ABC'S OF LIFE

A - Avoid negative people, things and habits.
B - Believe in yourself!
C - Consider things from every angle.
D - Don't give up and don't give in.
E - Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't here yet!F - Family and Friends are treasures, enjoy their riches.
G - Give more than you planned to give.
H - Hang on to your dreams!
I - Ignore those who try to discourage you.
J - Just do it!
K - Keep on trying, no matter how hard it seems.
L - Love yourself first and foremost.
M - Make it happen!
N - Never lie, cheat, or steal.
Always strike a fair deal.
O - Open your eyes and see things as they really are.
P - Practice makes perfect!
Q - Quitters never win and winners never quit.
R - Read, study and learn about everything.
S - Stop procrastinating!
T - Trust in yourself and never give up.
U - Understand yourself and understand others.
V - Visualize your dreams.
W - Want to enjoy life.
X - X-ccelerate your efforts!
Y - You are unique in all the world, and nothing can replace you.
Z - Zero in on your target and go for it!!

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

Infinite Holiness

It's the mystery
infinite holiness
and majesty
that draws me to your throne
it’s my dependency
on your father
your limitless
love that holds me there
It's your humility
total selflessness
and sacrifice
that draws me to your cross
It's my dependency
on your graciousness
your limitless
grace that holds me there
It's your constancy
always there
warm embrace
that draws me into your arms
It's my dependency
on your gentleness
your limitless
patience that holds me there.

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

Why should I walk Alone?

Why should I walk Alone? When the dark days
come and the strong winds blow.
Why do I find myself walking Alone?
When the enemy strikes or knocks me out,
I often find myself Alone.
Who will wipe away these flowing tears and embrace
my silent fears? In the sea of my despair
I find myself Alone.
I cry our for someone, anyone,
Please don't leave me Alone!
When in the midst of this agony I hear a voice speaking
to me. " Why should you walk Alone?
You have never been completely Alone!
For I promised never to leave nor forsake you. I promised
if you would only trust and lean on me, I would be
faithful and just. I am not man, that I should lie;
neither the son of man, that I should repent.

My child you have never truly walked or stood Alone.
In fact, when times seemed the worst for you,
I carried you.
I picked you you out of the muck and miry clay, and set
your feet upon Christ the Solid Rock to stay.
When you were sinking deep in despair,
I caught you and set you upon Eagle Wings.

So my child take heart and dry your tears for
you are not Alone. Look around and realize you are soaring
high in the sky on the Wings of Eagles, strong and
secure where you can run and not get weary,
walk and not faint."
When I stopped and looked back over my life,
standing there with God, looking at my future,
I knew at that moment I am never Alone!
~Author Unknown~

