A BOY'S LOVE

On the last day before Christmas, I hurried to go to the supermarket to buytheremaining of the gift I didn't manage to buy earlier.When I saw all the people there, I started to complain tomyself,"It is goingto take forever here and I still have so many other places to go.Christmas really is getting more and more annoying every year.How I wish I couldjust lie down, go to sleep and only wake up after it..."Nonetheless, I made my way to the toy section, and there I started to curse the prices, wondering if after all kids really pla ywith such expensive toys.While looking in the toy section, I noticed a small boy of about 5 years old,pressing a doll against his chest.

He kept on touching the hair of the doll andlooked so sad. I wondered who was this doll for. Then the little boy turned tothe old woman next to him, "Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?"The old lady replied, "You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.

"Then she asked him to stay here for 5 minutes while she went to look around.She left quickly. The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.Finally, I started to walk toward him and I asked him who did he want to givethis doll to.

"It is the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Christmas.She was so sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her."I replied to him that may be Santa Claus will bring it to her, after all, andnot to worry. But he replied to me sadly.

"No, Santa Claus can not bring it to her where she is now. I have to give thedoll to my mother so that she can give it to her when she goes there."His eyes were so sad while saying this."My sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mummy will also go to seeGod very soon, so I thought that she could bring the doll with her to give it tomy sister.

"My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said, "I told daddy to tell mummy not to go yet. I asked him to wait until I come back fromthe supermarket."Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then toldme, "I also want mummy to take this photo with her so that she will not forgetme.

"I love my mummy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me but daddy says thatshe has to go to be with my little sister."Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.I quickly reachedfor my wallet and took a few notes and said to the boy, "What if we check edagain, just in case if you have enough money?"

"Ok," he said. "I hope that I have enough."I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it.There was enough for the doll, and even some spare money.The little boy said, "Thank you God for giving me enough money."Then he looked at me and added,"I asked yesterday before I slept for God tomake sure I have enough money to buy this doll so that mummy can give it to mysister. He heard me."

"I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mummy, but Ididn't dare to ask God too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and thewhite rose."

"You know, my mummy loves white rose."A few minutes later, the old lady came again and I left with my trolley. Ifinished my shopping in a totallydifferent state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy out of mymind.

Then I remembered a local newspaper article 2 days ago, which mentioned of adrunk man in a truck who hit a car where there was one young lady and a littlegirl. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a criticalstate. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-assistingmachine, because the young lady would not be able to get out of the coma.Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaperthat the young lady had passed away.I couldn't stop myself and went to buy abunch of white roses and I went to the mortuary where the body of the youngwoman was exposed for people to see and make last wish before burial.She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rosein her hand withthe photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest. I left the placecrying, feeling that my life had been changed forever.

The love that this littleboy had for his mother and his sister is still, to that day, hard to imagine.And in a fraction of a second, a drunk man had taken all this away from him.

VISUALISE YOUR GOAL

The Catalina Island is twenty-one miles away from the coast of California,and many people have taken the challenge to swim across it. On July 4th 1952,Florence Chadwick stepped into the water off Catalina Island to swim acrossto the California coast. She started well and on course, but later fatigueset in, and the weather became cold. She persisted, but fifteen hours later,numb and cold, she asked to be taken out of the water.
After she recovered, she was told that she had been pulled out only half amile away from the coast. She commented that she could have made it, if thefog had not affected her vision and she would have just seen the land. Shepromised that this would be the only time that she would ever quit.
She went back to her rigorous training. And two months later she swam that same channel. The same thing happened. The fatigue set in, and the fogobscured her view, but this time she swam with faith and vision of the land in her.
mind. She knew that somewhere behind the fog was land. She succeeded andbecame the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel. She even broke the mens record by two hours.

SUCCESS PRINCIPLES

When you set your goal, keep pressing on even when you are tired, physicallyand mentally, and even though there are many challenges ahead. Keep thevision of your goal crystal clear before you and never, never, never… giveup!See the reaching, commit to it, and you will surely see your goal realized.

Charming Indian Actress Madhubala

Charming Indian Actress MadhubalaA story version by her younger Sister.

Last week, the gorgeous Madhubala was immortalised when the Indian government released a stamp in her name.

