MOTHER

This story begins when I was a child: I was born poor. Often we hadn't enough to eat. Whenever we had some food, Mother often gave me her portion of rice. While she was transferring her rice into my bowl, she would say "Eat this rice, son! I'm not hungry."

This was Mother's First Lie.

As I grew, Mother gave up her spare time to fish in a river near our house; she hoped that from the fish she caught, she could give me a little bit more nutritious food for my growth. Once she had caught just two fish, she would make fish soup. While I was eating the soup, mother would sit beside me and eat what was still left on the bone of the fish I had eaten; My heart was touched when I saw it. Once I gave the other fish to her on my chopstick but she immediately refused it and said, "Eat this fish, son! I don't really like fish."
This was Mother's Second Lie.

Then, in order to fund my education, Mother went to a Match Factory to bring home some used matchboxes which she filled with fresh matchsticks.. This helped her get some money to cover our needs. One wintry night I awoke to find Mother filling the matchboxes by candlelight. So I said, "Mother, go to sleep; it's late: you can continue working tomorrow morning." Mother smiled and said "Go to sleep, son! I'm not tired."
This was Mother's Third Lie

When I had to sit my Final Examination, Mother accompanied me.. After dawn, Mother waited for me for hours in the heat of the sun. When the bell rang, I ran to meet her.. Mother embraced me and poured me a glass of tea that she had prepared in a thermos. The tea was not as strong as my Mother's love, Seeing Mother covered with perspiration; I at once gave her my glass and asked her to drink too. Mother said "Drink, son! I'm not thirsty!".
This was Mother's Fourth Lie.

After Father's death, Mother had to play the role of a single parent. She held on to her former job; she had to fund our needs alone. Our family's life was more complicated. We suffered from starvation. Seeing our family's condition worsening, my kind Uncle who lived near my house came to help us solve our problems big and small.
Our other neighbours saw that we were poverty stricken so they often advised my mother to marry again. But Mother refused to remarry saying "I don't need love."
This was Mother's Fifth Lie.

After I had finished my studies and gotten a job, it was time for my old Mother to retire but she carried on going to the market every morning just to sell a few vegetables. I kept sending her money but she was steadfast and even sent the money back to me. She said, "I have enough money."
That was Mother's Sixth Lie.

I continued my part-time studies for my Master's Degree. Funded by the American Corporation for which I worked, I succeeded in my studies. With a big jump in my salary, I decided to bring Mother to enjoy life in America but Mother didn't want to bother her son; she said to me "I'm not used to high living."
That was Mother's Seventh Lie

In her dotage, Mother was attacked by cancer and had to be hospitalized. Now living far across the ocean, I went home to visit Mother who was bedridden after an operation. Mother tried to smile but I was heartbroken because she was so thin and feeble but Mother said, "Don't cry, son! I'm not in pain."

That was Mother's Eighth Lie.

Telling me this, her eighth lie, she died.

YES, MOTHER WAS AN ANGEL!

M - O - T - H - E - R

"M" is for the Million things she gave me,
"O" means Only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the Tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her Heart of gold,
"E" is for her Eyes with love-light shining in them,

R" means Right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER"
a word that means the world to me.

PARENTS ARE PRECIOUS!!!

................................................................................................... PARENTS ARE PRECIOUS!!! This was narrated at a Seminar recently on Human Relations : Venkatesh Balasubramaniam (who works for IIT) describes how his gesture of booking an air ticket for his father, his maiden flight, brought forth a rush of emotions and made him (Venkatesh) realize that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents. My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never traveled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same. In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways. The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air. The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for a window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things. As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him. When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me. But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life. As a child, how many dreams our parents have made come true. Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for cricket bats, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have catered to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes? Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us? Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school. Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have t give the child the best, theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young. It is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete. Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments. Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care needs to be given to our parents and elders.Quality time and politely answering them with out making them wait is important. Now I realise that I must look at their eyes and answer them pleasantly and pretend to be reading papers and answer in mono syllables. Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes. Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too. Take care of your parents. THEY ARE PRECIOUS. - KEEP THIS MESSAGE GOING BY SENDING IT TO YOUR FRIENDS

Small Story…

Small Story…

A boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her. The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed.

The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised.

That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn't sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble.

Moral of the story: If you don't give your hundred percent in a relationship, you'll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent.. This is applicable for any relationship like love, friendship, employer-employee relationship etc., Give your hundred percent to everything you do then live life peacefully

One of the nice mail for all of you dear friends:::Difference Between Somebody you Love & Somebody You Like

In front of the person you love, your heart beats faster.

