A Divot on the Green or a Crater on the Moon

I was reminded the other night that I haven't blogged in a while and that I need to get off my lazy keaster (or I guess in this case...get ON my lazy keaster) and write again, so to all of you dedicated fans out there (ahem...Becky, you might be the only one), here I am and here we go.
I've actually been planning on writing about this particular topic for the last few weeks. I'm glad I waited a little while longer though, because recent events that have transpired will, I hope, help me get my point across.
I've been thinking a lot lately about the influence people can have on us in our lives. I've come to realize in my life, especially in the last little while, that every single person we come in contact with in our lives, has some type of an impact on us - whether a divot on the green or a crater on the moon. Did you get the symbolism there? Pretty clever, huh? Anyway. Whether it's an old babushka on the street that gave you a toothless grin or an ex-girlfriend that helped you to realize the direction that you need to be going in your life, it's going to somehow influence your future. Perhaps some of these situations or experiences that you go through aren't life changing or essential for your eternal salvation, but they, in some little way, help you to make changes in your life - if you look at it in the right way. Now, I'm not saying, the next time someone asks if they can borrow your pen, that you need to completely analyze your life in how you can be more charitable, although...that is a good idea! I'm just saying, don't take for granted the influence that those that you meet can and will have on you. Even by small and simple things, great things come to pass. Booyah.
Here's an example. A good friend of mine was recently involved in a horrible accident, he was riding his bike and was hit by a car. Initially it left him paralyzed from the waist down. Those of us that knew this friend, were completely blown away that something like this could happen to such a stud like him. He's quite possibly one of the most upbeat and positive people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. All of us were torn apart by the news, but because we knew what kind of a guy he was, we all knew that he'd get through it, and he'd get through it with a smile on his face. I went with another friend to visit him today at the hospital, and just as I expected, when we walked in the room, though he was bandaged, bruised, bashed and braced, he had a huge grin on his face. We stayed for a while and just talked with him. Well, really, we just listened to him and laughed. He joked around the whole time about his situation. This friend, doesn't let things bother him, sure what's happened to him is going to completely change the rest of his life, but that's not going to stop him from living and loving the life he's been blessed with. And I think it's because of his attitude and the way he's been facing this horrible challenge, that he's been blessed with such a miraculous recovery. He has since regained feeling in his legs, and just today he got in a wheel chair for the first time!
I can't even express to you how grateful I am for his example. What an incredibly difficult trial he's going through right now! But what an incredibly awesome way of facing it! I'm glad I have this friend in my life to help me realize what's most important in my life - the need to enjoy it, no matter what. I'm grateful for the crater-sized impact he's had on me in just the 6 months that I've known him. Though we'll be faced with trails, what's crucial is how we face those trials. Like my friend, I'm determined to face them with a smile. Thanks Michael.
Never underestimate the influence that you will have on those you come in contact with, it may just be what they need.