This is a story about a soldier who returned home from Vietnam
War. He phoned his parents once he arrived in San Francisco. " Mom,
Dad. I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd
like to bring home with me." Sure," they replied, "we'd love to
meet him".There's something you should know", the son continued,"he
was hurt pretty bad in the war. He stepped on a land mine and lost
an arm and a leg. He has no where to go, and I want him to come and
live with us." I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can find
somewhere for him.No! Mom, Dad, I want him to live with us." "Son,"
said the father, " you don't know what you're asking.
Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We
have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this
interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and
forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own." At
that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing
more from him.
A few days later, they received a call from the San Francisco
police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were
told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken
parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to
identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their
horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son
had only one arm and one leg. The parents in this story, like many
of us, find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to
have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make
us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who
aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there
is someone won't treat us in that way. Someone who loves us with an
unconditional love. There's a miracle called Friendship.
