When my children were young I used to read to them every
evening before bed. One of their favorite stories was called, "Somebody Loves
You Mr. Hatch." Mr. Hatch was a lonely man living a lonely life. He never
smiled. He walked alone to work everyday and ate his lunch alone in a corner. He
never talked to anyone on his way home either. In the evening he would buy a
newspaper, read it after supper, and go to bed early.
His life changed, however, on Valentine’s Day when he got a heart shaped box in
the mail full of candy and a note that said, "Somebody loves you." At first he
couldn’t believe it but as he let the message sink in he began to laugh and
dance around. That single message had opened his heart to the power of love.
Soon he found himself sharing his smile and laughter with others. He became a
joy at work and began to help out people in the neighborhood. As the days and
weeks went by his laughter, smiles, kindness, caring, happiness and love touched
the hearts of everyone in his community.
Later Mr. Hatch found out that the candy heart had been delivered to him by
mistake. He felt crushed and began again to withdraw from the world. When his
neighbors found out, however, they were determined not to lose the light he
shared. They surprised him with a party and a huge banner that read: "Everybody
Loves Mr. Hatch." Mr. Hatch cried when he realized that somebody loved him after
all. Then he laughed, smiled, and rejoined his friends.
I think that we all have a tiny bit of Mr. Hatch in us. At times we all feel
unloved and unlovable. Somebody does love us, though. God loves us. He loves us
with a powerful, unconditional, and life-changing love and He wants us to love
each other as well. It is what we are here for. It is what we were meant for.
May the pages of your life story be full of love then.
Joseph J. Mazzella joecool@wirefire.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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