>Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 10:17:30 -0600 (CST)
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 10:44:19 +0500
>From: Denis Ebodaghe <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: JUDGE ME BY THE FOOTPRINTS I LEAVE BEHIND
>
>
>JUDGE ME BY THE FOOTPRINTS I LEAVE BEHIND
>
>A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having
>fought in Vietnam.  He called his parents from San Francisco.
>
>"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've got a favor to ask. I have a
>friend  I'd like to bring with me."
>
>"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
>
>"There's something you should know," the son continued.  "He was hurt
>pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm
>and a leg.  He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with
>us."
>
>"I'm sorry to hear that, son.  Maybe we can help him find somewhere to
>live."
>
>"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
>
>"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with
>such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own
>lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our
>lives.  I think you should just come home and forget about this guy.  He'll
>find a way to live on his own."
>
>At that point, the son hung up the phone.
>
>The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they
>received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after
>falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was
>suicide.  The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were
>taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized
>him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know,
>their son had only one arm and one leg.
>
>The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love
>those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like
>people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would
>rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as
>we are.
>
>Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who
>loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family,
>regardless of  how messed up we are. Tonight, before you tuck
>yourself in for the night, say a  little prayer that God will give you the
strength
>you  need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more
>understanding of those who are different from us!!!
>
>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!  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 hearts to us.  Show your
>friends today how much you care.
>
>Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND.  If it comes back to you,
>then  you'll know you have a friend for life.
>
>
>
>

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Aniekan Ebiefung                       88
U. C. Foundation Associate Professor   88
Department of Mathematics              88
University of Tennessee                88
Chattanooga, TN 37403                  88
Ph:423-755-4697; Fax:-755-4586         88
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