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{Straight From the Heart} *For the Sake of Friendship* 11/15/00
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We just wanted to remind everyone of our challenge to all of you! Do you have a hero in your life? I want you to take a few moments and write about him or her. Yes, that means you have to stretch your fingers out and do some typing or better yet, make it a handwritten note. When you are done, send it to your hero. That simple act will not only make that person's day, but it will be your way of thanking them for all they do in your life. If you want to share the hero letter with us, send it to us at:
thunder27@aol.com
We may share it on the list!
We did this last year and some amazing things happened! Check out our website:
Straight From the Heart
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com
Click on the Heroes Button on the left hand side to see the amazing stories! To start the ball rolling I shared the letter I sent to my hero and mentor Bill Greer on our website.
You may never know how much that simple act of writing a heartfelt letter will mean to that special someone in your life. Read the first hero letter response at the Heroes page and you will be touched and challenged. I guarantee it!
Have a great week and take some time to write to that special someone who has made a difference in your life!
Michael
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For The Sake Of Friendship
By Nitin Kulkarni
Shiv Narain Mankad had not much in common with me.
We were not in the same college. We were neither neighbours nor lived in the
same locality. Yes, We lived in the same town & it was a brief stay together
in a NCC camp that had brought us closer. We ended up being close friends.
My parents and other friends were always little uneasy about our friendship
and often were reluctant to express acceptance to this young lad from the
countryside.
I use to wonder at times as to why dont they accept him as he is. I feel I
can now understand their dilemma as they were often looking for a common
platform of worldly factors like family status, education level, mannerism,
social strata etc., which probably was not there.
Shiv Narain was quite unmindful of all these expressions as I never found
him disturbed by their marked indifference towards him.
Shiv was a true friend in the best sense of the word. Always there, when
friends needed him.
We both were quite actively involved with National Cadet Corps or NCC as
it is known to most of us here in India. We had attended many camps
together including the Republic Day Parade Camp which is a dream camp for
each NCC Cadet.
Now, there was another opportunity. A cultural contingent was to be sent
for the Republic Day Parade Camp. Shiv had brought the news that selections
would be held next Sunday at NCC Headquarters and all interested were to
report for an on the spot selection.
Quite a few aspirants had gathered that day. Our NCC Commandant declared
that only four Cadets are to be sent from our Squadron.
Our interviews went off well and after screening, a stage came where three
Cadets had been finalised, and there was a tie between me and Shiv Narain
for the fourth place. Both of us were interviewed again.
Shiv Narain was interviewed first. He came out smiling patted my back and
said Best of Luck !, you must give it your best try.
I went in and the next few moments probably saw the worst side of me.
Acting as the most selfish person I have ever known, I pleaded my case for
inclusion in the team, obviously at the cost of my friends place.
I replied in response to a question that I should be selected because I am
more skilled than Shiv ( which was a fact. I was the Keyboard player for our
cultural team ) and Shiv has attended the camp twice in as many years where
as I have done it only once.
I cannot forget all my life what the Commandant said to me. He said Boy,
You should consider yourself really blessed to have a friend like Shiv, who
has already given up his candidature in your favour, using the same
arguments.
The walk from the interview room to the waiting hall was the longest I had
ever experienced in my life. I had a heavy load of guilt on my shoulders. I
did not know how to face Shiv.
But Shiv, made it very simple as always. He embraced me the moment I came
out of the interview room and congratulated me with a child like excitement,
that was so pure and pious.
I could not muster enough courage even later during the period that we were
together to tell my friend that I, in one of my weakest moments, had behaved
quite unlike a friend and that I am sorry about it.
The fact that I am writing this story is a testimony that I am still
carrying the load of my guilt on my shoulders. I hope I will feel lighter
now that I have written about it.
I have an intense desire to meet Shiv to tell him that he was the last Shiv,
I have been unfriendly with and that I want him to know it for the sake of
friendship.
Nitin Kulkarni © 2000
Send Nitin an email at: kulkarnin@bharatpetroleum.com and let him know what you thought of his story!
Check out Nitin's story entitled "The Painter's Mistake" which ran last month here on SFTH. It can be found in our archives at:
The Painter's Mistake
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com/102700/
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Nitin Kulkarni is the list owner of Nascent Dew Drops, a free weekly
e-zine of inspirational and motivational stories from real life experiences.