We spoke to her youngest sister, Madhur Bhushan, who gave us a closer insight into Madhubala's life, her romance with Dilip Kumar, her unhappy marriage to Kishore Kumar, and her illness.

Madhur, whose real name is Zahida, is nine years younger than Madhubala. Out of 10 children, she is one of the four still alive.

Over to Madhur:On Madhubala's entry into films:My father, Ataullah Khan, was working in the Imperial Tobacco Company in Peshawar, Pakistan, when he lost his job and decided to come to Mumbai. Madhubala was seven at that time. Her real name was Mumtaz Begum. We called her Mazliappa, as she was the fifth child.

My father started looking for a job. He also took Madhubala to film studios. She got work in Basant (1942) at the age of nine. The leading lady's name was Mumtaz Shanti, so Madhubala was called Baby Mumtaz, when she was a child actress.

She got her first break in Kirdar Sharma's Neel Kamal. Kirdar's wife was supposed to play the lead role but she passed away. As Madhubala knew the dialogues, she became a heroine at the age of 13. From this film onwards, she was credited as Madhubala. The film did not do well, but her work was appreciated.

Madhubala shot to fame in 1949 with Mahal. She was 16. At that time, no one realized that she was sick, not even my father. Madhubala was a healthy child, and very bubbly.

On Madhubala's illness

Madhubala first vomited blood when she was in Chennai shooting for S S Vassan's Bahut Din Huwe (1954). She was treated, and she resumed shooting. Nobody thought she was sick until she fainted on J K Nanda's sets while shooting with Raj Kapoor on Chalack (1957). The film never got completed. That's when the doctor said that she had a hole in her heart.

She was 24 then.She was advised bed rest for three months, but after a month of rest, Madhubala resumed work. Looking at her, one would not say that she was sick. She herself was not ready to believe that she was sick.

Her last film was Mughal-E-Azam, which released in 1960. People think that she worked after that too, but that's not true. She had completed all her films in the 10 years that it took for Mughal-E-Azam to be made.Some movies released after she was bedridden but she was in no condition to work after Mughal-E-Azam. In fact, in some of the scenes, you will notice that she looks pale and sick.

On her family:

People say that my family knew she was ill but we did not treat her; that we hid this fact from producers to get work. But there was no technology back then to check whether she had a hole in a heart, so how would any of us know? We came to know only in 1957. After three years, she went to London for treatment. But it was too late. Madhubala died after nine years.

Everybody blamed my father. But he was protective about his daughters since his sons had died at the ages of five and six. He was an uneducated man but he was like Madhubala's manager. He took care of her work but never interfered on what films she should take up.

He never allowed Madhubala to attend movie premieres because he felt overexposure would kill her career. He always wanted fans to crave for her.

On her romance with Dilip Kumar

The reason Madhubala broke up with Dilip Kumar was B R Chopra's film Naya Daur. not my father.Madhubala had shot a part of the film when the makers decided to go for an outdoor shoot to Gwalior. The place was known for dacoits, so my father asked them to change the location. They disagreed because they wanted a hilly terrain. So my father asked her to quit the film. He was ready to pay the deficit.Chopra asked Dilip Kumar for help.

Dilipsaab and Madhubala were engaged then. Dilipsaab tried to mediate but Madhubala refused to disobey her father.Chopra's production filed a case against her, which went on for a year. But this did not spoil their relationship.Dilipsaab told her to forget movies and get married to him. She said she would marry him, provided he apologised to her father. He refused, so Madhubala left him. That one 'sorry' could have changed her life. She loved Dilipsaab till the day she died.

On Madhubala's marriage to Kishore Kumar

When Madhubala fell sick and was planning to go to London for treatment, Kishore Kumar proposed marriage.My father wanted her to wait and get a clean chit from the London doctors first. But Madhubala married Kishore Kumar out of stubbornness, and anger towards Dilipsaab. They got married in 1960. She was 27 years old.

Once the doctor gave his verdict -- that she would not live for long -- Kishorebhai brought her a house in Mumbai's Carter Road and dumped her there alone, with a nurse and a driver. He would come once in about four months to see her. He did not take her phone calls. Kishorebhai was madly in love with Madhubala but once she returned from London, he dumped her.

