...I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. "Mark talked about you a lot," he said
After the funeral, most pwople headed out for lunch, Marks mother and father were there obviously waiting for me. "We want to show you something,"His father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times.
I knew without looking that the papers were the ones I had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."
Mark's classmates started to gather around us. Chuck smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list, its in the top drawer of my desk at home." John's wife said, "John asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too." Marilyn said. "it's in my diary." Then Vicki, another classmate reached into her pocket book, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me all the time," Vicky said without batting an eyelash. "I think we all saved our lists".
Thats when I finally sat down and cried.
END
What would make so many adults hold on to a piece of paper they had received years ago as a kid, some of them carrying those papers every where they went, even into battle in a rice paddy halfway around the world. Its appreciation every one is incredibly hungry for APPRECIATION and RECOGNITION. As you interact with people, walk slowly through the crowd. Remember peoples names and take time to show them you care. Make other people a priority in your life over every other thing. IT WILL MAKE YOU A PERSON OF SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE IN THEIR LIVES.
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