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Teen Finds a Positive Role Model in Elderly Neighbor

Recently I heard a great story of from a friend of mine which contained a great inspirational message about a role model he had while growing up. His family had recently moved from one town to another, and he had to switch schools. He was having trouble adjusting and his father worked a lot; he said he wasn’t home very often to spend time with him.

My friend said he started getting into trouble at school and was hanging around with the wrong crowd by the time he was 14. His parents had sought out ways to motivate him to change his behavior, but nothing was working.

Finding a Positive Role Model

My friend had people he believed were role models, but these were boys from school that was getting him into trouble and influencing him to make the wrong decisions. My friend said it was really funny how everything changed one day when he met Mr. Henry, a neighbor that lived down the road.

Mr. Henry had come to the mailbox and was checking his mail while my friend was on his way to get the mail from his box. He says Mr. Henry and he saw each other, started talking, and instantly became friends. It was like clockwork. He says he had never gotten along with someone so easily before in his life.

Getting to Know Mr. Henry

Mr. Henry later invited him to his house for dinner with him and his wife. Mr. Henry and his wife had been married at 17 and had been married for over 40 years.

Mr. Henry also lived a life that inspired and motivated all of those that came into contact with him. He did service for others selfishly and even loaned money to families in need when it would run himself short for the month. Mr. Henry was truly the type of person that would provide his shirt off his back to help another person in need. No person my friend has ever met that knew Mr. Henry has had a single bad thing to say about him (and also according to my friend, he knows practically everyone in his town). My friend says he thinks Mr. Henry’s character matched his words and life so closely, that one couldn’t help but to be positively inspired by him.

Mr. Henry provided a lot of inspirational words for my friend, often chatting with him about life and explaining how and why one should follow the golden rule, give respect to others and treat others fairly.  Mr. Henry invited my friend to help him mow his grass every week and provided other weekend jobs for my friend which helped to teach my friend a work ethic he admits he was sorely lacking before.

Doing Things Together

He says they also did interesting activities together. About once a month, Mr. Henry would invite my friend over and they would spend the evening using telescopes to view the various starts in the sky. Mr. Henry also took this time to talk with my friend and provide words of inspirational and invoke positive thoughts in my friend.

A Complete Turn-Around

My friend says it’s like his conscious came back to life. He respected and listened to Mr. Henry and agreed with his positive outlook and morals on life. He says his troubles at school and with his family and friends did a complete one-eighty.  All thanks to the positive influence of Mr. Henry

A Lifelong Friend

The great news is that: this story has a happy ending. My friend says Mr. Henry and his wife are still married and going strong. He told me the morals, values and lessons he learned from Mr. Henry transformed his life and continues to inspire him to become a better person; just like the person Mr. Henry still is today. My friend stated that one of his major goals in life is to be half as caring and selfless to others as Mr. Henry is.

• Why is having a role model important at any age?
• Why do you think my friend was so surprised that he found someone like Mr. Henry?
• Do you have someone like Mr. Henry in your life?
• Who is your role model?