Every year I receive a Christmas Letter from the Oregon Pacific, Financial Advisers, Inc., signed by Don Todd, President and he encloses a small calendar for my purse. Why I am on his list is a mystery as I have no money to invest...but I did write him a thank you note. Each year he tells a special story and this year I thought I'd share his letter with all of you.as it is a true story but the names have been changed. I had never heard this one and I think it should be told as we now have more children in need of a helping hand than ever before.
"This past summer I attended a beautiful wedding at the ranch, where the following events take place. The bride was the sister of the girl in the story. It is about giving - and I thought you might find the events different and inspiring. It all started with the sale of a show steer. That simple transaction eventually directed the path of a young girl from a broken family and an uncertain future, to a life full of promise and hope.
The owner of a ranch for more than 30 years, Gary, had been working with cattle his whole life. The business had helped him support and raise his two children, now grown with children of their own. In the fall of 2005, a mother and her 12-year old daughter Elizabeth visited his ranch to purchase a show steer. Gary, quite reserved by nature, was struck by the girl's high level of energy. He thought to himself about how different the two of them were.
The mother purchased the steer for Elizabeth, yet both of them lacked the experience to raise the calf. They decided the young steer name Ty would remain on Gary's ranch and Gary would coach ever-eager Elizabeth on how to feed and manage him, including everything from proper washing and brushing to nutrition and health. While working with Elizabeth during her project, Gary immediately recognized the young girl's work ethic and desire to succeed. Through multiple visits and coaching sessions over nine months, Ty flourished and Elizabeth learned how to show the steer.
The following summer, Elizabeth showed Ty at the county fair, where she was scrutinized and thoroughly questioned on her knowledge of her project. Not only did Elizabeth have the beginning understanding of raising a show steer, she proved that she had spent countless hours working with Ty and she won the Reserve Champion Steer. After the competition, Elizabeth darted through the crowd of fair-goers to find Gary . She gave him a hug and in a broken voice thanked him for all of his help.
Elizabeth's mom approached Gary later, confessing that Elizabeth rarely opened up to people. It was difficult for the young girl to trust others. He learned that her brother was always in trouble and Elizabeth showed signs that she would follow in the same footsteps.
Over time, her mother purchased more steers and Gary and Elizabeth's relationship grew as she shared more about her troubled past and current struggles. Gary had lost his own father at the age of six so he understood the challenges of growing up in a less than ideal home.
Unfortunately, outside of the ranch, Elizabeth's behavior had taken a downturn. She'd been caught stealing. After learning about her poor choices, Gary didn't want to interfere and began to distance himself from the troubled youth. She noticed immediately and sought him out and confronted him. "You're mad at me, aren't you?"
He responded, "No, I'm just disappointed in you. I have not told you this, but I truly love you and care for what the future holds for you."
It was a turning point in Elizabeth's life. Instead of spending time with her peers in situations that would lead to trouble, Elizabeth decided to spend more and more time on the ranch with Gary mending fences, feeding cattle, helping with calving and vaccinating - every thing necessary to manage a successful cattle operation. She joined the Future Farmers of America where she got involved with public speaking, fund raisers, and livestock judging.
Gary jokes that after shadowing him on the ranch for five years, Elizabeth is capable of managing the entire operation by herself. Regarding his role in her turnaround, he says, "She jut needed someone to look up to, someone who would show her that she has lots of choices in her life. I'm glad I could be there for her and her family." He realized now that she wasn't the only one who'd had difficulty connecting with others. Though their relationship, he'd learned how to open up as well.
The lessons on the ranch proved to be as important as ones in the the classroom. After raising multiple champions at the fair and being named one of the top livestock judges in the state two years in a row, Elizabeth found success wherever she has applied herself. Now 17 years old, she was recently awarded a full-ride scholarship to college where she plans to study veterinary medicine.
Her mom concludes, "Gary's relationship with Elizabeth is the reason she is where she's at today. It helped define who she is and who she will become."
It was a simple gift. The gift of time, guidance, acceptance, and hope. A gift that changed both Gary and Elizabeth's lives.
This holiday season, may you recognize those that have influenced your life with simple gifts, and may you find opportunities to give to others in simple ways that have the power and potential to make a life-long impact in the coming year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I hope you enjoyed the short story and will take time out this year to try and give a helping hand to someone in need. A touch of a hand. A smile. A small donation to a worthy cause. Reading to a small child. Maybe a little volunteer time to help a youngster succeed in school. And if you are young and strong, maybe take in a youngster or two who has been abandoned through no fault of his or her own. The sad part of getting old is not regrets but understanding all of the things you could have accomplished if you had searched for the needs and not the wants. So be smart, be a leader and share that big heart of yours. Hugs to all.
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