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Investing
in People's Lives — The Blessings Are Real by Frank Murphy  Rob
(not his real name) was a teenage "friend" of mine. Shortly after
meeting him, I realized he didn't have many friends. He talked incessantly,
and the conversations were often pointless and boring. He tried so hard
to be friendly that he frequently overwhelmed people. I tolerated him more
than I liked him.After graduating from high school we continued our casual friendship. I went to a local university for a year before transferring to an out-of-state college. The closer it got to my departure (in January), the busier I became. Saving money for school was hard enough, and buying Christmas gifts on top of that wasn't easy — but I grudgingly did some shopping, and even bought a small gift for Rob. After I moved, Rob kept in touch with my parents, telling them how much he admired me and that I was his best friend. He also told them that I was the only person who had given him a Christmas present that year. Rob was a difficult person to love, even though he clearly wanted someone to care about and love him. I didn't know the value he placed on our friendship until I left, but without much effort I had impacted his life. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered this. While I'm glad that I accidentally encouraged Rob, wouldn't it have been more meaningful if I had intentionally helped him? What if he had been depressed or suicidal — would my accidental kindness have been enough? Elaborate plans or expensive gifts are not needed to show someone you care, but you do need to make a choice to intentionally invest in some one's life. Make an effort to make a difference in the lives of those around you — and you will be glad you did. So will they. |