TRUE FRIENDS
Horror gripped the heart of the World War II soldier as he saw his lifelong friend fall in battle. Caught in a trench with continuous gunfire whizzing over his head, the soldier asked his lieutenant if he might go out into the ‘no man’s land’ between the trenches to bring his fallen friend back. “You can go,” said the lieutenant, “but I don’t think it will be worth it. Your friend is probably dead and you may throw your life away.” The lieutenant’s advice did not matter, and the soldier went anyway. Miraculously he managed to reach his friend, hoist him onto his shoulder and bring him back to their company’s trench. As the two of them tumbled in together to the bottom of the trench, the officer checked the wounded soldier, and then looked kindly at his friend.
‘I told you it would not be worth it,” he said. “Your friend is dead and you are mortally wounded.” “It was worth it, though, sir,” said the soldier. “What do you mean; worth it?” responded the Lieutenant. “Your friend is dead”. “Yes, Sir,” the private answered. “But it was work it because when I got him, he was still alive and I had the satisfaction of hearing him say, “Jim, I knew you would come.”
Many times in life, whether a thing is worth doing or not, really depend how you look at it. Take up all your courage and do something your heart tells you to do so, that you may not regret not doing it later on.
Courtesy: Yuva Bharati, February 2008
