i•n•s•p•i•r•a•t•i•o•n•s

Good Morning. Here is a great thought for the day:

Doing the right thing pays off

A young Army soldier was reading a book in a Florida library when he saw some notes written in the margin. The words were thoughtful and insightful, and the young man decided he wanted to meet the person who penned them. In the front of the book, he discovered the woman's name and tracked her down in New York. He wrote a letter to her, as she did to him, and thus they began their long correspondence. But they never had the chance to meet: The young man was shipped overseas for service in World War II.

During the next year, the couple continued their correspondence and a romance began to bloom. The young serviceman requested a photograph, but the woman declined, saying the relationship shouldn't be based on what she looked like.

Finally, the man was shipped home. The couple planned to meet at Grand Central Station in New York. The woman said she could be recognized by the red rose she'd be wearing.

On the day of the meeting, a beautiful young woman came walking toward the man. He was immediately attracted to her, and forgot to notice whether she donned a red rose. "Going my way, sailor?" the young woman asked the man, and then walked out of the station. The young man started to follow her, and then behind her, caught a glimpse of his pen pal. She was older, plump with graying hair tucked into a worn hat. And she had a bright red rose in her lapel.

The young man had to make a split-second decision. Should he follow the beautiful woman or introduce himself to his pen pal? He did the right thing, and introduced himself to his pen pal, choosing a proven friendship over physical attraction. His pen pal broke into a smile and said: "I don't know what this is about, but that young lady walking out the door asked me to wear this rose on my coat, and said that if you introduced yourself to me, I should tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test."

Have a wonderful day.

"Each morning is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When the sun rises tomorrow this day will be gone forever, in its place will be something you have left — may it be something good. Follow your heart, it knows what to do."

London Delicious stories are distributed weekly by email. If you'd like to be sure not to miss our next story, sign up for a free subscription here: