.