One in a Millioneveryday people
The Rest of the Story...
Several years later, I got a phone call from my Dad.
“The Eklunds called last night,” he began “Really?” I said. “I haven’t heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark is.”
Dad responded quietly. “Mark was killed in Vietnam,” he said.
My heart sank, thinking of that bright eyed young man I once knew. I will never forget that phone call.
“The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend.”
At the funeral, all I could think at that moment was, “Mark, I would give all the scotch tape in the world if only you would talk to me.”
After the funeral, Mark’s mother and father waited for me.
“We want to show you something", his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. “They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.”
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times.
I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him. “Thank you so much for doing that,” Mark’s mother said. “As you can see, Mark treasured it. He always talked about how you made a difference in his life.”
Then, to my surprise, Mark’s classmates started to gather around us, smiling sheepishly as they opened their purses and wallets and produced their lists, from years before.
One said, “I still have my list. I keep it in the top drawer of my desk at home.”
Another said “I put mine in our wedding album.”
One of them reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. I carry this with me at all times,”
That’s when I finally sat down and cried....for Mark. All too often, we are so busy that we forget that life will end one day.
And we don’t know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important.
Tell them, before it is too late.