Well, I met Henry and his parents after Saturday’s morning graduation. We were looking for each other. Our eyes caught. We cut through the crowd. We hugged as his proud parents looked on.

“You’re here!”

“Told you I would be. Because of you, I’ll be at both graduations today.”

Henry introduced me to his parents.

“Doggone, am I proud for him,” I told his beaming them. “Now,” I said as I turn my head toward Henry, “You’ll be a farmer like your father.”

“Farmer? I’m going to be a teacher.”

“Same difference. Good teachers like you’ll be, and like farmers like your father, plant seeds in bare spots. Every student you’ll meet has the capacity to do be a large crop. A lot of them won’t know it or believe it, and they’ll lie fallow. Plant seeds in those bare spots. I don’t care how fertile the ground is, if you don’t plant any seeds the land will remain barren, and the only things likely to grow are weeds. Plant seeds in those bare spots! Don’t ever forget where you would probably be if your parents did not plant those seeds of encouragement in your bare spot. And, look what a crop came in and look at the harvest today! I think it was worth the trouble. Don’t you?” I asked as I turned to his parents.

His smiling father and mother beamed. Henry and I hugged again. I was off for a lunch date with my angelic Susan.

Make it a good day.

–Louis–