He was not a good husband.Madhubala was very depressed because no one came to meet her. Once upon a time, she was hot property in the industry. But when she was bedridden and dying, not a single person met her. Also, she could no longer dress up. She was in night gowns most of the time. She died at the age of 36.- Madhur

A Leader Should Know How to ManageFailure

Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam : 'A Leader Should Know How to> Manage Failure' India Knowledge@Wharton:

Could you give an example, from your own experience, of how leaders should manage failure?

Kalam: Let me tell you about my experience. In 1973 I became the project director of India's satellite launch vehicle program, commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India's "Rohini" satellite into orbit by 1980.I was given funds and human resources -- but was told clearly that by 1980 we had to launch the satellite into space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical teams towards that goal. By 1979 -- I think the month was August -- we thought we were ready. As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch. At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go through the checklist of items that needed to be checked.

One minute later, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. My experts -- I had four or five of the mwith me -- told me not to worry; they had done their calculations and there was> enough reserve fuel. So I bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and launched the rocket. In the first stage, everything worked fine. In the second stage, a problem developed. Instead of the satellite going into orbit, the whole rocket system plunged into the Bay of Bengal.

It was abig failure. That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Satish Dhawan, had called a press conference. The launch was at 7:00 am,and the press conference -- where journalists from around the world were present -- was at 7:45 am at ISRO's satellite launch range in Sriharikota [inAndhra Pradesh in southern India]. Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure -- he said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, I was the project director, and it was my failure, but instead, he took responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.

The next year, in July 1980, we tried again to launch the satellite -- and this time we succeeded. The whole nation was jubilant. Again, there was a press conference. Prof. Dhawan called me aside and told me, "You conductthe press conference today." I learned a very important lesson that day. When failure occurred, the> leader of the organization owned that failure. When success came, he gaveit to his team. The best management lesson I have learned did not come to me from reading a book; it came from that experience.

Dont Judge to Quickly!

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judgethings too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look atapear tree that was a great distance away.
The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summerand the fourth son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe whatthey had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent and twisted.

The second son said, no, that it was covered with green buds and full ofpromise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled sosweet and looked so beautiful. It was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.The last son disagreed with all of them. He said it was ripe and drooping withfruit - full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they hadeach seen but only one season in the tree's life

.He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person by only one season, andthat the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that comes fromthat life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

SAYING PRAYERS

Last week, I took my children to a restaurant.

My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.

As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for thefood, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert.And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a womanremark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even knowhow to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? IsGod mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God wascertainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table.

He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was agreat prayer."

"Really?" my son asked.

"Cross my heart," the man replied.

Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remarkhad started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. Alittle ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son staredat his for a moment, and then did something I will remember the rest of mylife.

He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it infront of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Icecream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already."The End

i Am Sorry...

i Am Sorry... If I can say I'm sorry, why can't you say that it's Ok?
It was such a while ago, what I did that day.

I apologize one thousand times and still you didn't care
,I knew I knew you better then her

Every time I talk to you, you have to bring that up,
why can't you get over it, it's just a little bump.

Every time I think about it I just want to die,
you seem to get joy from these tears that I cry,

I apologized again last night and all you can say is no,
I try to say that I'm all right the truth is I'm gonna blow.

I can't seem to see why you're still mad,
I'm sorry can't you see,

I didn't see how what I did was bad.
But wait, it just hit me.

WHEN ARE YOU TOO OLD?

When asked how it was that she has lived so long, one 91-year-old woman replied,"I think God is testing the patience of my relatives."
When is "too old"? At what age do we give up? At 100, Grandma Moses was stillpainting, and Titian painted "Battle of Lepants" when he was 98.

At 93, George Bernard Shaw wrote Far­fetched Fables.
At 91, Eamon de Valera served as presi­dent of Ireland.
At 90, Pablo Picasso still drew and engraved.
At 89, Arthur Rubinstein gave one of his greatest recitals in New York'sCarnegie Hall, and Pablo Casals, at 88, still performed celloconcerts.
At 82, Winston Churchill wrote the four-volume work, A History of theEnglish-Speaking Peoples, Leo Tolstoy completed I Can­not Be Silent, and Goethe,at the same age, finished Faust.
At 81, Benjamin Franklin engineered the diplomacy, which led to the adoption ofthe U.S. Constitution.

