{HeartTouchers.com}   *The Purple Heart*  4/22/02

 

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Kelli-- College Station, TX

 

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The Purple Heart

 

By Roger Dean Kiser, Sr.

 

 

I decided to go into the Goodwill Store and look around while
my wife was picking up a few items at the local Pharmacy
next door.

 

I generally do not go into second hand stores, as a rule.
I guess because as a young boy I lived on the streets for
many years and had to depend upon clothes and shoes
from such places. I swore that I would never purchase
anything from those types of stores ever again. But for
some strange reason I broke my rule.

 

As I walked around I looked at all the racks of worn shoes,
faded pants and shirts. All lined against the wall just as
they had been when I was a kid forty-five years ago. It was
really quite sad for me to be in such a place.

 

As I waked around I happen to notice a few military
medals laying in a box next to a tray of old tarnished
silverware. I began fumbling through the medals and
was surprised to find a purple heart.

 

I had never actually seen a purple heart before. I picked
up the medal and I held it in my hand. I stood there
wondering what brave soldier had received this honor
and if he, or she, were still alive today. I could hardly
believe that anyone would discard such a precious thing.

I put the medal back into to tray and continued looking
around the store. No matter how hard I tried I just could
not get that darn metal out of my mind.

 

I walked up to the front of the store and I asked the woman
how much the medals cost.

 

"Twenty-five cents." She replied.

 

"Why would anyone throw away something like that?"
I asked her.

 

"Maybe it belonged to someone who died and when their
estate was sold at auction the medal no longer had a
value," she told me.

 

I immediately walked back to the back of the store and
I retrieved the purple heart from the small cardboard box.
I then walked, without speaking, to the front of the store
where I purchased the medal. I then went to my truck
where I waited for my wife.

 

After she came out of the pharmacy she asked me if
I had found anything of value.

 

"As a matter of fact I did. I found something that was
priceless and I purchased it for only a quarter." I told her.

When we arrived home I cleaned up the medal and it's
ribbon, as best I could, and then I wrapped it in a small
American Flag and I buried it with honor, along with a copy
of the Bill of Rights which I had kept from my junior high
school days.

 

I no longer hold myself to that rule that I made many
years ago. Unfortunately, There are many priceless items
that can be found in the local Goodwill Store.

 

Roger Dean Kiser, Sr.
trampolineone@webtv.net

 

Write Roger and let him know your thoughts on his story!

 

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Visit Roger's Web site to read more of his stories at:

 

Or visit The Sad Orphan Foundation at:

 

Roger and his wife, Judy, also a writer, live in Brunswick,
Georgia. As a child Roger was raised in a very abusive
orphanage located in Jacksonville Florida. He has written a
book titled "Orphan" which tells of the horrors that he and
other children suffered daily, for more than ten years.

His book is in all major bookstores and available
through his web site/link, for purchase. He now writes and
speaks to children in the Georgia School system about child
abuse and its effects.

 

In the last two years Roger has developed one of the most
read child abuse web sites in the world, "The Sad Orphan"
located at:  http://www.geocities.com/trampolineone
which displays many of his short stories.

 

You can purchase Roger's book, "ORPHAN"
in major book stores or order from Amazon.com at:

 

If you missed the interview we did with Roger, you can check it out at our
web site at this link:

 

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Can't get enough inspirational stories in your life? Would
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Then order a personalized autographed copy of the
inspirational book: Straight From the Heart "A Celebration
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Michael is an award winning writer whose stories have appeared
in numerous newspapers and magazines around the world and
in the following books:  Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul,
Chicken Soup for the Grandparent's Soul, Stories For the
Extreme Teen's Heart, Stories For the Extreme Teen's
Heart 2, Stories for the Teen's Heart 2, Heartwarmers, God
Allows U-Turns Volumes 1, 3, and 4, Creating Emotionally
Safe Schools, and in the upcoming books: Don't Sweat the
Small Stuff Story Collection and The Miracle of Boys. He
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other inspirational books.

 

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Michael T. Powers
1918 Liberty Lane
Janesville, WI 53545

(Please allow about 2 weeks for delivery.)

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Reader Feedback!

 

Michael,

 

I just finished my laugh for the day as I pictured little Al Batt's
ingenuity of "thinking like a bird" and getting the chickadees to eat out
of his hand.  I just had to write the following to him and thought you might
enjoy the effect his sharing had on one HeartTouchers' reader.

Al, You are a genius!  You had the ability to "think like a bird" and
accomplish your mission.  I was not as lucky as, at the age of seven, I was
told that if I could get salt onto the tail of a hummingbird that I could
catch it!  Well, I ran after those tiny helicopters with a salt shaker in my
hand and tried shaking, throwing, and any other method of dispensing that
salt onto one of those little rascals, but to no avail!  Now, what would you
have done before hand to lure those beuties with the fluttering wings close
enough to "sprinkle" with salt?  At least I did get plenty of exercise!

I believe a lesson could be derived from this -- choose a "bird sensible"
goal before figuring on a way to "get into a bird's mind."  That is what God
did when He sent His son, Jesus Christ, into our world to accomplish
"feeding" us His gifts of love, peace, and fruits-of-the-spirit!!

I wrote the above before reading the "Verse For The Day: "And being found in
appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even
death on a cross!" - Phillipians 2:8

It always amazes me how God ties things together without our telling Him to
or how! :o)

Sarah Jackson, jacksd2127@earthlink.net
Fort Worth, TX

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Thought For The Day:

 

"The secret to being tiresome is to tell everything."
(Voltaire)

 

Verse for the Day:

 

"Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise."

Kid's Thought For The Day:

 

"Make your mom and dad prove that there are no monsters under
the bed!"

Parent's Thought For The Day

 

"I taught my child the value of a dollar. This week he wants his
allowance in yen." (Milton Berle)

Coach's Thought For The Day

 

"A coach has succeeded when he is no longer needed."

Writer's Thought For the Day:

 

"Never judge a book by its movie." --J.W. Eagan

Deep Thought For The Day:

 

"When people ask me if I have any spare change, I tell them I
have it at home in my spare wallet."

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  _
/_/\/\    MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\  /    HeartTouchers@aol.com  
/_/  \    "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no
\_\/\ \   longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I
   \_\/   live in the body I live for the Son of God, who  
           loved me and gave Himself for me."
           Galatians 2:20
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