But in front of the person you like, you get happy.

In front of the person you love, winter seems like spring.

But in front of the person you like, winter is just beautiful winter.

If you look into the eyes of the one you love, you blush.

But if you look into the eyes of the one you like, you smile.

In front of the person you love, you can't say everything on your mind.

But in front of the person you like you can.

In front of the person you love, you tend to get shy.

But in front of the person you like, you can show your own self.

You can't look straight into the eyes of the one you love.

But you can always smile into the eyes of the one you like.

My F'ship means a little heart that never hates,

A cute smile that never fades,

A smooth touch that never hurts,

& A strong relationship that never break.

PARENTS ARE PRECIOUS!!!

This was narrated at a Seminar recently on Human Relations :

Venkatesh Balasubramaniam (who works for IIT) describes how his gesture of booking an air ticket for his father, his maiden
flight, brought forth a rush of emotions and made him (Venkatesh) realize that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our
parents.

My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never traveled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same. In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways. The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air. The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of
travel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for a window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him
experience all these things.

As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him. When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me. But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life. As a child, how many dreams our parents have made come true. Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for cricket bats, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have catered to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes? Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us? Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school. Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have t give the child the best, theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young. It is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.

Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments. Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care needs to be given to our parents and elders.Quality time and politely answering them with out making them wait is important. Now I realise that I must look at their eyes and answer them pleasantly and pretend to be reading papers and answer in mono syllables. Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes.

Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too.



Take care of your parents. THEY ARE PRECIOUS.

This is how we can tackle with problems by avoiding blames : just by caring each other

boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open.

He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband. When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just five words.


QUESTIONS:
1. What were the five words ?
2. What is the implication of this story?

ANSWER : The husband just said "I am with you Darling" The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother.


Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened.
No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. "
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.


Take off all your envies, jealousies,unforgiv eness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you
think.

MORAL OF THE STORY

Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this way we miss out something.

FACTS ABOUT LIFE

isn't it strange how a 20 rupee note seems like such a large amount

when you donate it to temple,

but such a small amount
when you go shopping?


Isn't it strange how 2 hours seem so long when
you're at Temple, and how
short they seem when you're
watching a good movie?

Isn't it strange that you can't
find a word to say when
you're praying,
but you have no trouble
thinking what to talk about
with a friend?


Isn't it strange how difficult
and boring it is to read
one chapter
of the Bhagwad Gita, but how easy
it is to read 100 pages of
a popular novel ?


Isn't it strange how everyone
wants front-row-tickets
to concerts or
games, but they do whatever
is possible to sit at the last
row in Jagran?


Isn't it strange how we need to
know about an event for
Temple2-3
weeks before the day so we can
include it in our agenda, but we can
adjust it for other events in
the last minute?


Isn't it strange how difficult it
is to learn a fact about God to share it
with others, but how easy
it is to learn, understand,
extend and repeat gossip?



Isn't it strange how we
believe everything
that magazines and newspapers
say, but we question the words in the
Bhagwad Gita?


Isn't it strange how everyone
wants a place in
heaven, but they don't want
to believe, do, or say anything
to get there?

Isn't it strange how we send
jokes in e-mails
and they are forwarded
right away,
but when we are going to send
messages about God, we think
about it twice before we share
it with others?

IT'S STRANGE ISN'T IT?

The Gossip

A woman repeated a bit of gossip about a neighbor. Within a few days the whole community knew the story.
The person it concerned was deeply hurt and offended.

Later the woman responsible for spreading the rumor learned that it was completely untrue.
She was very sorry and went to a wise old sage to find out what she could do to repair the damage."Go to the marketplace," he said, "and purchase a chicken, and have it killed. Then on your way home, pluck its feathers and drop them one by one along the road."

Although surprised by this advice, the woman did what she was told.
The next day the wise man said, "Now go and collect all those feathers you dropped yesterday and bring them back to me."

The woman followed the same road, but to her dismay, the wind had blown the feathers all away. After searching for hours, she returned with only three in her hand.

"You see," said the old sage, "it's easy to drop them, but it's impossible to get them back.
So it is with gossip. It doesn't take much to spread a rumor, but once you do, you can never completely undo the wrong."

FAIRY TALE for Managers!

Many years ago in a small Indian village,

A farmer had the misfortune Of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender.

The Moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful Daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his Daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the Proposal.