When are you "too old"? Only on the day when you truly have nothing left togive. And the good news is this: that day never has to arrive!

Funneeee Announcements

Restaurant, Nairobi :
Customers who find our waitresses rude ought to see the manager.Hotel bedroom,

Japan :
Guests are requested not to smoke or do other disgusting behaviours in bed.Cocktail lounge ,

Norway:
Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.

Newspaper Classified:
Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated. Come here first..

Hotel, Acapulco :
The manager has personally passed all the water served here.

3-year old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.(in months or years?)

Private school:
No trespassing without permission.

River highway:
Take notice: when this sign is under water, this road is impassable.

Automatic hand dryer in public lavatory:
Do not activate with wet hands.

Maternity ward:
No children allowed.

Cemetery:
Persons are prohibited from picking flowers from any but their own graves.

10 Secrets of Love

The Power Of Thought -

Love begins with our thoughts. We become what we think about. Loving thoughtscreate loving experiences and loving relationships. Affirmations can change ourbeliefs and thoughts about others and ourselves. If we want to love someone, weneed to consider their needs and desires. Thinking about your ideal partner willhelp you recognize her when you meet her.

The Power Of Respect -

You cannot love anyone or anything unless you first respect them. The firstperson you need to respect is yourself. To begin to gain self-respect asksyourself, "What do I respect about myself?" To gain respect for others, eventhose you may dislike, ask yourself "What do I respect about them?"

The Power Of Giving -

If you want to receive love, all you have to do is give it! The more love yougive, the more you will receive. To love is to give of yourself freely andunconditionally. Practice random acts of kindness. Before committing to arelationship ask not what the other person will be able to give to you, butrather what will you be able to give them. The secret formula of a happy,lifelong, loving relationship is to always focus on what you can give instead ofwhat you can take.The

Power Of Friendship -

To find a true love, you must first find a true friend. Love does not consist ofgazing into each other's eyes, but rather looking outward together in the samedirection. To love someone completely you must love them for who they are, notwhat they look like. Friendship is the soil through which love's seeds grow. Ifyou want to bring love into a relationship, you must first bring friendship.

The Power Of Touch -

Touch is one of the most powerful expressions of love, breaking down barriersand bonding relationships. Touch changes our physical and emotional states andmakes us more receptive to love.

The Power Of Letting Go -

If you love something, let it free. If it comes back to you it's yours, if itdoesn't, it never was. Even in a loving relationship, people need their ownspace. If we want to learn to love, we must first learn to forgive and let go ofpast hurts and grievances. Love means letting go of our fears, prejudices, egosand conditions. "Today I let go of all my fears, the past has no power over me -today is the beginning of a new life."

The Power Of Communication -

When we learn to communicate openly and honestly, life changes. To love someoneis to communicate with them. Let the people you love know that you love them andappreciate them. Never be afraid to say those three magic words: "I Love you."Never let an opportunity pass to praise someone. Always leave someone you lovewith a loving word - it could be the last time you see them. If you were aboutto die but could make telephone calls to the people you loved, who would youcall, what would you say and.. Why are you waiting?

The Power Of Commitment -

If you want to have love in abundance, you must be committed to it, and thatcommitment will be reflected in your thoughts and actions. Commitment is thetrue test of love. If you want to have loving relationships, you must becommitted to loving relationships. When you are committed to someone orsomething, quitting is never an option. Commitment distinguishes a fragilerelationship from a strong one.

The Power Of Passion -

Passion ignites love and keeps it alive. Lasting passion does not come throughphysical attraction alone; it comes from deep commitment, enthusiasm, interestand excitement. Passion can be recreated by recreating past experiences when youfelt passionate. Spontaneity and surprises produce passion. The essence of loveand happiness are the same; all we need to do is to live each day with passion.

The Power Of Trust -

Trust is essential in all loving relationships. Without it one person becomessuspicious, anxious and fearful and the other person feels wrapped andemotionally suffocated. You cannot love someone completely unless you trust themcompletely. Act as if your relationship with the person you love will never end.One of the ways you can tell whether a person is right for you is to askyourself, "Do I trust them completely and unreservedly? " If the answer is "no",think carefully before making a commitment.

