| |
National Friendship Weekby
Peary Perry | |
This
is National Friendship Week. Whatever that is. Anyway, someone who reportedly
is a friend of mine sent this over to me to review. Since I have been out of town
and somewhat short on time, it just seems to be the right thing to do and use
this information, besides I think it fits my mood at this time. So here it goes:
Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400.
It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deletes whatever
part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw
out every cent, of course!!!! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every
morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost
whatever of this you have failed to invest for a good purpose. It carries over
no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each
night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits,
the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow”.
You must live in the present on today’s deposits. Invest it so as to get from
it the utmost in health, happiness and success. The clock is running. Make the
most of today. To realize the value of one year, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of one month, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature
baby. To realize the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of one hour, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realize
the value of one minute, ask a person who missed the train. To realize the value
of one second, ask the person who just avoided an accident. To realize the value
of one millisecond, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics. Treasure
each moment that you have. Treasure it more because you shared it with someone
special, special enough to spend your time. Remember that time waits for no one.
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that’s why it’s
called the present.
It’s
National Friendship Week. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you
smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise,
and they always want to open their heart 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 know you have a circle of friends.
Well
there you have it. A complete gift for your friends for this week. The above example
of time kind of gets you to thinking, doesn’t it? Someone once said that if you
can count your friends on one hand, (meaning 5) then you are lucky indeed. I tend
to believe this. I consider myself blessed by having real friends that have stuck
with me through thick and thin for many years. In fact these friends are so good,
sometimes I think to myself, I don’t really deserve them. Sometimes I don’t like
myself, and as a result I wonder why someone would like me. As I’ve said before
friendships take a lot of work. You must be a friend to have a friend. Friends
take time. Friends take dedication. FRIENDS TAKE A LOT OF WORK TO MAINTAIN. You
have to be willing to do the extra things that change your relationships from
that of an acquaintance to that of a friend. Friends have to be willing to do
things because they want to, not because they have to. You have to go to your
nephews graduation. If his name is Zerkowitz, you have to sit through the entire
alphabet before you can leave. Friends don’t have to do this. They aren’t family
obligated to come and see you when you break your leg or have to have someone
go to the store because you have the flu. They like doing this stuff for you.
They are friends. They can tell you, you are fat, your hair is dirty, you look
bad, you look great, your breath smells and you have an ugly mean dog…and you
and I will just go on loving them because they are our friends. Friends are just
other human beings that we get to share time with. None of us will ever been at
this point in time again. This time will be over. Some of the stuff your friends
tell you, could never ever, be told to you by your mother or your spouse. Your
family has to live with you, your friends don’t. So, if this is National Friendship
Week, then go out there and tell someone that is a friend of yours, that you appreciate
their friendship. Remember the first party of this column, you won’t get the chance
to use those seconds again tomorrow. They will be gone. Use your time wisely,
but most of all use it.
©
Peary Perry
Letters From North America March
18, 2009 column
Syndicated weekly in 80 newspapers
Comments go to pperry@austin.rr.com
More on
Texas | TE
Online Magazine | Features | Columns
| |
| Books
by Peary Perry - Order Now | |
|