So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter.

He told them that he would put a black Pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would Have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.


2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.


3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail.


They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As They talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he Picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two Black pebbles and put them into the bag.


He then asked the girl to pick A pebble from the bag.


Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have Done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you Have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:


1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag And expose the money-lender as a cheat.

3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order To save her father from his debt and imprisonment.


Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with The hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral And logical thinking.


The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with Traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses.The above logical answers.


What would you recommend to the Girl to do?


Well, here is what she did ....


The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path Where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.


"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the Bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I Picked."


Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had Picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his Dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into An extremely advantageous one.


MORAL OF THE STORY:

Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't Attempt to think.

A Pillow & A Blanket

A long time ago, a young, wealthy girl was getting ready for bed. She was sayingher prayers when she heard a muffled crying coming through her window. A littlefrightened, she went over to the window and leaned out. Another girl, who seemedto be about her age and homeless was standing in the alley by the rich girlshouse. Her heart went out to the homeless girl, for it was the dead of winter,and the girl had no blanket, only old newspapers someone had thrown out.The rich girl was suddenly struck with a brilliant idea. She called to the othergirl and said, "You there, come to my front door, please."

The homeless girl was so startled she could only manage to nod.

As quick as her legs could take her, the young girl ran down the hall to hermothers closet, and picked out an old quilt and a beat up pillow. She had towalk slower down to the front door as to not trip over the quilt which washanging down, but she made it eventually. Dropping both the articles, she openedthe door. Standing there was the homeless girl, looking quite scared. The richgirl smiled warmly and handed both articles to the other girl. Her smile grewwider as she watched the true amazement and happiness alight upon the othergirl's face. She went to bed incredibly satisfied.

In mid-morning the next day a knock came to the door. The rich girl flew to thedoor hoping that it was the other little girl there. She opened the large doorand looked outside. It was the other little girl. Her face looked happy, and shesmiled. "I suppose you want these back."

The rich little girl opened her mouth to say that she could keep them whenanother idea popped into her head. "No, I want them back."

The homeless girl's face fell. This was obviously not the answer she had hopedfor. She reluctantly laid down the beat up things, and turned to leave when therich girl yelled, "Wait! Stay right there." She turned in time to see the richgirl running up the stairs and down a long corridor. Deciding whatever the richlittle girl was doing wasn't worth waiting for she started to turn around andwalk away. As her foot hit the first step, she felt someone tap her on theshoulder, turning she saw the rich little girl, thrusting a new blanket andpillow at her. "Have these." she said quietly.

These were her own personal belonging made of silk and down feathers.

As the two grew older they didn't see each other much, but they were never farfrom each other's minds. One day, the Rich girl, who was now a Rich woman got atelephone call from someone. A lawyer, saying that she was requested to see him.When she arrived at the office, he told her what had happened. Forty years ago,when she was nine years old, she had helped a little girl in need. That grewinto a middle-class woman with a husband and two children. She had recently diedand left something for her in her will. "Though," the lawyer said, "it's themost peculiar thing. She left you a pillow and a blanket."

My mom only had one eye

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... She was such an embarrassment.
She cooked for students and teaches to support the family.
There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed.

How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out.
The next day at school one of my classmates said, "EEEE, your mom only has one eye!"

I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear.
I confronted her that day and said, " If you're only gonna make me a laughing stock, why don't you just die?"

My mom did not respond... I didn't even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings.

I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.

Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own.
I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadn't seen me in years and she didn't even meet her grandchildren.

When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her,
and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited..
I screamed at her, "How dare you come to my house and scare my children!
" GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!"

And to this, my mother quietly answered, "Oh, I'm so sorry.
I may have gotten the wrong address," and she disappeared out of sight.

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house.
So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion,
I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed a single tear.
They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.

"My dearest son,

I think of you all the time. I'm sorry that I came to your house and
scared your children.

I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion.
But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you.
I'm sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when
you were growing up.

You see........when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye.
As a mother, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with one eye.
So I gave you mine.

I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.
With all my love to you,
Your mother.


Always tell someone that you love them because you never
know what day will be their last, or your own.

The Power of Giving

It was a really hot summer’s day many years ago. I was on my way to pick up two items at the grocery store. In those days, I was a frequent visitor to the supermarket because there never seemed to be enough money for a whole week’s food-shopping at once.

You see, m y young wife, after a tragic battle with cancer, had died just a few months earlier. There was no insurance -- just many expenses and a mountain of bills. I held a part-time job, which barely generated enough money to feed my two young children.