If It's Meant To Be, It Will Be

Words of Wisdom If It's Meant To Be, It Will Be!As I walked home onefreezing day, I stumbled on a wallet someone had lost in the street. I picked itup and looked inside to find some identification so I could call the owner. Butthe wallet contained only three dollars and a crumpled letter that looked as ifit had been in there for years. The envelope was worn and the only thing thatwas legible on it was the return address. I started to open the letter, hopingto find some clue. Then I saw the dateline -1924. The letter had been writtenalmost sixty years ago.
It was written in a beautiful feminine handwriting on powder blue stationerywith a little flower in the left-hand corner. It was a 'Dear John' letter thattold the recipient, whose name appeared to be Michael and said that the writercould not see him any more because her mother forbade it. Even so, she wrotethat she would always love him. It was signed, Hannah. It was a beautifulletter, but there was no way except for the name Michael, that the owner couldbe identified. Maybe if I called information, the operator could find a phonelisting for the address on the envelope. 'Operator,' I began, ' this is anunusual request. I'm trying to find the owner of a wallet that I found. Is thereanyway you can tell me if there is a phone number for an address that was on anenvelope in the wallet?' She suggested I speak with her supervisor, whohesitated for a moment then said, 'Well, there is a phone listing at thataddress, but I can't give you the number.' She said, asa courtesy, she would call that number, explain my story and would ask them ifthey wanted her to connect me. I waited a few minutes and then she was back onthe line. 'I have a party who will speak with you.' I asked the woman on theother end of the line if she knew anyone by the name of Hannah. She gasped, 'Oh!we bought this house from a family who had a daughter named Hannah. But that was30 years ago!' 'Would you know where that family could be located now?' Iasked. 'I remember that Hannah had to place her mother in a nursing home someyears ago,' the woman said. 'Maybe if you got in touch with them they might beable to track down the daughter.' She gave me the name of the nursing home andI called the number. They told me the old lady had passed away some years agobut they did have a phone number for where they thought the daughter might beliving. I thanked them and phoned. The woman who answered explained that Hannahherself was now living in a nursinghome.
This whole thing was stupid, I thought to myself. Why was I making sucha big deal over finding the owner of a wallet that had only three dollars and aletter that was almost 60 years old? Nevertheless, I called the nursing homein which Hannah was supposed to be living and the man who answered the phonetold me, 'Yes, Hannah is staying with us.' Even though it was already 10 p.m.,I asked if I could come by to see her. 'Well,' he said hesitatingly, 'if youwant to take a chance, she might be in the day room watching television.' Ithanked him and drove over to the nursing home. The night nurse and a guardgreeted me at the door. We went up to the third floor of the large building. Inthe day room, the nurse introduced me to Hannah. She was a sweet,silver-haired old timer with a warm smile and a twinkle in her eye. I told herabout finding the wallet and showed her the letter. The second she saw thepowder blue envelope with that little flower on the left,she took a deep breath and said, ' Young man, this letter was the last contactI ever had with Michael.' She looked away for a moment deep in thought andthen said softly, 'I loved him very much. But I was only 16 at the time and mymother felt I was too young. Oh, he was so handsome. He looked like SeanConnery, the actor.' 'Yes,' she continued, 'Michael Goldstein was a wonderfulperson. If you should find him, tell him I think of him often and,' shehesitated for a moment, almost biting her lip, 'tell him I still love him. Youknow,' she said smiling as tears began to well up in her eyes, 'I never didmarry, I guess no one ever matched up to Michael.' I thanked Hannah and saidgoodbye. I took the elevator to the first floor and as I stood by the door, theguard there asked, 'Was the old lady able to help you?' I told him she had givenme a lead. 'At least I have a last name.
