A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.
"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me."
"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
"There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."
"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."
"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."
At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.
The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.
Friday, June 26, 2009
My Lord
My fragile heart is breaking with the growing rudeness of humankind
Tell me, Oh my Lord where a little bit of joy can I find?
If I shed a few drop of tears the world laughs at me mockingly,
When I am serious about something, people take it jokingly.
Tell me, Oh my Lord where a little bit of joy can I find?
If I shed a few drop of tears the world laughs at me mockingly,
When I am serious about something, people take it jokingly.
If I am friendly, my folks behave in a strange resentful way.
I want to be close to them, but they move away.
No one spares my emotions and blows them like a cigar’s smoke.
Life becomes so suffocating that it is prepared to choke.
It strangulates me with huge number of problems unsolved.
But in all my prayers my Lord you are always involved.
You will give me strength to fight for justice
One day surely the tornadoes of grief will cease.
You will light my trail with eternal bliss
In your feet my worn out soul will rest in peace.
Monday, June 22, 2009
MY DADS HAND
DAD THIS IS DELICATE TO U
Bedtime came, we were settling down,
I was holding one of my lads.
As I grasped him so tight, I saw a strange sight:
My hands... they looked like my dad's!
I remember them well, those old gnarled hooks,
there was always a cracked nail or two.
And thanks to a hammer that strayed from its mark,
his thumb was a beautiful blue!
They were rough, I remember, incredibly tough,
as strong as a carpenter's vice.
But holding a scared little boy at night,
they seemed to me awfully nice!
The sight of those hands - how impressive it was
in the eyes of his little boy.
Other dads' hands were cleaner, it seemed
(the effects of their office employ).
I gave little thought in my formative years
of the reason for Dad's raspy mitts:
The love in the toil, the dirt and the oil,
rusty plumbing that gave those hands fits!
Thinking back, misty-eyed, and thinking ahead,
when one day my time is done.
The torch of love in my own wrinkled hands
will pass on to the hands of my son.
I don't mind the bruises, the scars here and there
or the hammer that just seemed to slip.
I want most of all when my son takes my hand,
to feel that love lies in the grip.
Friends and Motives
Have been hanging out with my best friend everyday and, having a great time - how about you? Friends are like eating from a box of chocolates, with your eyes closed, never know what you'll get! Actually, stick with the box of chocolates! Seriously, friends come on all different levels of connecting from the friend you say hi to, to the one that is bonded to you under all circumstances
Its a lot about positioning friends either close or just as hello friends Being too close can create expectations that may not be forthcoming. Few are even their own best friend and, will likely treat you no better than they treat themselves. Value friends and value acquaintances, through discernment consider which friends are better as acquaintances and which acquaintances are better as friends.
Be your own best friend and always and solace in that as people come and go throughout life lling the memories with joy and yet, sometimes with disappointment. Always know that many have motives for friendship and not all motives are bad, but some will prove to amount to false friendships once the motive, conscious or unconscious, is fulfilled or, was an illusion anyway.
The open of heart with no motives but sincere friendship, become vulnerable to what may amount to vulture friends who pick at what satisfies them until they and no more of what that was.
Fair weather friends are as common as leaves on a tree that eventually turn color and fall off. As one loves oneself more, attracting fair weather friends becomes minimized.
close friends are treasures to be valued. Lovers and relatives are best as ongoing friends but, some become acquaintances or perhaps even strangers as does happen with friends in general. Often friends are for a time and place and, open doors to gifts in the moment and, may pave the way to a very different future.
Divine friends are found in all the many qualities of love, be it compassion, sensitivity, and all heartfelt blessings.
Its a lot about positioning friends either close or just as hello friends Being too close can create expectations that may not be forthcoming. Few are even their own best friend and, will likely treat you no better than they treat themselves. Value friends and value acquaintances, through discernment consider which friends are better as acquaintances and which acquaintances are better as friends.
