It
had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls,
career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear
across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of
his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no
time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future,
and nothing could stop him.
Over
the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night.
The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind
like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack,
did you hear me?"
"Oh,
sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I
thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years
ago," Jack said.
"Well,
he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were
doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side
of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
"I
loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You
know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you
had a man's influence in your life," she said.
"He's
the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be
in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time
teaching me things he thought were important . . . Mom, I'll be there for
the funeral," Jack said.
As
busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his
hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He
had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The
night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the
old house next door one more time.
Standing
in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over
into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was
exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every
picture, every piece of furniture . . . Jack stopped suddenly.
"What's
wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked. "The
box is gone," he said. "What box?" Mom asked.
"There
was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must
have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell
me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It
was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered
it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family
had taken it.
"Now
I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said.
"I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home,
Mom."
It
had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from
work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature
required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main
post office within the next three days," the note read.
Early
the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked
like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was
difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr.
Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and
ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an
envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon
my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's
the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to
the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack
carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold
pocket watch.
Running
his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover.
Inside he found these words engraved:
"Jack,
Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."
"The
thing he valued most was . . . my time"
Jack
held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his
appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his
assistant asked.
"I
need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way,
Janet, thanks for your time!"
"Life
is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that
take our breath away,"
Think
about this. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.
1.
At least 2 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.
2.
At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3.
A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like
you.
4.
Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
5.
You mean the world to someone.
6.
If not for you, someone may not be living.
7.
You are special and unique.
8.
When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably
won't get it, but if you trust God to do what's best, and wait on His
time, sooner or later, you will get it or something better.
9.
When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from
it.
10.
When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most
likely turned your back on the world.
11.
Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
12.
Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude
remarks.
13.
Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better
when they know and you'll both be happy.
14.
If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are
great.