But I think I'll let it go for a while.I spent almost the whole day trying to find theowner of this wallet.' I had taken out the wallet, which was a simple brownleather case with red lacing on the side. When the guard saw it, he said, ' Hey,wait a minute! That's Mr. Goldstein's wallet. I'd know it anywhere with thatright red lacing. He's always losing that wallet must have found it in the hallsat least three times.' 'Who's Mr. Goldstein?' I asked as my hand began toshake. 'He's one of the old timers on the 8th floor. That's Mike Goldstein'swallet for sure. He must have lost it on one of his walks.' I thanked the guardand quickly ran back to the nurse's office. I told her what the guard had said.We went back to the elevator and got on. I prayed that Mr. Goldstein would beup. On the eighth floor, the floor nurse said, 'I think he's still in the dayroom. He likes to read at night. He's a darling old man. 'We went to the onlyroom that had any lights on and there was a man reading a book. The nurse wentover to him and asked if he had lost hiswallet. Mr. Goldstein looked up with surprise, put his hand in his back pocketand said, 'Oh, it is missing!' 'This kind gentleman found a wallet and wewondered if it could be yours?' I handed Mr. Goldstein the wallet and the secondhe saw it, he smiled with relief and said, 'Yes, that's it! It must have droppedout of my pocket this afternoon. I want to give you a reward.' 'No, thankyou,' I said. 'But I have to tell you something. I read the letter in the hopeof finding out who owned the wallet.' The smile on his face suddenlydisappeared. 'You read that letter?' 'Not only did I read it, I think I knowwhere Hannah is.' He suddenly grew pale. 'Hannah? You know where she is? How isshe? Is she still as pretty as she was? Please, please tell me,' he begged. 'She's fine ... just as pretty as when you knew her.' I said softly. The old mansmiled with anticipation and asked, 'Could you tell me where she is? I want tocall her tomorrow.' He grabbed my hand and said,'You know something, mister, I was so in love with that girl that when thatletter came, my life literally ended. I never married. I guess I've always lovedher.' 'Mr. Goldstein,' I said, 'come with me. 'We took the elevator down tothe third floor.
The hallways were darkened and only one or two littlenight-lights lit our way to the day room where Hannah was sitting alone watchingthe television. The nurse walked over to her. 'Hannah,' she said softly,pointing to Michael, who was waiting with me in the doorway. 'Do you know thisman?' She adjusted her glasses, looked for a moment, but didn't say a word.Michael said softly, almost in a whisper, 'Hannah, it's Michael. Do you rememberme?' She gasped, 'Michael! I don't believe it! Michael! It's you! My Michael!'He walked slowly towards her and they embraced. The nurse and I left with tearsstreaming down our faces. 'See,' I said. 'See how the Good Lord works! If it'smeant to be, it will be.' About three weeks
later I got a call at my office from the nursing home. 'Can you get away onSunday to attend a wedding? Michael and Hannah are going to tie the knot!' Itwas a beautiful wedding with all the people at the nursing home dressed up tojoin in the celebration. Hannah wore a light beige dress and looked beautiful.Michael wore a dark blue suit and stood tall. They made me their best man. Thehospital gave them their own room and if you ever wanted to see a 76-year-oldbride and a 79-year-old groom acting like two teenagers, you had to see thiscouple. A perfect ending for a love affair that had lasted nearly 60 years!

