Kyle

One day when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid named Kyle walking home from school. He looked like he was carrying all his books and I thought to myself, he must really be a nerd carrying all his books home on a Friday. I walked on.


And then out of nowhere I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him and knocked him down. His books went flying and his glasses landed in the grass nearby. As he looked up, I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. As I jogged over, he was crawling in the grass looking for his glasses. There was a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses I said, “Those guys are jerks. They should get a life.” He looked at me and smiled and said, “Hey, thanks.”

It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him gather his books and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, but had gone to a private school before this year.

We walked home together. I helped him with his books, and he turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football with me and some friends on Saturday. He said yes, and we hung out all weekend together. The more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends felt the same way.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, he decided to go to college at Georgetown. I chose Duke. I knew in my heart we’d always be friends. The miles between us would never be a problem. He wanted to become a doctor. I was going for a business degree on a football scholarship.

Kyle was the valedictorian of our class. Of course, I always teased him about being a nerd.

Graduation day came and he had to make a speech to the class. As the time for the speech drew near, I could see he was a little nervous so I went over and smacked him on the back and said, “You’ll be great, big guy!” He looked at me with that wonderful smile and said, “Thanks!” He then cleared his throat and began:

“Graduation is a wonderful time, because it’s a time when you have the opportunity to thank those who have helped you. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach… but mostly your friends.

I am here to share with all of you that being a friend is the best present you can give anyone. I’d like to tell you a story.”

I looked on in disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself that weekend. He had cleaned all of the books out of his locker so his mom wouldn’t have to do it. As he spoke, he looked right at me and said, “Thankfully, I was saved. A person I didn’t even know, who is now my best friend, saved me from doing the ‘unspeakable’.”

I heard a gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular young man told us all about his weakest moment. His mom and dad looked over at me with a smile I’ll never forget.

Not until that moment did I realize the depth of what had happened. I realized for the first time in my life that we can never underestimate the power of kindness. One small gesture had changed a life forever.

Author Unknown