In your eyes ....

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 It Was In Your Eyes 

       It was a bitter, cold evening in northern Virginia many
  years ago. The old man's beard was glazed by winter's frost while
  he waited for a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless.
  His body became numb and stiff from the frigid north wind.

       He heard the faint, steady rhythm of approaching hooves
  galloping along the frozen path. Anxiously, he watched as several
  horsemen rounded the bend. He let the first one pass by without
  an effort to get his attention. Then another passed by, and
  another. Finally, the last rider neared the spot where the old
  man sat like a snow statue. As this one drew near, the old man
  caught the rider's eye and said, "Sir, would you mind giving an
  old man a ride to the other side? There doesn't appear to be a
  passageway by foot."

       Reining his horse, the rider replied, "Sure thing. Hop
  aboard." Seeing the old man was unable to lift his half-frozen
  body from the ground, the horseman dismounted and helped the old
  man onto the horse. The horseman took the old man not just across
  the river, but to his destination, which was just a few miles
  away.

       As they neared the tiny but cozy cottage, the horseman's
  curiosity caused him to inquire, "Sir, I notice that you let
  several other riders pass by without making an effort to secure a
  ride. Then I came up and you immediately asked me for a ride. I'm
  curious why, on such a bitter winter night, you would wait and
  ask the last rider. What if I had refused and left you there?"

       The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse,
  looked the rider straight in the eyes, and replied, "I've been
  around these here parts for some time. I reckon I know people
  pretty good." The old-timer continued, "I looked into the eyes of
  the other riders and immediately saw there was no concern for my
  situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for a
  ride. But when I looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion
  were evident. I knew, then and there, that your gentle spirit
  would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of
  need."

       Those heartwarming comments touched the horseman deeply.
  "I'm most grateful for what you have said," he told the old man.
  "May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to
  respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion."

       With that, Thomas Jefferson turned his horse around and made
  his way back to the White House.
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 ______ ___   __ _____ __    __   __  __ tnally@iquest.net tnally@mcp.com
|_    _|   \ |  |  _  |  |  |  |  \ \/ / tgnally@prairienet.org
  |  | |  |\\|  |  _  |  |__|  |__ |  |  T. Nally - "A M.I.M.E. is a
  |__| |__| \___|_| |_|_____|_____||__|  a terrible thing to waste."