Re: Re: Fw: A Red Marble (fwd)

[Guest guest]

I'm sending this back to the people that I will never forget- All you

RPers-may God Bless You and put your RP to sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!love Sue

Park

A Red Marble

> > > >>

> > > >>

> > > >> A RED MARBLE

> > > >> During the waning years of the depression in a small southeastern

> > Idaho

> > > >> community, I used to stop by Mr. 's roadside stand for

> > farm-fresh

> > > >> produce as the season made it available. Food and money were

still

> > > >extremely

> > > >> scarce and bartering was used, extensively. One particular day

Mr.

> >

> > > >> was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy,

> > delicate of

> > > >> bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket

of

> > freshly

> > > >> picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to

the

> > > >display

> > > >> of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new

> > potatoes.

> > > >> Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation

> > between

> > > >> Mr. and the ragged boy next to me. " Hello Barry, how are

you

> > > >today? "

> > > >> " H'lo, Mr. . Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas ...

sure

> > look

> > > >> good. " " They are good, Barry. How's your Ma? " " Fine. Gittin'

> stronger

> > > >alla'

> > > >> time. " " Good. Anything I can help you with? " " No, Sir. Jus'

admirin'

> > them

> > > >> peas. " " Would you like to take some home? " " No, Sir. Got nuthin'

to

> > pay

> > > >for

> > > >> 'em with. " " Well, what have you to trade me for some of those

peas? "

> > " All

> > > >I

> > > >> got's my prize marble here. " " Is that right? Let me see it. "

" Here

> > 'tis.

> > > >> She's a dandy. " " I can see that. Hmmmm, only thing is this one is

> > blue and

> > > >I

> > > >> sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home? "

" Not

> > > >'zackley

> > > >> .....but, almost. " " Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home

with

> > you

> > > >and

> > > >> next trip this way let me look at that red marble. " " Sure will.

> > Thanks,

> > > >Mr.

> > > >> . "

> > > >> Mrs. , who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.

> With

> > a

> > > >> smile she said: " There are two other boys like him in our

community,

> > all

> > > >> three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain

with

> > them

> > > >> for peas, apples, tomatoes or whatever. When they come back with

> > their red

> > > >> marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after

> all

> > and

> > > >he

> > > >> sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an

> orange

> > one,

> > > >> perhaps. " I left the stand, smiling to myself, impressed with

this

> > man.

> > > >> A short time later I moved to Colorado but I never forgot the

story

> of

> > > >this

> > > >> man, the boys and their bartering. Several years went by each

more

> > rapid

> > > >> than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some

> old

> > > >> friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned

that

> Mr.

> > > >> had died. They were having his viewing that evening and

> > knowing my

> > > > > friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon our

arrival

> > at the

> > > >> mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased

and

> > to

> > > >> offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line

were

> > three

> > > >> young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice

> > > >haircuts,

> > > >> dark suits and white shirts ... very professional looking. They

> > approached

> > > >> Mrs. , standing smiling and composed, by her husband's

casket.

> > Each

> > > >of

> > > >> the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly

> with

> > her

> > > >> and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed

them

> > as,

> > > >one

> > > >> by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm

hand

> > over

> > > >the

> > > >> cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary, awkwardly,

> > wiping

> > > >his

> > > >> eyes.Our turn came to meet Mrs. . I told her who I was and

> > mentioned

> > > >> the story she had told me about the marbles. Eyes glistening she

> took

> > my

> > > >> hand and led me to the casket. " Those three young men, who just

> left,

> > were

> > > >> the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated

> the

> > > >things

> > > >> Jim " traded " them. Now, at last when Jim could not change his

mind

> > about

> > > >> color or size... they came to pay their debt. " We've never had a

> great

> > > >deal

> > > >> of the wealth of this world, " she confided, " but, right now, Jim

> would

> > > >> consider himself the richest man in Idaho. " With loving

gentleness

> she

> > > >> lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting

> > underneath

> > > >were

> > > >> three, exquisitely shined, red marbles.

> > > >> Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind

> deeds.

> > Life

> > > >> is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that

take

> > our

> > > >> breath.

> > > >> P.S. God Loves You. A wish for you! Today...I wish you a day of

> > ordinary

> > > >> miracles -- A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself. An

> > unexpected

> > > >> phone call from an old friend. Green stoplights on your way to

work

> or

> > > >shop.

> > > >> I wish you a day of little things to rejoice in... The fastest

line

> > at the

> > > >> grocery store. A good sing along song on the radio. Your keys

right

> > where

> > > >> you look. I wish you a day of happiness and perfection -- little

> > bite-size

> > > >> pieces of perfection that give you the funny feeling that someone

is

> > > >smiling

> > > >> on you, holding you so gently because you are someone special and

> > rare. I

> > > >> wish You a day of Peace, Happiness and Joy. They say it takes a

> > minute to

> > > >> find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love

> > them, but

> > > >> then an entire life to forget them.

> > > >> Send this phrase to the people you'll never forget and remember

to

> > send it

> > > >> also to the person who sent it to you. It's a short message to

let

> > them

> > > >know

> > > >> that you'll never forget them. If you don't send it to anyone,it

> means

> > > >> you're in too much of a hurry and that you've probably forgotten

> your

> > > >> friends. Take the time!

> >

> >

> > >>

>

>

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>

>