—
One winter afternoon, Walter received a heartbreaking letter.
“Dear Friend,
Some kids at school laughed because I always carry books instead of playing games.
Sometimes I wonder if something is wrong with me.
Do you ever feel like you don’t belong?”
Walter smiled gently.
Then he wrote the longest letter he had ever written.
“When I was your age, I loved reading too.
People laughed at me.
Years later those same books helped me become a teacher.
Never let the crowd decide your future.
The world changes because of people brave enough to be different.
Stay exactly who you are.”
Emma read the letter three times.
She taped it above her desk.
Years later…
She would still keep it.
—
Spring arrived.
Flowers returned.
Birds sang again.
Walter began volunteering at the public library where Margaret had worked.
He read stories to children every Saturday.