MUST READ FOR ALL MARRIED COUPLES

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner,I held her hand and said, I've got something to tellyou. She sat down and ate quietly.Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly Ididn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let herknow what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.
She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead sheasked me softly, why? I avoided her question. Thismade her angry. She threw away the chopsticks andshouted at me, you are not a man! That night, wedidn¢t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew shewanted to find out what had happened to our marriage.But I could h ardly give her a satisfactory answer; shehad lost my heart to a lovely girl called Dew. Idid'nt love her anymore.I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorceagreement which stated that she could own our house,our car, and 30% stake of my company.She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. Thewoman who had spent ten years of her life with me hadbecome a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time,resources and energy but I could not take back what Ihad said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she criedloudly in front of me, which was what I had expectedto see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release.The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for severalweeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found herwriting something at the table. I did'nt have supperbut went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fastbecause I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.When I woke up, she was still there at the tablewriting. I just did not care so I turned over and wasasleep again.
The next day, I came back home very late and found herwriting something at the table. I did'nt have supperbut went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fastbecause I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.When I woke up, she was still there at the tablewriting. I just did not care so I turned over and wasasleep again.
This was agreeable to me. But she had something more,she asked me to recall how I had carried her into outbridal room on our wedding day.She requested that everyday for the month's duration Icarry her out of our bedroom to the front door evermorning. I thought she was going crazy. Just tomake our last days together bearable I accepted herodd request.
I told Dew ab out my wife s divorce conditions. Shelaughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matterwhat tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce,she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since mydivorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when Icarried her out on the first day, we both appearedclumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holdingmummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense ofpain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then tothe door, I walked over ten meters with her in myarms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don¢t tellour son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhatupset. I put her down outside the door. She went towait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily.She leaned on my chest. I could smell her fragrance.I realized that I hadn¢t looked at thiswoman carefully for a long time. I realised she wasnot young any more. There were fine wrinkles on herface, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken itstoll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had doneto her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt asense of intimacy returning. This was the woman whohad given ten years of her life to me. On the fifthand sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacywas growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. Itbecame easier to carry her as the month slipped by.Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She triedon quite a few dresses but could not find a suitableone. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grownbigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown sothin, that was the reason why I could carry her moreeasily.Suddenly it hit me. She had buried so much pain andbitter ness in her heart.Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's timeto carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carryinghis mother out had become an essential part of hislife. My wife gestured to our son to come closer andhugged him tightly. I turned my face away because Iwas afraid I might change my mind at this last minute.I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom,through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her handsurrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held herbody tightly, it was just like our wedding day.But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the lastday, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move astep. Our son had gone to school.I held her tightly and said, I had'nt noticed that ourlife lacked intimacy.
I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftlywithout locking the door. I was afra id any delay wouldmake me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dewopened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I donot want the divorce anymore.
She looked at me, astonished. Then touched myforehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved herhand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won'tdivorce. My marriage life was boring probably becauseshe and I didn't value the details of our lives, notbecause we didn't love each other any more. Now Irealise that since I carried her into my home on ourwedding day I am supposed to hold her until death dous apart. Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave mea loud slap and then slammed the door and burst intotears. I walked downstairs and drove away.
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet offlowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what towrite on the card. I smiled andwrote, (**Henceforth**)I'll carry you out every morninguntil death do us apart. (mmuvms)
The small details of your lives are what really matterin a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car,property , the money in the bank, blah..blah.. blah.These create an environment conducive for happinessbut cannot give happiness in themselves. So find timeto be your spouse's friend and do those little thingsfor each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

Never loose an opportunity

A Young man wished to marry the Farmer's Beautiful Daughter.
He went to the Farmer to ask his permission.
The Farmer looked him over and said, "Son, Go stand out in that field.I'm going to release three bulls, one at a time. If you can catch the tail ofany one of the three bulls,you can marry my daughter."
The young man stood in the pasture awaiting the first bull. The barn dooropened and out ran the biggest,meanest-looking bull he had ever seen.
He decided that one of the next bulls had to be a better choice than this one,so he ran over to the side and let t he bull pass through the pasture out theback gate.
The barn door opened again. Unbelievable. He had never seen anything so bigand fierce in his life.
It stood pawing the ground, grunting, slinging slobber as it eyed him.Whatever the next bull was like,it had to be a better choice than this one. He ran to the fence and let thebull pass throughthe pasture, out the back gate.
The door opened a third time. a smile came a cross his face. This was theWeakest, scrawniestlittle bull he had ever seen. This one was his bull. As the bull came runningby, he positioned himselfjust right and jumped at just the exact moment.
He Grabbed...
But The Bull Had No Tail!

Moral Of the story:
Life Is Full Of Opportunities.
Some Will Be Easy To Take Advantage Of,
Some Will Be Difficult.
But Once We Let Them Pass (Often In Hopes Of Something Better),
Those Opportunities May Never Again Be Available.
So Always Grab The First Opportunity . . ..

HOT CHOCOLATES

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at areunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in theirwork and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into thekitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups- porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite- telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Noticethat all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plainand cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best foryourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you'redrinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most casesit is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What allof you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously wentfor the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.
Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position insociety are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cupyou have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes,by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God hasprovided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiestpeople don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everythingthat they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Andenjoy your hot chocolate.