Be your own best friend and always and solace in that as people come and go throughout life lling the memories with joy and yet, sometimes with disappointment. Always know that many have motives for friendship and not all motives are bad, but some will prove to amount to false friendships once the motive, conscious or unconscious, is fulfilled or, was an illusion anyway.
The open of heart with no motives but sincere friendship, become vulnerable to what may amount to vulture friends who pick at what satisfies them until they and no more of what that was.
Fair weather friends are as common as leaves on a tree that eventually turn color and fall off. As one loves oneself more, attracting fair weather friends becomes minimized.
close friends are treasures to be valued. Lovers and relatives are best as ongoing friends but, some become acquaintances or perhaps even strangers as does happen with friends in general. Often friends are for a time and place and, open doors to gifts in the moment and, may pave the way to a very different future.
Divine friends are found in all the many qualities of love, be it compassion, sensitivity, and all heartfelt blessings.
I Think Of You
When the breeze kisses the flowers,
When the earth gets the first showers,
When the birds chirp melodious songs,
When I feel lonely among the throngs,
I think of you hours after hours...
When the glistening stars whisper at night,
When the silvery moon throws upon us light,
When the emerald leaves murmur in serenity,
When the clouds float in the sky of divinity,
I think of you with passions bright.
When, in the sky, the rainbows arch in pride,
When, over the hills, the fountains glide,
When the confident roses spread their scent,
When the twilight becomes crescent,
I think of you craving to be your bride.
When the earth gets the first showers,
When the birds chirp melodious songs,
When I feel lonely among the throngs,
I think of you hours after hours...
When the glistening stars whisper at night,
When the silvery moon throws upon us light,
When the emerald leaves murmur in serenity,
When the clouds float in the sky of divinity,
I think of you with passions bright.
When, in the sky, the rainbows arch in pride,
When, over the hills, the fountains glide,
When the confident roses spread their scent,
When the twilight becomes crescent,
I think of you craving to be your bride.
The Law of Seed
A very interesting story about the law of seed. Whenever you are feeling down because of failures and mistakes you made in life, do take time out to think about this law of seed. I am sure it will make you feel much better and ready to get up and get going.
The Law of the Seed
Take a look at an apple tree. There might be five hundred apples
on the tree, each with ten seeds.
That's a lot of seeds! We might ask, "Why would you need so many
seeds to grow just a few more trees?"
Nature has something to teach us here. It's telling us: "Most
seeds never grow. So if you really want to make something happen,
you had better try more than once."
This might mean:
You'll attend twenty interviews to get one job.
You'll interview forty people to find one good employee.
You'll talk to fifty people to sell one house, car, vacuum
cleaner, insurance policy, idea.
And you might meet a hundred acquaintances to find
one special friend.
When we understand the "Law of the Seed", we don't
get so disappointed. We stop feeling like victims.
Laws of nature are not things to take personally.
We just need to understand them - and work with them.
IN A NUTSHELL
"Successful people fail more often. They plant more seeds."
The Law of the Seed
Take a look at an apple tree. There might be five hundred apples
on the tree, each with ten seeds.
That's a lot of seeds! We might ask, "Why would you need so many
seeds to grow just a few more trees?"
Nature has something to teach us here. It's telling us: "Most
seeds never grow. So if you really want to make something happen,
you had better try more than once."
This might mean:
You'll attend twenty interviews to get one job.
You'll interview forty people to find one good employee.
You'll talk to fifty people to sell one house, car, vacuum
cleaner, insurance policy, idea.
And you might meet a hundred acquaintances to find
one special friend.
When we understand the "Law of the Seed", we don't
get so disappointed. We stop feeling like victims.
Laws of nature are not things to take personally.
We just need to understand them - and work with them.
IN A NUTSHELL
"Successful people fail more often. They plant more seeds."
