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ONE SMALL GIFT!

I really want to do it once more this year! This is the reason why! This is a true story that any STAR GAZER at our last regional meeting can verify!

It was time to shower our new Unit leaders in the STAR GAZERS region. What was so exciting about this one was that all of them were out of state leaders except for one. The one that was at the meeting had lost her unit over two years earlier. Now after a two year struggle to rebuild, she had made it. (I for one think that hanging in there after loosing your unit is a true sign of a great leader!) I sat on the edge of my chair as the room filled with excitement as we watched all the leaders move in place to shower her. When Beth called her to stage I knew that her thank you to her team, leader and Beth would be moving, however; I had no idea of the shocking story I was about to hear! It was a story that I will always remember as long as I live!

Losing her unit just before conference, she wasn't even certain that she still wanted to go. She went in hopes that she would find one thing that would tell her for certain whether or not she should quit PL. After thanking her team and leaders she told us that most of all wanted to thank someone else.

I don't know about everyone else, but I sat in shock as she told us who it was in a story about an unlikely consultant that made a huge difference in her business. When at conference, a consultant from a different region came over out of no where and talked to them looking to find and meet there SRVP. This young consultant handed a few of them, including her; a small gift wrapped in everyday paper for no reason at all other than to show gratitude to them for there kindness and help. After meeting SRVP Beth Vesco-Smith, the happy consultant returned to their own region.

When she opened up her gift, the stranger had given her the answer she was looking for! It was a small picture with a poem on it called " DON'T QUIT!" It was this small gift that sat in her home reminding her to keep going when times were tough. Most of all she wanted to thank the consultant from the other region for the small act of kindness that kept her going in tough times.

At that point I just wanted to run up on stage and give her a huge hug and tell her that we all love her and are so happy to have her with us today. I sat a few seconds and thought to myself, " I wonder if this story has been told at other regions about strangers in PL doing an act of kindness?". I got up out of my chair and grabbed my raffle tickets to sell as we were taking a short break while the leaders showered our new unit leader. On my
way out, I just had to sneak in among all the leaders and give this future SRVP a hug and tell her how much I love her.

NOW, THE REST OF THE STORY!

It was 2 years ago about this time that knew for a fact that I would be going to my first conference. I was looking forward to meeting my many friends from the AOL board and a list I started, for people that didn't have AOL called, " CANDLECYBERUNIT". It is customary in the small Maine town that I grew up in, to give a small gift to friends you haven't seen in a long time. The gift is to remind them of you in the future when your apart for a long time, and let them know that you think of them often.

So in keeping with my upbringing, I asked people on CYBERUNIT to send me a post called " GIFT 4 U!" if they planed to meet me in Washington because I had a gift for
you! I also took along some for AOL friends I would run into. It was a lot of fun!
One of the AOL people I wanted to meet was a lady that I thought might be a unit leader. I had posted that I was moving to Columbus Ohio sometime in the near future, to be close to my roommates mom that was sick with cancer. I told all of you I had never been to a meeting and was wondering if there was any in Columbus. A lady named Beth wrote me and told me I could go to her unit meetings and regional meetings! She told me she was in the STAR GAZERS Region, so one day at conference I set out to find her.

When I found the STAR GAZERS Region, I asked a group of the ladies if any of them knew Beth Vesco-Smith! I got many strange looks from them as I was not aware that
my internet friend was the SRVP of the STAR GAZERS Region! I passed out a few small gifts to some of the ladies and gave Beth one as well in hopes that I would be remembered when I moved to Columbus.

A year later, The CYBERUNIT was much to large for me to get everyone a small gift and wrap them up, so we did a gift exchange called "GIFT 4 U 2!". Everyone that was interested posted there name and I matched them up. We all had a new friend from out CYBERUNIT family to find at conference. I loved it as it takes us out of our comfort zone and helps us to build skills for talking to strangers in a safe environment.

I have many times been the one telling of how wonderful it was to have so many PL strangers do acts of kindness for me. My writings are full of names and times that many of you I have never meet have made my day. Now I know why, it is the one doing the good deed that gets the greatest gift! When she called out my name at the regional meeting and told the story, I felt like the richest man alive just to know that without me knowing it, I had helped someone out two years ago!

It was one small gift! Cost, under $5.00, value? PRICELESS!

THANK YOU ALL, my many friends that have been there for me! ACS, A friend in need, or a PL stranger; is there a person you can do an act of kindness for today???
Hank

This page last updated  July 06, 2005