I couldn’t help but notice a young boy watching me with interest as I played my old Gibson Les Paul on my porch.
Tom would come over to my house a lot, and I would teach him how to play the guitar. He learned quickly, and the way he held the instrument showed how much he loved music. However, Tommy’s brother Jason did not back his musical pursuits, even though he loved music.
When Tommy’s parents died, Jason took care of him. Jason didn’t think music was worth his time. Tommy should have been thinking about more useful things, like getting a job. Toys’s true love was music, and he was motivated to follow his dreams.
Tommy came up to me one day with a jar full of bills and coins. He was happy to show me the money he had saved up to buy his own guitar. I was moved by how hard he worked and chose to make my own sacrifice. An instrument that was very important to me, my old Gibson Les Paul, I gave it to Tommy.
Jason didn’t like my gift, though. When he was mad, he broke the guitar into a million pieces, which broke Tommy’s heart and dreams. Because of what Jason did, I felt terrible, and I knew I had to help Tommy.
I gave Tommy another guitar that I had been hanging on to for years when I brought him to my house. And because I had played it so many times, it brought back a lot of memories. But I knew it was time to give it to someone who would really enjoy it.
Tommy was thrilled to get a new guitar, and he practiced all day and night to get better. He even wrote a song that he planned to sing at a nearby talent show. He made me proud, and I knew he would do great things.
When the talent show day came, Tommy took the stage with his guitar. People in the room were amazed by how well and how passionately he played. But Jason, who had been watching from the crowd, joined Tommy on stage and they played together. That was the biggest surprise.
It was Jason’s chance to make things right; he finally understood how important it was to back his brother’s dreams. In Tommy’s case, it was a moment of victory that showed how persistence and kindness can change our lives.
As I watched Tommy and Jason play, I was sure that giving Tommy my guitar was the right thing to do. The gift that changed everything was a lesson that being kind can make a big difference in someone’s life.
