A theft warning – Reflection  
As I sat down to write my monthly Siemens Says column, I received this note from a stranger.
Hello Harry, I hope you can share some information. There is some grain theft taking place in the Pembina Valley area. Hopefully, if you could share this, farmers will be even more diligent about monitoring their grain bins and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Does anyone else have more info on this? One person had one bin completely emptied and another partially emptied of canola just combined. 
It is interesting how nothing is sacred in this world, not even your newly harvested canola crop worth at least 11 dollars a bushel. Maybe easy pickings to come up with a super bee, auger or evacuator and minutes, depending on the bin’s size, a trip to the elevator further away and cash in the pocket.  
It could be anyone, for that matter, but most likely someone or someone’s who may do this for a living. Just be aware that this is going on and can happen to anyone almost anywhere.  
On a positive side and I believe we need to hear more positive things as things around aren’t always going the way we want them to go. Yet, there is strength, and there is hope in authentic relationships and friendships. As many of you know, I lost my wife two years ago, yet I have found the strength to move on, often alone, often with individual family members and often with select friends who chose to stick with me.  
My friend sent this to me some time ago about a mutual acquaintance. Rob since passed on. The reason I share this with you – I had the same feelings towards the same man, and I too went to visit him before he left this earth. Rob was such an encouragement, such a blessing in his final months, weeks, and days on this earth.  
Anonymous, but from a friend written some time ago – I have someone I know through business over the last 15+ years who is now in St. Boniface Hospital in the palliative care ward. He and the doctors don’t know how much time he has left…weeks to maybe a year. My first interaction with this man was not pleasant. I thought he was arrogant and a smart ass. I avoided him as much as possible, and this lasted five years. 
Then one day, we ended up in a meeting together, and I noticed a change. Maybe I changed to. I am friends with him on Facebook, and I keep seeing his posts about living his last days. Thursday, I posted, “you are an inspiration to me.” Friday, he tried to call me. I was shocked. We talked last night, and he reminded me that in that meeting, which is now ten years ago, I told him that I liked the changes he had made and that I now liked him, and I admitted I had not liked him before. He said last night; you have no idea what you said and how it affected me. He said I was so encouraged because I didn’t like who I had been either. He was encouraged that someone noticed he had made changes! 
Since then, we have ended up in different meetings, maybe once every few years. And I’d say we are friends but not close. He asked me to come to see him next week. “I want some one-on-one time with you.” 
I’m quite humbled and very honoured to be invited to come to see him. 
What’s the meaning of all this? Be careful how I judge people; however, tell them the truth when the time is right. Be open to correction from others to me. 
You never know what impact your actions and words can have on those we interact with. 
My friend felt he should send this to a few people…some of you know this person, others have never heard of him.  •