by Loni Stel

Created on: August 12, 2010

He stood in line, waiting for the next bank teller, his eyes swollen from days of crying.  He nervously passes a thick envelope of money from one hand back to the other, as though it was too heavy to hold.  He sighs deeply.  Finally the teller called his name, "Norm, your next."

His 45 year old body walks as though he is 90 as he makes his way to the counter.  He does not want to catch eyes with her.  

"What can I do for you Norm?" she asked softly.  She knew he had just buried his 16 year old son, just days before.

He does not answer immediately. He slowly removes the money from the envelope and places it into three separate piles. 

He finally replies, "I need to pay off three credit cards."  

The teller, Chelsea, takes the first pile, counts the money, fills in the information on her computer and hands him a receipt and continues on.  As she finishes the last payment and hands him a receipt, she looks up at him, with tears in her eyes.  

"I am sorry Norm.  I wish I knew what to tell you, what to say."  She pats his hand.

"Me too," he replies.  "This was all memorial money given to us to help us out.  I'd do anything to have my son back.  This money means nothing.  I'd rather double my bills and have him back.  Money is not everything.  Family, love, life is."

"I will remember that Norm when I am paying my bills or struggling with my kids.  I might even tell my customers when they're upset because they bounced a check.  I am sorry it takes the pain you are going through to bring this to my heart."  

"You do that," he assures her.  "You tell your customers all the money in the world cannot bring a child back, but the memories of the time well spent with them, loving them, growing them, will help when times like this hit."

As he turns to leave a faint smile shows on his face. He has begun a new mission, to share the value of life that money won't buy.

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