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

THE FOLDED NAPKIN

I try not to be biased, but I had my doubts about hiring Stevie. 
His placement counselor assured me that he would be a good, reliable busboy. But I had never had a mentally handicapped employee and wasn't sure I wanted one.
I wasn't sure how my customers would react to Stevie. 
He was short, a little dumpy with the smooth facial features and thick-tongued speech of Downs Syndrome.
I wasn't worried about most of my trucker customers because truckers don't generally care who buses tables as long as the meatloaf platter is good and the pies are homemade. The four-wheel drivers were the ones who concerned me; the mouthy college kids traveling to school; the yuppie snobs who secretly polish their silverware with their napkins for fear of catching some dreaded "truck stop germ"; the pairs of white shirted business men on expense accounts who think every truck stop waitress wants to be flirted with.
I knew those people would be uncomfortable around Stevie, so I closely watched him for the first few weeks.
I shouldn't have worried.  
After the first week, Stevie had my staff wrapped around his stubby little finger, and within a month my truck regulars had adopted him as their official truck stop mascot.
After that, I really didn't care what the rest of the customers thought of him. He was like a 21-year-old in blue jeans and Nikes, eager to laugh and eager to please, but fierce in his attention to his duties. Every salt and pepper shaker was exactly in its place.  
Not a bread crumb or coffee spill was visible when Stevie got done with the table.
Our only problem was persuading him to wait to clean a table until after the customers were finished. He would hover in the background, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, scanning the dining room until a table was empty. 
Then he would scurry to the empty table and carefully bus dishes and glasses onto cart and meticulously wipe the table up with a practiced flourish of his rag. 
If he thought a customer was watching, his brow would pucker with added concentration.
He took pride in doing his job exactly right, and you had to love how hard he tried to please each and every person he met.
Over time, we learned that he lived with his mother, a widow who was disabled after repeated surgeries for cancer.  
They lived on their Social Security benefits in public housing two miles from the truck stop. Their social worker, who stopped to check on him every so often, admitted they had fallen between the cracks.
Money was tight, and what I paid him was probably the difference between them being able to live together and Stevie being sent to a group home.  
That's why the restaurant was a gloomy place that morning last August, the first morning in three years that Stevie missed work.
He was at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester getting a new valve or something put in his heart.
His social worker said that people with Downs Syndrome often had heart problems at an early age so this wasn't unexpected, and there was a good chance he would come through the surgery in good shape and be back at work in a few months.
A ripple of excitement ran through the staff later that morning when word came that he was out of surgery, in recovery, and doing fine.
Frannie, headwaitress, let out a war hoop and did a little dance in the aisle when she heard the good news. Belle Ringer, one of our regular trucker customers, stared at the sight of the 50-year-old grandmother of four doing a victory shimmy beside his table. 
Frannie blushed, smoothed her apron and shot Belle Ringer a withering look.
He grinned. "OK, Frannie, what was that all about?" he asked.  
"We just got word that Stevie is out of surgery and going to be okay."
"I was wondering where he was. I had a new joke to tell him. 
What was the surgery about?"
Frannie quickly told Belle Ringer and the other two drivers sitting at his booth about Stevie's surgery, then sighed: "Yeah, I'm glad he is going to be OK" she said. 
"But I don't know how he and his Mom are going to handle all the bills. From what I hear, they're barely getting by as it is."
Belle Ringer nodded thoughtfully, and Frannie hurried off to wait on the rest of her tables. 
Since I hadn't had time to round up a busboy to replace Stevie and really didn't want to replace him, the girls were busing their own tables that day until we decided what to do.
After the morning rush, Frannie walked into my office. She had a couple of paper napkins in her hand and a funny look on her face.
"What's up?" I asked.
"I didn't get that table where Belle Ringer and his friends were sitting cleared off after they left, and Pony Pete and Tony Tipper were sitting there when I got back to clean it off," she said. "This was folded and tucked under a coffee cup." She handed the napkin to me, and three $20 bills fell onto my desk when I opened it. On the outside, in big, bold letters, was printed "Something For Stevie."
"Pony Pete asked me what that was all about," she said, "so I told him about Stevie and his Mom and everything, and Pete looked at Tony and Tony looked at Pete, and they ended up giving me this." She handed me another paper napkin that had "Something For Stevie" scrawled on its outside. Two $50 bills were tucked within its folds.
Frannie looked at me with wet, shiny eyes, shook her head and said simply: "truckers."
That was three months ago. 
Today is Thanksgiving, the first day Stevie is supposed to be back to work. 
His placement counselor said he's been counting the days until the doctor said he could work, and it didn't matter at all that it was a holiday. 
He called 10 times in the past week, making sure we knew he was coming, fearful that we had forgotten him or that his job was in jeopardy. 
I arranged to have his mother bring him to work, met them in the parking lot and invited them both to celebrate his day back.
Stevie was thinner and paler, but couldn't stop grinning as he pushed through the doors and headed for the back room where his apron and busing cart were waiting." 
Hold up there, Stevie, not so fast," I said. I took him and his mother by their arms. "Work can wait for a minute. To celebrate you coming back, breakfast for you and your mother is on me!"  
I led them toward a large corner booth at the rear of the room. 
I could feel and hear the rest of the staff following behind as we marched through the dining room. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw booth after booth of grinning truckers empty and join the procession. We stopped in front of the big table. Its surface was covered with coffee cups, saucers and dinner plates, all sitting slightly crooked on dozens of folded paper napkins.
"First thing you have to do, Stevie, is clean up this mess," I said. 
I tried to sound stern. Stevie looked at me, and then at his mother, then pulled out one of the napkins. It had "Something for Stevie" printed on the outside. 
As he picked it up, two $10 bills fell onto the table.
Stevie stared at the money, then at all the napkins peeking from beneath the tableware, each with his name printed or scrawled on it. I turned to his mother.
"There's more than $10,000 in cash and checks on that table, all from truckers and trucking companies that heard about your problems. 
"Happy Thanksgiving."
 Well, it got real noisy about that time, with everybody hollering and shouting, and there were a few tears, as well. But you know what's funny? 
While everybody else was busy shaking hands and hugging each other, Stevie, with a big, big smile on his face, was busy clearing all the cups and dishes from the table. 
Best worker I ever hired.- 
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

Heavenly Father, Grant me Happiness

Dear Heavenly Father, who has filled my heart with this overflowing happiness, help me to know, that all of this goodness has come from you.
You have filled all of your creatures with the joy of life, and made them rejoice in times of blessings. 
Give me grace to share my great joy with those who are not as blessed, and not be selfish with my happiness.
Let me grasp its full enjoyment. 
And, in days of bliss, gather a treasure of memories that will last all of my life.
Happiness is not a constant state. 
When it comes, let me feel that it is your special gift, and thank you for its pleasure.
For Jesus' sake.
Amen.

