I wish you enough...

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport.They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, "I love you, and I wish you enough."

The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom."

They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"

Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?"

"I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.

"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?"

She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. "When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them."

Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Then, she began to cry, and walked away.

They say, it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them.

TAKE TIME TO LIVE.....

To all my friends and loved ones, I WISH YOU ENOUGH........

The 7 Wonders of the World

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders of the World". Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes :

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, than read: "I think the 'Seven Wonders of the World' are :

1. To see...
2. To hear...
3. To touch...
4. To taste...
5. To feel...
6. To laugh...
7. And to Love...



The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous!

A gentle reminder :

That the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.

4 things you cannot recover

A young lady was waiting for her flight in the boarding room of a big airport.

As she would need to wait many hours, she decided to buy a book to spend her time. She also bought a packet of cookies.

She sat down in an armchair, the VIP room of the airport, to rest and read in peace.

Beside the armchair where the packet of cookies lay, a man sat down in the next seat, opened his magazine and started reading.

When she took out the first cookie, the man took one also. She felt irritated but said nothing. She just thought : "What a nerve! If I was in the mood I would have punch him for daring!"

For each cookie she took, the man took one too.

This was infuriating her but she didn't want to cause a scene.

When only one cookie remained, she thought: "ah... What this abusive man do now?"

Then, the man, taking the last cookie, divided it into half, giving her one half.

Ah! That was too much!
She was much too angry now!

In a huff, she took her book, her things and stormed to the boarding place.

When she sat down in her seat, inside the plane, she looked into her purse to take her eyeglasses, and, to her surprise, her packet of cookies was there, untouched, unopened!

She felt so ashamed!! She realized that she was wrong...
She had forgotten that her cookies were kept in her purse.

The man had divided his cookies with her, without feeling angered or bitter.... while she had been very angry, thinkiing that she was dividing her cookies with him. And now there was no chance to explain herself.. nor to apologize."

The moral of the story...

There are 4 things that you cannot recover.

The stone... after the throw!
The word... after it's said!
The occasion... after the loss!
The time.. after it's gone!

Hello there nice person;
Did anyone ever tell you just how special you are?
The light that you emit might even light a star.

Did anyone ever tell you how important you make others feel.
Somebody out there is smiling about love that is so real.

Did anyone ever tell you that many times when they were sad your email made them smile a bit, in fact it made them glad.
For the time you spend sending things and sharing whatever you find, there are no words to thank you, but somebody thinks you're fine.

Did anyone ever tell you just how much they like you? Well, my derest friend today I am telling you.
I bevlieve that without a friend you are missing out on a lot!!

Have a nice day, and I'm glad we are friends!!

It is a Matter of Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror,and noticed she had only three hairs on her head."Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today."
So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up,looked in the mirrorand saw that she had only two hairs on her head.
"H-M-M," she said,
"I think I'll part my hair down the middle today."
So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up,looked in the mirror and noticedthat she had only one hair on her head."Well," she said, "today I'm goingto wear my hair in a pony tail."So she did, and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror and noticed
that there wasn't a single hair on her head.
"YAY!" she exclaimed.
"I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything.

Be kinder than necessary,
for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle .
Live simply,

Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly.......
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...

It's about learning to dance in the rain.

The Window

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning, while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hang the wash outside.

That laundry is not very clean, she said, he doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap. Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: Look! She has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.

The husband said : I got early this morning and cleaned our windows!

And so it is with life : What we see when watching others, depends on the purity of the window through which we look. Before we give any criticism, it might be a good idea to check our state of mind and ask ourselves if we are ready to see the good rather than to be looking for something in the person we are about to judge.

And oh yes! I almost forgot....
I see you today much clearer than I did yesterday...
And you?

Wishing you a nice day...

Oolong Tea

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how thingswere so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it andwanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed asone problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water andplaced each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first sheplaced carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placedOolong tea. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrotsout and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in abowl.

