The phone rang. He received a call from his mother. He responded, and his mother informed him, “Mr. Belser died yesterday night. “The funeral is on Wednesday.” As he sat silently, memories flashed across his head like an old newsreel, bringing back boyhood memories. “Jack, did you hear me?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been a long time since I thought of him.

“I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack explained. “Well, he did not forget you. Every time I saw him, he asked how you were doing. “He’d reminisce about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him. “I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack explained. “You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she told me.

“He’s the one who taught me carpentry,” he told me. “I wouldn’t be in this business without him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he considered important. “Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack announced. He honored his promise, despite his busy schedule. Jack took the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful.

He had no children of his own, and the most of his relatives had passed away. The night before he had to return home, Jack and his mother stopped by the old house next door one more time. Jack paused in the doorway for a few moments. It felt like I had crossed into another dimension, taken a leap over space and time. The house was just as he recalled.

Every step had memories. Every picture and piece of furniture…Jack paused abruptly…”What’s wrong, Jack?” his mother said. “The box is gone,” he explained. “What box?” Mom asked. “He kept a tiny gold box sealed on the top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times about what was inside. “All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most,'” Jack explained.

It was gone. Except for the box, everything else in the home was precisely as Jack remembered. He assumed someone from the Belser family had taken it.
“Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack told me. “I’d better get some sleep. “I have an early flight home, Mom.” Mr. Belser had been dead for almost two weeks. Jack came home from work one day and found a note in his mailbox.

“A signature is required on a shipment. No one is home. “Please stop by the main post office within the next three days,” the note stated.
The next morning, Jack went to the post office to pick up the parcel. The little box was antique and appeared to have been mailed a hundred years ago. The penmanship was hard to see, but the return address drew his attention.

“Mr. Harold Belser” it said. Jack brought the box to his car and ripped up the package. Inside, there was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note within. “Upon my death, please send this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. “It’s the most important thing in my life.” A little key was affixed to the letter.

With his heart racing and tears in his eyes, Jack cautiously unlocked the box. Inside, he discovered a gorgeous gold pocket watch.
He cautiously ran his fingers across the delicately etched shell before unlatching the cover. Inside, he discovered these etched words: “Jack, Thank you for your time!” — Harold Belser.

“The thing he valued most was my time!” Jack held the watch for a few minutes before calling his office to cancel his appointments for the next two days.*
“Why?” Janet, his assistant, asked. “I need some time to spend with the people I love and say I care for,” he told me. “Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!” “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.”

Think about it. You may not realize it, but it is completely true. 1. At least 15 individuals throughout the world love you in some way. 2. Your grin can make anyone happy, even if they don’t like you. 3. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before going to bed. 4. You mean everything to someone. 5. If not for you, someone might not be alive.

6. You are special and unique. 7. Believe that you will eventually get what you want or something greater. 8. Even if you commit the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come out of it. 9. If you believe the world has turned its back on you, take a closer look: you have most certainly turned your back on the world and the people who love and care for you.

10. You are loved by someone you are completely unaware of. 11. Always remember the compliments you’ve received. Forget about the harsh comments. 12. Always tell someone how you feel about them; it will make you feel better, and you will both be happier. 13. If you have a terrific friend, take the time to tell them how awesome they are.

To everyone who is reading this right now….