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

Time in LIFE ! ! !

There comes a point in your life when you realize:
Who matters, Who never did,Who won't anymore...
And who always will.
So, don't worry about people from your past,
there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.
Give these flowers to everyone you don't want to lose in your life, including me, if that's what is in your heart.
Be kinder than necessary
Because everyone you meet is fighting for something ! !
Some kind of battle.

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

How we criticized our priests

It is so difficult to live with criticisms:
If the priest is good looking: Why didn’t he marry?
If he is unattractive: He did not find anyone to marry! 
If it wears civilian clothes: he is a worldly one.
If it wears his clerical suit: he is a traditionalist conservative.
If He does not treat to people with affection: He radiates coldness!
If he treats you nice with a smile: Careful, he has doubtful intentions!. 
If he has long hair: oh, these revolutionary priests!
If he has short hair: HOW old fashioned!
If he remains in the parochial house: he does not visit the families.
If he starts making some visits: oh, he’s never in the parish! 
If he starts doing some Repairs: he’s throwing money out of the window. 
If he does not do it: he has everything abandoned
If he celebrates baptisms and marriages to ALL: He is not following the sacraments!
If He insists on the previous preparation: oh, he makes it so difficult for people.
If he has parochial advisers: He lets others run his life!
If it does not have parochial advisers: he is an individualist!

If he restores anything at the parish: what came over him now? 
If he makes no changes: He never does anything at this parish! 
If his Homily takes over 20 minutes: He’s like a radio station, will never finish speaking!
If his homily is brief: he does not explain the things well.
If it speaks with strong voice: he yells too much!
If he does in natural tone: oh he can’t talk! 
If he touches social problems: he’s getting into politics.
If he speaks of Devotion and commitment: He’s old fashioned, get rid of him!! 
If he walks alone: he’s a hermit and keeps to himself
If he walks with men: aha, I think he likes men, maybe he's gay?
If he walks with women: aha, bet he’s in love and soon he’ll leave the church or who knows ! ! !
If he is young: he has no experience, I will not listen to him! ! ! 
If he is old: He should retire or move to a senior's home already!
But… if he goes away or dies: Oh he is really irreplaceable!We'll never be able to forget him!!! He was the best we had!!
******That's why I do not pay attention to any criticism******

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

DEAR JACK

Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 mph zone. 
Fourth time in as many months. 
How could a guy get caught so often?
When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. 
Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror.
The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand.
Bob? Bob from Church?
Jack sunk farther into his trench coat.
This was worse than the coming ticket.  
A Christian cop catching a guy from his own church.
A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day at the office.
A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow.
Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen in uniform.
"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
 "Hello, Jack." No smile.
"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."
"Yeah, I guess so."
Bob seemed uncertain. Good.
"I've seen some long days at the office lately. 
I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -- just this once."
Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement.
 "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. 
Know what I mean?"
"I know what you mean. 
I also know that you have a reputation in the precinct."Ouch. 
This was not going in the right direction. 
Time to change tactics.
"What'd you clock me at?"
 "Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"
 "Now wait a minute here, Bob.
I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65."  
The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
"Please, Jack, in the car."
Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. 
Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. 
He was in no rush to open the window.
The minutes ticked by. 
Bob scribbled away on the pad.  
Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license?
Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again.
A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. 
There was Bob, a folded paper in hand. 
Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.
"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice. 
Bob returned to his police car without a word. 
Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. 
Jack unfolded the sheet of paper.  
How much was this one going to cost? 
Wait a minute. 
What was this? Some kind of joke? Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:
"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. 
She was six when killed by a car. 
You guessed it -- a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters. All three of them.
 I had only one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. 
Even now. Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left. Bob." 
Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the road. 
Jack watched until it disappeared. 
A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.-
AUTHOR UNKNOWN -

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

The Facts of Life:

1: At least 5 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.

2: At least 15 people in this world love you, in some way.

3: The only reason anyone would ever hate you, is because they want to be just like you.
4: A smile from you, can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

5: Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6: You mean the world to someone.

7: Without you, someone may not be living.

8: You are special and unique, in your own way.

9: Someone that you don't know even exists, loves you.

10: When you make the biggest mistake ever, 
something good comes from it.
11: When you think the world has turned it's
back on you, take a
look, you most likely turned your back on the world.
12: When you think you have no chance at 
getting what you want, you
probably won't get it, but if you believe in yourself, you
probably sooner or later will get it.
13: Always remember complements 
you received, forget about the rude remarks.