Then she ladled the Oolong out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to herdaughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and Oolong tea,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did andnoted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an eggand break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the Oolong. The daughtersmiled as she tasted its rich aroma The daughter then asked, 'What does itmean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the sameadversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went instrong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boilingwater, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outershell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through theboiling water, its inside became hardened. The Oolong tea was unique,however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the watercolor and taste.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on yourdoor, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a Oolong tea?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with painand adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financialhardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does myshell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiffspirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the Oolong tea? The tea actually changes the hot water, thevery circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releasesthe fragrance and flavor. If you are like the tea, when things are at theirworst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour isthe darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself toanother level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or aOolong tea?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make youstrong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; theyjust make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightestfuture will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward inlife until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyonearound you is crying.

Share this to those people who mean something to you; to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.

May we all be OOLONG TEA !!!!!!!!!

Nothing is impossible, if your heart is willing

When someone tells you that you can't do something.....

Look around....
Consider all options...

Then GO for it!

Use all the things God gave you

Be creative!
In the end, you will succeed and prove them wrong!

Always remember

Nothing is impossible, if your heart is willing

Why do people shout when they are angry?

The Meaning of Life

On the first day, God created the dog and said:

'Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes inor walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.

'The dog said: 'That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?'

So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said:

'Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll giveyou a twenty-year life span.'

The monkey said: 'Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?'

And God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow and said:

'You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and sufferunder the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer'sfamily. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.'

The cow said: 'That's kind of a tough life you want me to live forsixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?'

And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created man and said:'

Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give youtwenty years.'

But man said: 'Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me mytwenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, andthe ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?'

'Okay,' said God, 'You asked for it.'

So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play andenjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun tosupport our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks toentertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on thefront porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.

F.A.M.I.L.Y.

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,"
Oh excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger,common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.I love you anyway."

I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

FAMILY
Are you aware that if we died tomorrow,
the companythat we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days.
But the family we left behind will feel the lossfor the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it,
we pour ourselves moreinto work than into our own family,
an unwise investment indeed,don't you think?
So what is behind the story?

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

A Letter...

She jumped up as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said "How is my little boy? Is he going to be alright? When can I see him?"

The surgeion said, "I'm sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn't make it."

Sally said, "Why do little children get cancer? Doesn't God care anymore? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?"

The surgeon asked, "Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he's tranported to the university."

Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said goodbye to her son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair. "Would you like a lock of his hair?" the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.

The mother said, "It was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the University for Study. He said it might help somebody else. I said no at first, but Jimmy said, 'Mom, I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom.'"

She went on, "My Jimmy had a heart of gold. Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he could."

Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car. The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house.

She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room. She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them.
She laid down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep. It was around midnight when Sally woke. Laying aside her on the bed was a folded letter.

The letter said:

"Dear Mom, I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say "I Love You". I will always love you, Mom, even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again.

Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do.

You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know. Don't be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything.

The angels here are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus doesn't look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus himself took me to see GOD! And guess what, Mom? I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important.

That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you goodbye and evething. But I already knew that wasn't allowed. Well, you know what Mom? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter.

I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him 'Where was He when I needed him?'

"God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children. Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool? I have to give God His pen back now. He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm sure the food will be great.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore. The cancer is all gone. I'm glad because I couldn't stand the pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either. That's when He sent the Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery! How about that?

Signed with Love from God,
Jesus & Me

"When you're down to nothing, God is up to something."

Four Seasons

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

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

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.
The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promist.
The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet 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 with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each 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, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Moral :
Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don't judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

Happiness keeps you Sweet
Trials keep you Strong
Sorrows keep you Human
Failures keep you Humble
Success keeps you Glowing

Breakfast @ McDonald's

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology.

The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human 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 their reactions.

I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went 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 sudden everyone 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 inside of 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 '. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.

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. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all 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 and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman'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 sat down 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 pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?' I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need 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 a college 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 this and learn how to

LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS

NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.

An Angel wrote:
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

To handle yourself, use your head.
To handle others, use your heart.

God Gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

A Box of gold
*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~ *~*
With a secret inside
that has never been told
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This box is priceless
but as I see
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The treasure inside is
precious to me
*~*~*~ *~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*
Today I share this
treasure with thee
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It's the treasure of
friendship you've
given me.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Brick

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down.

When he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?" The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop....." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother, "he said "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: "Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!" God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

Thought for the Day:
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring.
He sends you a sunrise every morning Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow,sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Read this line very slowly and let it sink in....

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

My Mom...

