湯姆?約翰遜的媽媽。您是否對領導才能夏令營的湯米還有印象?”

那個樹下男孩,我怎麼會不記得呢?

“哦,當然記得,”我回答,“他可是一個很可愛的年輕人。他還好嗎?”

在長時間的停頓過後,約翰遜夫人說:“這個星期,當我的湯米放學回家時,被一輛汽車撞了,就這樣走了。”我感到十分震驚,對湯米的辭世表示哀悼。

“我只是想打電話告訴您,”她說,“因為湯米曾多次提到您。我想讓您知道,這個秋天,他信心十足地回到學校,結交了新朋友,成績也提高了,甚至還出去和女孩子約會過幾次。我想謝謝您,您對他的改變起了很大作用。近來幾個月是他生命中最美好的時光。”

樹下的男孩(2)

剎那間,我才明白,每天奉獻一點是多麼容易。你或許從不知道,每一點善意的舉動會給別人帶來多大的影響。我儘可能多地講述這個故事,並試著說服其他人留心他們的“樹下男孩”。

The Boy under the Tree

David Coleman & Kevin Randall

In the summer recess between freshman and sophomore years in college; I was invited to be an instructor at a highschool leadership camp hosted by a college in Michigan。 I was already highly involved in most campus activities; and I jumped at the opportunity。

About an hour into the first day of camp; amid the frenzy of icebreakers and forced interactions; I first noticed the boy under the tree。 He was small and skinny; and his obvious disfort and shyness made him appear frail and fragile。 Only fifty feet away; two hundred eager campers were bumping bodies; playing; joking and meeting each other; but the boy under the tree seemed to want to be anywhere other than where he was。 The desperate loneliness he radiated almost stopped me from approaching him; but I remembered the instructions from the senior staff to stay alert for campers who might feel left out。

As I walked toward him; I said;“Hi; my name is Kevin; and I’m one of the counselors。 It’s nice to meet you。 How are you?” In a shaky; sheepis