Things were bad -- really bad.

And so it was that day, with a heavy heart and four dollars in my pocket, I was on my way to the supermarket to purchase a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. The children were hungry and I had to get them something to eat. As I came to a red traffic light, I noticed on my right a young man, a young woman and a child on the grass next to the road. The blistering noonday sun beat down on them without mercy.

The man held up a cardboard sign which read, "Will Work for Food." The woman stood next to him. She just stared at the cars stopped at the red light. The child, probably about two years old, sat on the grass holding a one-armed doll. I noticed all this in the thirty seconds it took for the traffic light to change to green.

I wanted so desperately to give them a few dollars, but if I did that, there wouldn’t be enough left to buy the milk and bread. Four dollars will only go so far. As the light changed, I took one last glance at the three of them and sped off feeling both guilty (for not helping them) and sad (because I didn’t have enough money to share with them).

As 20I kept driving, I couldn’t get the picture of the three of them out of my mind. The sad, haunting eyes of the young man and his family stayed with me for about a mile. I could take it no longer. I felt their pain and had to do something about it. I turned around and drove back to where I had last seen them.

I pulled up close to them and handed the man two of myfour dollars. There were tears in his eyes as he thanked me. I smiled and drove on to the supermarket. Perhaps both milk and bread would be on sale, I thought. And what if I only got milk alone, or just the bread? Well, it would have to do.

I pulled into the parking lot, still thinking about the whole incident,=2 0yet feeling good about what I had done. As I stepped out of the car, my foot slid on something on the pavement. There by my feet was a twenty-dollar bill. I just couldn’t believe it. I looked all around, picked it up with awe, went into the store and purchased not only bread and milk, but several other items I desperately needed.

I never forgot that incident. It reminded me that theuniverse was strange and mysterious. It confirmed my belief that you could never out give the universe. I gave away two dollars and got twenty in return. On my way back from the supermarket, I drove by the hungry family and shared five additional dollars with them. This incident is only one of many that have 20occurred in my life. It seems that the more we give, the more we get. It is, perhaps, one of those universal laws that say, "If you want to receive, you must first give."

THINGS MAY NOT BE WHAT THEY APPEAR

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.

The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room.

Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem." The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen?

The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied.

"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it."

"Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

The Four Candles

The Four Candles burned slowly.Their ambiance was so soft you could hear them speak...

The first candle said,"I Am Peace, but these days, nobody wants to keep me lit." Then Peace's flame slowly diminished and went out completely.

The second candle said, "I Am Faith, but these days, I am no longer indispensable." Then Faith's flameslowly diminished and went out completely.

Sadly the third candle spoke, "I Am Love and I haven't the strength to stay lit any longer." "People put me asideand don't understand my importance. They even forget to love those who arenearest to them." And waiting no longer, Love went out completely. Suddenly...

A child entered the room and saw the three candles no longerburning. The child began to cry, "Why are you not burning? You are supposed tostay lit until the end.

" Then the Fourth Candle spoke gently to the littleboy, "Don't be afraid, for I Am Hope, and while I still burn, we can re-lightthe other candles." With shining eyes, the child tookthe Candle of Hope and lit the other three candles. Never let the Flame ofHope go out.

With Hope in your life, no matter how bad things may be,Peace, Faith and Love may shine brightly once again.

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.

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

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!

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.

Breakfast at McDonald's

This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through untilthe end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed mycollege degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology.The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish everyhuman being had been graced with.

Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document theirreactions.I am a very friendly person and always smile at e veryone and say helloanyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and Iwent out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a suddeneveryone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.

I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up insideof me as I turned to see why they had moved.As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'. Hisbeautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched foracceptance.He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. Irealized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentlemanwas his salvation.I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counterasked him what they wanted. He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that wasall they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up,they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out andembraced the little man with the blue eyes.That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging myevery action.I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two morebreakfast meals on a separate tray.I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as aresting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyedgentleman's cold hand.He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you.God is here working through me to give you hope.'I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I satdown my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me,Honey, to give me hope.'We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.We are not church goers, but we are believers.

That day showed me the pureLight of God's sweet love.I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story inhand.I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it. Then she looked up atme and said, 'Can I share this?'

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read andthat is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share thisneed to heal people and to be healed.In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, instructor,and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as acollege student.I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:

Unconditional Acceptance:
Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read thisand learn how to
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LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.