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A Simple Gesture

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder.

Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.

They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school.

They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.

Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill.

“You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mothers sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more, you saved my life.”

– John W. Schlatter (true story)

{ 46 comments… add one }
  • Chockalingam Muthukumar October 24, 2018, 7:59 am

    We all need to follow this and make similar gestures in our journey of life. H. D. Thoreau says you cannot escape from reward. In that case, we will be automatically be bestowed with simple and good gestures which could make a big difference in our lives.

  • judy plunkett November 20, 2017, 6:58 pm

    I love your stories, and I know you have many request to give us more.
    Now you have one more request.
    Stephen

  • Tehreem September 12, 2017, 4:47 am

    Wow wonderful i like this story
    It is awesomeeèeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Winston March 21, 2016, 8:47 am

    The act of Mark helping himself out by exercising good will and concern for his fellow man, touched someone else’s life in a BIG way!

  • Darios June 19, 2014, 7:17 pm

    Great I want to be in touch !!!!!

  • Mike Mbayi March 30, 2014, 7:56 am

    This story has really changed the way I look at things… A SIMPLE GESTURE INDEED

  • Rudylyn grace martinez December 20, 2013, 8:56 pm

    A simple thing we do to others can interup or sometimes change their decisions in life. Truly, this story gives us an motivational factor to be good to individual person always:-))

  • Engelica September 11, 2013, 9:10 am

    I like this story.. touching peoples heart.. awesome xD

  • Alyssa May 25, 2013, 9:06 pm

    =]]]] I like this story!

  • Ashok March 22, 2013, 9:31 am

    Superb

  • Triet January 28, 2013, 9:06 pm

    This story is so awesome.

  • Luis Hernandez November 9, 2012, 6:56 pm

    Woooowwww!!! That story was awesome!!

  • Anonymous October 25, 2012, 12:12 pm

    Good story.

  • Richmond October 22, 2012, 2:43 am

    I like the one who publish it. I want this story.

  • Sherab Pelmo October 3, 2012, 9:24 am

    Touching……….

  • Savitha September 12, 2012, 2:13 am

    So sweet story 🙂 So friends are very important in life. Will not be knowing how will get nice friends.

  • Jade August 26, 2012, 2:02 am

    So nice, sometime we don’t know that simple thing we did is big things in the heart of other, don’t stop doing even a simple thing to others.

  • Jessica Lim July 25, 2012, 10:43 am

    Really sweet. ^-^ never be mean to others. Always treat people nicely because we never know what are they going through ^-^

  • sever July 16, 2012, 12:48 am

    Petty things that our life is having along its way should not be rejected because we might not know that these would be the one that could change the huge things that we suffer as we go through with life.

  • Ashok kumar June 5, 2012, 2:48 am

    I understand that sometimes life changed the way we r following by small things.

  • Karunesh May 9, 2012, 6:25 pm

    Nice story……. from this story, we can understand the meaning of simple gestures….

  • Nani April 24, 2012, 1:23 pm

    God knows PAST-PRESENT and FUTURE.

  • haha February 29, 2012, 2:46 pm

    I felt the may be Bill becomes Bill Gates and Mark becomes Mark Zuckerberg!!! (ignore the age difference)

  • Raj February 28, 2012, 1:58 am

    Good story…by reading this story i had a feeling if really we do some help that wil comes when u were in trouble

  • Didius December 27, 2011, 4:59 am

    Very touching! I have always known that no act of kindness is ever lost, no matter how small.

  • Zakie December 1, 2011, 11:38 am

    Nice story……… negative thoughts always let your mind down. Think positive, life is beautiful…………..

  • Jonathan Lkr. November 27, 2011, 8:01 am

    Mr. Mark was the human- angel for Mr. Bill,
    I relly like this story
    thanks for you priceless contribution.

  • Jill November 14, 2011, 9:20 pm

    I love this story. With so many suicides due to bullying, I wanted to share this with my children. You just never know when your simple good deed will be the best thing in someone else’s life.

  • Vijay October 15, 2011, 2:07 am

    This is nice story. It teaches us good things… I can justify how this nature is design to help us at times of difficulty.

  • Balvir agrawal September 28, 2011, 9:42 am

    Stories are really helpful to me.

  • Priyanka Kumari September 9, 2011, 4:38 am

    When we do something nice for others, we didn’t know what we are doing and how much it matters in others life. This is also same with us also……………………

  • Disha August 25, 2011, 9:25 am

    Really touching……………………..awesomeeeeeee……………. simple but inspiring………………..

  • Mimi August 11, 2011, 1:42 pm

    Very nice story!

  • Mehvish July 2, 2011, 4:25 am

    Simple & touching story, from this we can learn much more things in our life.

  • tado May 3, 2011, 1:03 pm

    lovely story….

  • ot April 10, 2011, 10:40 pm

    touching….i love this story……very touching!!

  • niraj gupta March 28, 2011, 2:09 pm

    Very good story.

  • Jonard January 3, 2011, 10:41 am

    WOW…

  • Chandra Dasaka December 27, 2010, 12:26 pm

    Very touching. We never know what is in store for us. whenever you look at somebody needing help – please help. It is GOD who gave you the opportunity to help the needy on his behalf.

  • Veena December 27, 2010, 6:25 am

    Very nice…..
    Anything at anymoment can change our life.

  • Cool December 20, 2010, 7:04 pm

    Wow I love true stories like this cause just a small regard/gesture can go a long way. I know a person who was having trouble with somebody at work because she was always in a bad mood and really rude. My friend made herself bite her tongue and she tried to be nice to the other worker. After a few days the worker said she had trouble at home and was stressed out. The worker apologized for being mean. Be nice to people cause you never know what they’re going through! =D

  • Dominic October 29, 2010, 1:19 pm

    Just great …

    Rgds
    Dominic

  • Gopal prasad July 22, 2010, 12:04 pm

    Interesting! This story shows we can find God like person in our bad time.

  • Harshal April 27, 2010, 5:43 am

    It is not a good story.

  • Geetha March 20, 2010, 6:32 am

    After reading this I came to know that coincidences occurs for our luck and it may also save our lives its very good and I liked it very much.

  • A.S May 8, 2009, 1:41 am

    Very nice..Yes a simple thing can change the life…good post.

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