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers 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.

The Carrot, The Egg and The Coffee Bean

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as soon as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs and coffee," she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin, outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but, after sitting in the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

You might want to send this message to those people who mean something to you; to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; and to those who are so meaningful in your life.

May we all be COFFEE.

The Four Wives

There was once a rich merchant who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant was always in fear that she might run away with some other men.

He loved his 2nd wife too. She was a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife as he loved the other three; and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill, and before long, he knew that he would soon die. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have four wives with me. But when I die, I will be alone. How lonely I will be!"

So he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "Absolutely not!" she replied and walked away without another word.

The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the man's heart. So he then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is good, and I have so much to live for! In fact, I'm going to remarry when you die!"

The merchant was heart broken; but he asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "I will bury you and weep for you, but that is all." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated. Then a voice called out to him: "I will leave with you. I will follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition.

Greatly grieved and remorseful, and now recognizing the depth and sincerity of her love, the merchant said, "I now wish I had taken much better care of you all these years - while I could have!"

In a sense, we all have four 'wives':Our 4th 'wife' is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will certainly leave us when we die.

Our 3rd 'wife' is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.
Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. Regardless of how close they might have been to us while we are alive, they can only remain with us until we die.
But our 1st wife is our soul - our spiritual partner, forever - often neglected in our pursuit of material wealth and worldly pleasure, our soul is with us always.

So maybe it would be a good idea to care for it now; while we still can - rather than to wait until it's too late.~ Author Unknown ~

What Happens in Heaven

I dreamed that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around.We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels.My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said,

"This is the Receiving Section.Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received."

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angelssorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.The angel then said to me,

"This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessingsthe people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons whoasked for them."
I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were beingpackaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there,idly doing nothing.

"This is the Acknowledgment Section," my angel friend quietly admitted to me.He seemed embarrassed.
"How is it that there is no work going on here?" I asked.

"So sad," the angel sighed."After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send backacknowledgments ."

"How does one acknowledge God's blessings?" I asked.

"Simple," the angel answered.
Just say, "Thank you, Lord."

"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked.

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy "

"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in theworld who has that opportunity."

Also......

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are moreblessed than the many who will not even survive this day ."

If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness ofimprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 700 million people in the world."

"If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, tortureor death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world ."

"If your parents are still alive and still married ..you are very rare."

"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair."

"Ok, what now? How can I start?"

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in thatsomeone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.Have a good day, count your blessings.

ATTN: Acknowledge Dept.:
"Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and forgiving me so many wonderful people to share it with."

Do you believe...?

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children?

If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things." The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!" "No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me." "Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS !!!!!!!

Friendship

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.'I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks. ' There was a big smile on his face.It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.He said he ha d gone to private school before now.I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.

We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!' He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class.I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle.He looked great.He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous!

Today was one of those days.I could see that he was nervous about his speech.So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!' He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.' Thanks,' he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach..but mostly your friends...I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.I am going to tell you a story.'

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.'Thankfully, I was saved.My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.'I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse.

'Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.'

There is no beginning or end..
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.

Lovely Message

Daniel: I guess we are the left overs in this world.
Jasmine: I think so.. All of my friends have boyfriends & we are the only 2 personsleft in this world without any special someone in our lives.
Daniel: Yup! I don't know what to do.
Jasmine: I know! We'll play a game.
Daniel:What game?
Jasmine: I'll be your girlfriend for 30 days & you will be my boyfriend.
Daniel: That's a great plan in fact, I don't have anything to do for the following weeks..

DAY 1:
They watched their first movie together & were both touched in the romantic film.
DAY 4:
They went to the beach & had a picnic... Daniel & Jasmine had their quality time together.
DAY 12:
Daniel invited Jasmine to a circus and they went to a Horror House.. Jasmine was scaredand she tried to touch Daniel's hand but by accident she touched someone else's and they both laughed..
DAY 14:
They saw a fortune teller down the road and asked for their future. The fortune teller said: 'My darlings, please don't waste the time of your lives... spend your time together happily.' Then tears flow from the teller's eyes.
DAY 20:
Jasmine invited Daniel to go to the hill and they saw a meteor... Jasmine mumbled something.
DAY 28:
They rode on a bus and because of the bumpy road, Jasmine gave her first kiss to Daniel by accident.
DAY 29:
11:37 pm
Daniel & Jasmine were sitting in the park where they first decided to play this game...