Personal Perception
Different people have different perception. One man's meat could be
another man's poison. A couple bought a donkey from the market. On
the way home,a boy commented, "Very stupid. Why neither of them ride
on the donkey?"Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on
the donkey. He walked besides them. Later, an old man saw it and
commented, "The husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride
on the donkey while the husband is on foot?" Hearing this, the wife
quickly got down and let the husband ride on the donkey.
another man's poison. A couple bought a donkey from the market. On
the way home,a boy commented, "Very stupid. Why neither of them ride
on the donkey?"Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on
the donkey. He walked besides them. Later, an old man saw it and
commented, "The husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride
on the donkey while the husband is on foot?" Hearing this, the wife
quickly got down and let the husband ride on the donkey.
Further on the way home, they met an old Lady. She commented, "How
can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no
gentleman."
The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey.
Then, they met a young man. He commented, "Poor donkey, how can you
hold up the weight of two persons. They are cruel to you." Hearing
that, the husband and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey
and carried it on their shoulders.
can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no
gentleman."
The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey.
Then, they met a young man. He commented, "Poor donkey, how can you
hold up the weight of two persons. They are cruel to you." Hearing
that, the husband and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey
and carried it on their shoulders.
It seems to be the only choice left. Later, on a narrow bridge, the
donkey was frightened and struggled. They lost their balance and fell
into the river. You can never have everyone praise you, nor will
everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will
be in the future.
donkey was frightened and struggled. They lost their balance and fell
into the river. You can never have everyone praise you, nor will
everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will
be in the future.
Thus, do not be too bothered by others words if our conscience is
clear..
clear..
Sunday, June 14, 2009
I wish you enough
Recently at chennai 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 the 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.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much 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.
She then began to cry and walked away.
Then i came to know the meaning of it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them,a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them . . .
Think
A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement,
his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint.
The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy’s
hands into a pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed
his son to the hospital. Although the doctor tried desperately to save the
crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy’s
hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery and saw his bandaged stubs,
he innocently said, “Daddy, I’m sorry about your truck.” Then he asked,
“but when are my fingers going to grow back..?”
The father went home and committed suicide.
his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint.
The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy’s
hands into a pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed
his son to the hospital. Although the doctor tried desperately to save the
crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy’s
hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery and saw his bandaged stubs,
he innocently said, “Daddy, I’m sorry about your truck.” Then he asked,
“but when are my fingers going to grow back..?”
The father went home and committed suicide.
Think about the story the next time you see someone spilled milk at a
dinner table or hear a baby cry. Think first before you lose your patience
and become angry with someone you love. Trucks can be repaired.
Broken bones and hurt feelings often cannot. Too often we fail to recognize
the difference between the person and the performance. People make mistakes.
We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage
will haunt us forever. Pause and ponder. Think before you act. Be patient..
dinner table or hear a baby cry. Think first before you lose your patience
and become angry with someone you love. Trucks can be repaired.
Broken bones and hurt feelings often cannot. Too often we fail to recognize
the difference between the person and the performance. People make mistakes.
We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage
will haunt us forever. Pause and ponder. Think before you act. Be patient..
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ANGRY, BUT YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE CRUEL . . .
Life Goes on....
A TRUTH WHICH I STILL WONDER
Life Goes On . . .
In every human life,
there are some moments when one is sad and depressed
Frustrated from every zone of life,
And feel like leaving everything & going away
And Life Goes on..
there are some moments when one is sad and depressed
Frustrated from every zone of life,
And feel like leaving everything & going away
And Life Goes on..
Some moments in which
one is wrapped with tensions
one wants to get out of them
and fly high in the sky
But cant run away, and life goes on..
one is wrapped with tensions
one wants to get out of them
and fly high in the sky
But cant run away, and life goes on..
Some moments in which,
one who adores hurts sentiments,
one needs a support, a shoulder to dry on,
But doesnt find one, and life goes on..
one who adores hurts sentiments,
one needs a support, a shoulder to dry on,
But doesnt find one, and life goes on..
Some moments in which one gets tired of life
or so intensely hurt that one wants to die
one wishes to end up with
life at that very moment, and life goes on..
or so intensely hurt that one wants to die
one wishes to end up with
life at that very moment, and life goes on..