His other articles can be viewed at his web site
http://www.nascentdewdrops.com and his news letter can be subscribed just
by sending a blank e-mail message to nascentdewdrops-subscribe@listbot.com
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Request:
From: AMMahnke@webtv.net (Angi Mahnke)
Please keep 3 families in your prayers. 3 young girls, high school
seniors, were killed on Sunday afternoon in a car accident on their way
home from a high school championship football game. They were students
at Chelsea High School in Chelsea, MI and the whole town, if not the
whole Southeastern Michigan area, is grieving. There were 7 girls in
the van and the other 4 survived the crash.
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From the Guestbook!
Name : Gary Benner Blaine, Washington
Date : 11/12/00
Email Address : gbenner@home.com
Message : A wonderful, inspirational site. I haven't a chance to read all your stories, but bookmarked the site and shall return. Pages like this are a treasure to find, they are lighthouses in a dark frontier.
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Name : ken hadley
Date : 11/12/00
Email Address : khadley@mindspring.com
Message : I find this site composed very nicely and enjoy the peaceful feelings it conveys.you have done a wonderful job putting it together and plan on sharing it with all my friends. Being a Vietnam vet I found the story about Iwo Jima informative and accurate and the story is worth repeating ad infinium.my heart swells with pride by knowing the honor and duty these men achieved.bless you!!!
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Name : John Johnson
Date : 11/12/00
Email Address : jolicito@mail.tds.net
Message : I just received the Iwo Jima statue setter from a friend, and looked at your website. It sure looks interesting. A kind of Paul Harvey's Rest of the story format. There should be many more investigative reports like this, with the "human" side told. Thanks. John
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Name : Russel R.A. Baumgartner
Date : 11/12/00
Email Address : bummer@peaknet.net
Message : I received a copy of "Iwo Jima" story over the email at work. It was such an excellent story I emailed a copy of it to my home to share it with my wife. Then we received our Heartwarmers email and found the story there, too.
I also visited your website and read the stories there. I have three boys and spend as much time "being kids" with them as I can. Like my wife says, "We're building memories for them."
Like many of the other folks who've signed your guest book, I'll save this site to my favorites and come back often to visit with you and your family.
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Name : Joyce Paksi
Date : 11/11/00
Email Address : rpaksi@mintcity..
Message : Hi Michael, I can't begin to tell you how much I chuckled while reading your story about the bath tub..It brought back many happy memories for me of when my children were growing up..I have three grown children, with the youngest being 30. I am so glad that you realize how precious your time is with your child and your wife.. The children grow up so fast today..Just remember while playing with your son, you are building happy memories, that he will carry with him for the rest of his life..They remember all the little things that seem so unimportant to us as something so very special.. So it does not matter what you do with the few minutes that you can share with him. It may be the one most important thing he will always remember.. So take a few minutes out each day to build HAPPY memories. On holiday get togethers we sit around and tell the good things we remember while growing up..I am so glad we spent what time we could with our children..Now we re-live the growing years over again while watching our grandchildren. They also like to hear the stories about there parents when they were only children..Your stories are just great keep up the good work.. Joyce Paksi
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Thought For The Day:
"You always pass failure on the way to success."
(Mickey Rooney)
Verse for the Day:
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
Kid's Thought For The Day:
"Dirt is only considered bad when it's not on the ground."
Parent's Thought For The Day
"Shouting at your children to get cooperation is about the
same as steering your car using the horn...same results."
Coach's Thought For The Day
"My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging."
Hank Aaron
Deep Thought For The Day:
"Into every life some rain must fall. Usually when your car windows are down."
_
/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com
/_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
\_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Video Imagery (Michael's Video Production Business.)
"I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video we gave them. They loved it, to say the least! Within thirty seconds my mom was crying and my dad did too. They said it was the best Christmas gift we could have given them!! You did such a beautiful job! They were so surprised and so touched---they really, really, really loved it. Thanks for helping to make it so special to us all. My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for the video too! Thanks again!"
Kelli (RKaGe@aol.com) College Station, TX
Let me make you a video from your pictures or home movies!
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Video Imagery
http://members.aol.com/Videoimg/index.html
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