From: owner-eda-thoughts-digest@smoe.org (eda-thoughts-digest) To: eda-thoughts-digest@smoe.org Subject: eda-thoughts-digest V1 #109 Reply-To: eda-thoughts@smoe.org Sender: owner-eda-thoughts-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-eda-thoughts-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk eda-thoughts-digest Monday, August 10 1998 Volume 01 : Number 109 Today's Subjects: ----------------- ET: understanding life a little more [Jan Winters ] ET: Story [beccahusky1@juno.com (Kristin A Maynard)] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 08 Aug 1998 13:40:42 -0700 From: Jan Winters Subject: ET: understanding life a little more angels i can't explain how important today was for me, but i want to share it with everyone that will read this as much as i can. i know i'm going to start crying while i'm writing this, as this is very difficult for me. i haven't seen my half sister in over 8 years, a lot of family problems. i just started speaking to her this year. i just want anyone here that has someone that really miss, to go and call them, tell them how you miss them. no matter what has happened in between you, saying "i miss you" can change a lot in a persons life. i guess i'm not making much sense here, but sometimes life gets so messed up and you get so hurt. sometimes parents get misguieded and do the wrong things. sometimes we can't find it in ourselves to move on and forgive. and sometimes we lose contact with those people that make us who we are. we get so wrapped up in life, so scared of fixing things, that we slowly miss out on some people's lives, the lives that we need in our own life. today was my sister's wedding, my father and i haven't seen her in so bloody long. we get along perfectly once we started talking again. she's 25 and i'm 18. we have lived completely different lives. i grew up feeling love but looking at hate. she was feeling hate but looking at love. it's strange how two people from the same parent can turn out so differently, yet still you got that bond. i can't really explain it, but seeing her today was this life moving expierance for me. i was sitting on the pew and i saw her walking down the aisle. she looks exactly like me. people were saying "is that her sister? do you see that girl? she looks just like the bride" her husband even said "i knew you had a sister, but i didn't realize she was your twin". to look into the eyes of her again, after all the years and pain, i felt just a little more alive. just a little more complete and on my way to understanding myself, and others around me. i guess i don't really know how to explain what it feels like, to see my sister again. it's like seeing someone who knows you, with all the time past without speaking and all the distance, yet still somehow knows you. she has the same hazel eyes as i do and the same taste in clothes. she is the most beautiful person i know, because with her i feel more like myself then with anyone else. my mother hates her passionatly, and it took a lot to see my sister today . life sure is crazy, but i've learned something really important today: in life we try to look at things from other people's perspective. i always put things through my mothers. we try and see how other people can see the same situation differently and react completely opposite by the same ordeal. yet at the end of the day, my own perspective is what is my reality, and no matter how much i love anyone, i can only live by my perspective honestly. and i can only be happy once i please my perspective of life. i can't put the burden of others pain on my own shoulders because of being scared of hurting someone, when i'm helping myself. my intentions are good, and i'm helping my perspective. sometimes it's important to be selfish and help yourself now and then. i hope some of this made sense. kat imperfect angel ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1998 22:47:17 -0400 From: beccahusky1@juno.com (Kristin A Maynard) Subject: ET: Story :) w/b Love Always, Kristin Hey Angels, A friend just sent me this really touching story and I thoughht I'd share it with you. :) w/b Love Always Kristin > Bob Richards, the former pole-vault champion, shares a moving story about > a > skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart. Practice after > practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being half the size of > the > other boys, he got absolutely nowhere. At all the games, this hopeful > athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever played. > > This teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very > special relationship. Even though the son was always on the bench, his > father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game. This > young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high > school. > > But his father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear > that > he did not have to play football if he didn't want to. But the young man > loved football and decided to hang in there. He was determined to try > his > best at every practice, and perhaps he'd get to play when he became a > senior. All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game but > remained a bench-warmer all four years. > > His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of > encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided to > try out for the football team as a "walk-on." Everyone was sure he could > never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him on > the > roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice, and > at > the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they > badly needed. The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so > much > that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father > shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college > games. > > This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years > at college, but he never got to play in a game. It was the end of his > senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly > before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram. > > The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent. Swallowing > hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My father died this morning. Is it all > right if I miss practice today?" The coach put his arm gently around his > shoulder and said, "Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even > plan > to come back to the game on Saturday." > > Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, > when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped > into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto > the > sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful > teammate back so soon. "Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play > today," said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. There > was no way he wanted his worst player in this close playoff game. But the > young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach > gave > in. "All right," he said. "You can go in." > > Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not > believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was > doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he > passed, blocked, and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph. > > The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid > intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The > fans > broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such > cheering > you never heard. > > Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left > the locker room, the coach noticed that this young man was sitting > quietly > in the corner all alone The coach came to him and said, "Kid, I can't > believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you > do > it?" > > He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew > my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?" The young man > swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Dad came to all my games, but today > was > the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do > it!" > > Like the athlete's father, God is always there cheering for us. He's > always reminding us to go on. He's even offering us His hand for He knows > what is best, and is willing to give us what we need and not simply what > we > want. God has never missed a single game. What a joy to know that life > is > meaningful if lived for the Highest. Live for HIM for He's watching us in > the game of life! > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. 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