4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Angels4]

RED MARBLES

 

I was at the corner grocery store buying some

early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate

of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily

appraising 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. Miller (the store

owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

 

' Hello Barry, how are you today? '

 

' H ' lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus ' admirin '

them peas. They 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? ' asked

Mr. Miller.

 

' 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 ' said Miller..

 

' Here ' tis. She ' s a dandy. '

 

' I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is

this one is blue and I sort of go for red.

Do you have a red one like this at home? '

the store owner asked.

 

' 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 ' . Mr. Miller

told the boy.

 

' Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller. '

 

Mrs.. Miller, 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, when they come on

their next trip to the store. '

 

I left the store 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 for

marbles.

 

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. Miller had just died.

 

 

They were having his visitation that evening and

knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to

accompany them. Upon 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...all

very professional looking.. They approached

Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling 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. Miller. I told her

who I was and reminded her of the story from

those many years ago and what she had told me

about her husband ' s bartering for marbles.

With her 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.

 

The 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...

 

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...The fastest line at the grocery store...

A good sing-along song on the radio...

Your keys found right where you left them..

 

Send this to the people you ' ll never forget.

I just Did....

 

If you don ' t send it to anyone, it means you

are in way too much of a hurry to even

notice the ordinary miracles when they occur.

 

IT ' S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE

YOU HAVE LIVED

 

 

Have a Great Day!

[Ness3103]

that's lovely, i've gone all goosey

[Redwing]

Thats lovely Mark, thanks for sharing it

[C&T]

Brought a tear to the eye that one!

[Seagazer]

That was lovely, thanks for sharing.

[Scramble]

That was lovely.x

[Chickvic]

That's lovely.

[chickenNutter]

Thanks for that. I just lost my job today, and that stopped me being bitter and reminded me what is actually important in life.

[Looney]

Aaww what a fab story

 

Sorry to hear you lost your job chickenNutter

[Couperwife]

oh CN, what crud news

 

Mark what a lovely story

 

cathy

x

[Seagazer]

Thanks for that. I just lost my job today, and that stopped me being bitter and reminded me what is actually important in life.

 

So sorry ChickenNutter, you can join my OH's club

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's a great story, Mark .

 

So sorry about your job, ChickenNutter . I hope something else turns up for you .