With the power Jon gave me through his moving words, I have made the choice to go out and aware my happiness with others. I will no longer be afraid of a preconceived idea that I cannot do it.

I am a junior in high school. I got accepted to the National FFA band after two years of trying. FFA and agriculture are my life. I and a Missouri farm boy.

I received this card at the 90th National FFA Convention. When he started to to tell the story about Nathan I said to my self this is not going to be good and it wasn’t after I herd that Nathan died 8 hrs after it touched my heart and many others around and I was realizing that how fast stuff like that can happen and it was very heart touching to me. But even tho that was sad I hope everyone that was there had a really good time and experience.

I received this card at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The story behind this card brought tears to not only my eyes but my whole chapter’s eyes and even all the way back home to my mother in Tennessee who was watching the Convention on TV. I hope this message touches you as much as it touched 66 thousand FFA members that night.

I was very touched by Nathan’s story. I am in a bad household and it was very touching to know that people out there are still able to help others.

Mr. Petz’s story about Nathan made me feel a sense of appreciation for what I do as an Agriculture teacher. Many times we are brought into a students life as well as his or her families lives. On two different occasions students have come to me sharing a near tragedy. Both situations are different and not related in any way, other than the fact that both students had thought about suicide. They shared their stories and circumstances, thanking me for being a good listener as well as a friend. The FFA often times has the ability to reach students in ways other classes may not. Whether it is through FFA activities or hands on curriculum, students develop a sense of trust with Agriculture teachers. Both of the students thanked me for helping them change their minds. One student said, ” because you kept me busy and gave me a purpose, I could not do something to my body that would be forever. You gave me a reason to live…… I think as a person, I have come to understand that something that seems insignificant to me, can be a big deal to someone else. Mother Teresa once said, ” To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.” As people living on this earth, we all have the responsibility to keep filling that lamp with the oil of caring and love.

I was one of the attendees at the 90th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis where Jon Petz was a keynote speaker. This is where the card started. His story was amazing and the fact that little acts of kindness (like random acts of kindness), can mean a lot more than you think when you do them for others, hit home. Different people have different stories and hardships that they face, but we’re all in the same boat together and we can all make a difference if we take the time to step up and step out of our comfort zones. The little things truly do matter in life, so make the best and most of them while they last. I’m a college student who is studying to be a teacher and I hope to share and pass on this story to my students one day.