Daniel: I'm tired Jasmine... do you want any drinks? I'll buy you one.. I'll just go down the road..
Jasmine: Apple juice would be fine,thanks.
Daniel: Wait for me...20 minutes later... a stranger approched
Jasmine.Stranger: Are you a friend of Daniel?
Jasmine: Yes, why? What happened?
Stranger: A reckless drunken driver ran over Daniel & he is critical in the hospital ........

11:57pm
The doctor came out from the emergency room & handed out an apple juice & a letter to Jasmine.

Doctor: We found this in Daniel's pocket.

Jasmine read the letter which says:
Jasmine, this past few days, I realized you are really a cute girl & I am falling for you.. your cherished smile, your everything when we played this game.. & before this game ends, I would like you to be my girlfriend for the rest of my life. I love you, Jasmine...

Jasmine crumples the paper & shouted..'Daniel! I don't want you to die...I love you... Remember that night we saw a meteor? I mumbled something.. I wished that we would be together forever & never end this game. Please don't leave me, Daniel... I love you, you cannot do this to meThen the clock strikes 12

Daniel's heart stop pumping
THEN IT WAS THE 30th DAY...

************************************************************************************
Always love your loved ones & show them how you feel before it's too late.. You will never know when they will be gone from your embrace.. If you were given a time to bestow petals of everlasting compassion & love to your love ones, today is the day. Love them while they are still here...

The Wise Old Man

A Man of 92 years, short, very well-presented, who takes great care in his appearance, is moving into an old people's home today.

His wife of 70 has recently died, and he is obliged to leave his home.

After waiting several hours in the retirement home lobby, he gently smiles as he is told that his room is ready.

As he slowly walks to the elevator, using his cane, I describe his small room to him, including the sheet hung at the window which serves as a curtain.

"I like it very much", he says, with the enthusiasm of an 8 year old boy who has just been given a new puppy.

"Sir, you haven't even seen the room yet, hang on a moment, we are almost there."

"That was nothing to do with it", he replies.

"Happiness is something I choose in advance. Whether or not I like the room does not depend on the furniture, or the decor - rather it depends on how I decide to see it."

"It is already decided in my mind that I like my room. It is a decision I take every morning when I wake up."

"I can choose. I can spend my day in bed enumerating all the difficulties that I have with the parts of my body that no longer work very well, or I can get up and give thanks to heaven for those parts that are still in working order."

"Every day is a gift, and as long as I can open my eyes, I will focus on the new day, and all the happy memories that I have built up during my life."

"Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw in later life what you have deposited along the way."

So, my advise to you is to deposit all the happiness you can in your bank account of memories.

Thank you for your part in filling my account with happy memories, which I am still continuing to fill...

REMEMBER THESE SIMPLE GUIDELINES FOR HAPPINESS.
1. Free your heart from hate
2. Free your mind from worry
3. Live simple
4. Give more
5. Expect less

Two Glasses of Wine

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of wine...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. . .They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full."

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff."

If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you."

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Then the pebbles. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend."

How true, how true.

The Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, go together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."

God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God !!

God's way

Once there was a man who asked God for
a flower...
... and a butterfly

But instead God gave him
a cactus...
... and a caterpillar

The man was sad, he didn't understand why his request was mistaken. Than he thought: "Oh well, God has too many people to care for..." And decided not to question.

After some time, the man went to check up on his request that he had left forgotten. To his surprise, from the thorny & ugly cactus a beautiful flower had grown. And the unsightly carterpillar had been transformed into the most beautiful butterfly.

GOD always does things right!

His way is ALWAYS the best way, even if to us it seems all wrong.
If you asked GOD for one thing & received another. ~TRUST~
You can be sure that He will always give you what you need at the appropriate time.

What you want.... is not always what you need!

God never fails to grant our petitions, so keep on going for Him without doubting or murmuring.

Today's THORN...
Is tomorrow's FLOWER!

GOD GIVES THE VERY BEST TO THOSE WHO LEAVE THE CHOICES UP TO HIM!