Mark was walking home from school one day when
he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and
dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with
two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small
tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick
up the scattered articles. Since they were going the
same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As
they walked Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill,
that he loved video games, baseball and history, and
that he was having lots of trouble with his other
subjects and that he had just broken up with his
girlfriend.

They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was
invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The
afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and
some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They
continued to see each other around school, had lunch
together once or twice, then both graduated from
junior high school. They ended up in the same high
school where they had brief contacts over the years.

Finally the long-awaited senior year came and three
weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they
could talk. Bill reminded him of the day years ago when
they had first met. "Did you ever wonder why I was
carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill.
"You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't
want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored
away some of my mothers sleeping pills and I was
going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time
together talking and laughing, I realized that if I
had killed myself, I would have missed that time and
so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark,
when you picked up those books that day, you did a
lot more, you saved my life*****

Every little hello, every little smile, every
helping hand saves a hurting heart. 

If you receive this message, then you know YOU are
special to someone. There's a miracle called
Friendship that dwells in the heart. You don't know
how it happens Or when it gets started but, you know
the special lift it always brings and you realize
that Friendship Is God's most precious gift!