A boy, recently a man because of his eighteenth birthday, walked up to the podium to give his Valedictorian speech. There was a very full crowd on the bleachers, as well as the hundreds of senior students that were about to graduate from school for good.
The 'boy' cleared his throat into the microphone. "H-Hello." He sounded a bit shy, for doing such a speech, but that didn't last long.
"Every one of us here today is destined for something great. For now, let me tell you a story about a boy. Five years ago, there was a boy walking home from school. He was carrying a fair few textbooks, all very heavy. He had been picked on a lot during school, and that day was no exception. Suddenly, two older boys walked past and pushed the textbooks out of the boy's hands before leaving the scene.
A by-stander saw this event happen, and quickly walked over to help. He ended up picking up half of the heavy textbooks, then invited the boy to play football with him and some friends over the weekend. The boy hesitated, but the by-stander said "Please?"
That got the boy.
That boy? That boy was me. The reason I had been carrying so many textbooks was simple. I planned on hanging myself that weekend, and I didn't want my parents to have to go clean out my locker when I was gone. I had been carrying those books for my parents' sake. The by-stander became my best friend, Michael, my savior. He saved my life. He only just found out, along with all of you.
One small act of kindness can change somebody's life forever. A small act of kindness saved my life from ending. Ending my life would have been a horrible mistake. Mistakes will be made, sure, but some are mistakes that nobody wants to and should never make.
Because of Michael saving my life, I am now going to Harvard for college. I can do great things, along with everyone else here."
The word had to be spread.