14: Always tell someone how you feel about them, you will feel much
better when they know.
15: If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that
they are great. Send this letter to people you care about, you'll
brighten up someone's day, and might change their perspective on life,
for the better!

~Author Unknown

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING

A woman and her dog were walking along a road. The woman was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to her that she was dead. She remembered dying, and that the dog had been dead for years. She wondered where the road was leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble.
At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When she was standing before it, she saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother of pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.
She and the dog walked toward the gate, and as she got closer, she saw a
man at a desk to one side. When she was close enough, she called out, "
Excuse me, where are we?"
"This is Heaven, ma'am," the man answered.
"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the woman asked.
"Of course. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
"Can my friend," gesturing toward her dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we don't accept pets."The woman thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way she had been going. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, she came to a dirt road, which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As she approached the gate, she saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me!" she called to the reader. "Do you have any water?"
"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there" The man pointed to a place
that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in."
"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.
"There should be a bowl by the pump."
They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink, then she gave some to the dog.
When they were full, she and the dog walked back toward the man
who was standing by the tree waiting for them.
"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven," was the answer.
"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said.
"The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."
"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates?Nope.
That's Hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"
"No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they
screen out the folks who won't leave their best friends behind."

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

Office Cell 917-499-9715
Office Tel- 212-244-4778

God's Boxes

I have in my hands two boxes,
Which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box,And all your joys in the gold."
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes,
Both my joys and sorrows I stored,
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.
With curiosity, I opened the black,I wanted to find out why,
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole,
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.
I showed the hole to God, and mused,"I wonder where my sorrows could be!"
He smiled a gentle smile and said,"My child, they're all here with me.."
I asked God, why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold and the black with the hole?
 "My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is for you to let go." 
We should consider all of our friends a blessing.
Send this to a friend today just to let them know you
are thinking of them and that they are a joy in your life.
A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end.
It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends.
But the treasure inside for you to see,
Is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.
Today I pass the friendship ball to you.
Pass it on to someone who is a friend to you...

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

Sand and Stone

Two friends were walking through the desert. 
During some point of the journey, they had an argument; and one friend slapped the other one in the face. 
The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend slapped me in the face". 
They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath the one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire ! 
And started drowning, but the friend saved him.  
After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "Today my best friend saved my life".
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, 'after I hurt you, You wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?'
The friend replied 'when someone hurts us we should write it down in sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it. 
Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in stone. 
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. 
Take the time to live! 
Do not value the things you have in your life, but value who you have in your life !

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

YOUR PERFECT GARDEN

How To Plant Your Garden
First, you Come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses....
FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING,
PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another
NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another
TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends 
WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS MUCH
FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW. NOT BAD,HUH?!
Every garden needs some flowers so I have added some GLADS.
1. Glad to live in a free country,
2. Glad to have all my good friends.
3. Glad to be able to worship God!!
4. Glad to have a great family.

Descubriendo el Siglo 21

Discovering 21century

Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes

P. O. BOX 1170

New York, NY 10018

(212) 244 4778

www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

ACTS OF KINDNESS

This young man was driving home one evening, on a two lane country road.
Work in this small mid-western community was almost as slow as his beat-up Pontiac, but he never quit looking.
Ever since the factory closed, he'd been unemployed, and with winter coming on, the chill had finally hit home.
It was a lonely road.
Not very many people had a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving.
Most of his friends had already left.
They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill, but he stayed on.
After all, this was where he buried his mother and father.
He was born here and he knew the country.
He could go down this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and with his headlights not working , this came in handy.
It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down.
He'd better get a move on.  
You know, he almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road.
But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help.
So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out.
His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried.
No one had stopped to help, for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe.
He looked poor and hungry.
He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold.
He knew how she felt.
It was that chill which only fear can put in you.
He said, "I'm here to help you Ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan."
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough.
Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire.
But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him.
She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through.
She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk.
She asked him how much she owed him.
Any amount would have been all right with her.
She had already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.
Bryan never thought twice about the money.
This was not a job to him.
This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past.
He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.
He told her if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed, and Bryan added "...and think of me."
He waited until she started her car and drove off.
It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe.
She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home.
It was a dingy looking restaurant.
Outside were two old gas pumps.
The whole scene was unfamiliar to her.
The cash register was like the telephone of an out of work actor--it didn't ring much.
Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair.
She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude.
The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger.
Then she remembered Bryan. . .
After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get change for a hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door.
She was gone by the time the waitress came back.
She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed something written on the napkin under which were 4 one-hundred dollar bills.
There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote.
It said: "You don't owe me anything, I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out the way I'm helping you. 
If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day.
That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written.
How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it?
With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.
She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be all right - I love you, Bryan."--
Author Unknown --

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