Editor's note: This article was originally printed in the July 12 issue of The (Monroe) News-Star.

I went to Tulsa, Okla., expecting to come out with all work and no play. What came out of my three-day student-athlete advisory conference, however, was more than drawn-out talks about making our athletic departments at our individual universities better.

What I took away from that conference was far more than tips on being a better athlete. I took away a life-changing experience.

I met Deana Moses. She was like the sister I never had. She smiled, took care of her younger brother and sister and asked me to teach her how to shoot a basketball. She was enjoying life like girls at the age of 13 do.

However, Moses was enjoying life in a homeless shelter.

She was not the only one. There were children of all ages in the shelter. At that point I wondered why I had been so blessed. I never did anything special to get to the point I am at.

I just pray and thank God for my many blessings on a daily basis. Moses prayed to God, too. In fact, that afternoon, we spent time reading our favorite passages out of the Bible. She liked mine about what love is -- patient, kind, etc. Afterward, I painted her nails while one of my fellow athletes painted her sister's.

Some of the men, about the age of my uncles, flirted and asked me where I was from. It was then I realized how small of a world we live in. OK, so Dallas is a big city, but one of the men was from up the street where I went to high school. We joked around for a bit, and I left to find someone else to help.

My fellow athletes and I enjoyed that Saturday. When I left the homeless shelter, I called my mother to tell her of my experience. Actually, I called my mother so I could cry.

In my 20 years of living, I seemed to have complained more than I have given thanks. I seemed to have hated life more than I embraced it and welcomed the challenges. But after entering the homeless shelter, I walked out a different person.

At least I hope I did.

I felt as if I was in a whirlwind. I wanted to help each individual but did not have enough time. I cursed myself for not making enough time on a regular basis. It was obvious these people, just like you and me, needed love. From the little girl who wanted her nails painted to the man who just took a wrong turn in life, they all wanted love.

My heart was overjoyed when I left because I was able to help someone. But at the same time, my heart hurt. It ached. I just wanted everything to be all right for Moses, even though she said her family would be moving into an actual home soon.

I wanted everything to be perfect for the little boy who could not stop smiling after one of my friends gave him a University of Tulsa visor of his very own. From then on I promised I would do what I could to help others, without regard for myself so much.

Isn't it ironic how we make promises and New Year's Resolutions only to forget them the other 364 days of the year?

It's interesting what we take for granted in our lives. They say life is too short, and we ought to live it up. I say life is too short to forget to lend a hand to others.

Amber Miles is a junior journalism major from Dallas and serves as associate managing editor for The Tech Talk.