And in every human life on day arrives
When there is a big halt to one's life.
And then the people cry
and show that they were concerned
When there is a big halt to one's life.
And then the people cry
and show that they were concerned
Then the question arises
Do they wait for one's death..,
To care, To understand the one
If so, then wait till death and until then
Do they wait for one's death..,
To care, To understand the one
If so, then wait till death and until then
Stress Management
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "how heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it."
"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on." "As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can." "Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is yours. Enjoy it!
And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
* Never buy a car you can't push.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour . . .
"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on." "As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can." "Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is yours. Enjoy it!
And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
* Never buy a car you can't push.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour . . .
Never judged anyone by their appearance.....
One beautiful spring day a red rose blossomed in a forest. Many kinds of
trees and plants grew there. As the rose looked around, a pine tree nearby
said, "What a beautiful flower. I wish I was that lovely." Another tree
said, "Dear pine, do not be sad, we can not have everything."
trees and plants grew there. As the rose looked around, a pine tree nearby
said, "What a beautiful flower. I wish I was that lovely." Another tree
said, "Dear pine, do not be sad, we can not have everything."
The rose turned its head and remarked, "It seems that I am the most
beautiful plant in this forest." A sunflower raised its yellow head and
asked, "Why do you say that? In this forest there are many beautiful plants.
You are just one of them." The red rose replied, "I see everyone looking at
me and admiring me." Then the rose looked at a cactus and said, "Look at
that ugly plant full of thorns!" The pine tree said, "Red rose, what kind of
talk is this? Who can say what beauty is? You have thorns too."
beautiful plant in this forest." A sunflower raised its yellow head and
asked, "Why do you say that? In this forest there are many beautiful plants.
You are just one of them." The red rose replied, "I see everyone looking at
me and admiring me." Then the rose looked at a cactus and said, "Look at
that ugly plant full of thorns!" The pine tree said, "Red rose, what kind of
talk is this? Who can say what beauty is? You have thorns too."
The proud red rose looked angrily at the pine and said, "I thought you had
good taste! You do not know what beauty is at all. You can not compare my
thorns to that of the cactus."
good taste! You do not know what beauty is at all. You can not compare my
thorns to that of the cactus."
"What a proud flower", thought the trees.
The rose tried to move its roots away from the cactus, but it could not
move. As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say
insulting things, like: This plant is useless? How sorry I am to be his
neighbor."
move. As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say
insulting things, like: This plant is useless? How sorry I am to be his
neighbor."
The cactus never got upset and he even tried to advise the rose, saying,
"God did not create any form of life without a purpose."
"God did not create any form of life without a purpose."
Spring passed, and the weather became very warm. Life became difficult in
the forest, as the plants and animals needed water and no rain fell. The red
rose began to wilt. One day the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks into the
cactus and then fly away, refreshed. This was puzzling, and the red rose
asked the pine tree what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that
the birds got water from the cactus. "Does it not hurt when they make
holes?" asked the rose.
the forest, as the plants and animals needed water and no rain fell. The red
rose began to wilt. One day the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks into the
cactus and then fly away, refreshed. This was puzzling, and the red rose
asked the pine tree what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that
the birds got water from the cactus. "Does it not hurt when they make
holes?" asked the rose.
"Yes, but the cactus does not like to see any birds suffer," replied the
pine.
pine.
The rose opened its eyes in wonder and said, "The cactus has water?"
"Yes you can also drink from it. The sparrow can bring water to you if you
ask the cactus for help."
ask the cactus for help."
The red rose felt too ashamed of its past words and behavior to ask for
water from the cactus, but then it finally did ask the cactus for help. The
cactus kindly agreed and the birds filled their beaks with water and watered
the rose's roots. Thus the rose learned a lesson and never judged anyone by
their appearance again . . .
water from the cactus, but then it finally did ask the cactus for help. The
cactus kindly agreed and the birds filled their beaks with water and watered
the rose's roots. Thus the rose learned a lesson and never judged anyone by
their appearance again . . .
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