"Thank you for the gift ..."

Somewhere in Milaor, Camarines Sur, there lived a fourth grader boy who would follow this route to school everyday:

He has to cross the rugged plains and cross the dangerous highway where vehicles are recklessly driving to and from. Once passed this highway, the boy would take a short cut by passing by the Church every morning just to say Hi to God, and faithfully say his, "Magandang umaga po" in Bicol dialect.

He was faithfully being watched by a Priest who was happy to find innocence so uplifting in the morning, "Kamusta Andoy! Papasok ka na?"
"Opo padre... " he would flash his innocent grin, the priest would be touched.

The priest was so concerned that one day he talked to Andoy, "From school...", he advised "Do not cross the highway, you can pass through the Church and I can accompany you to the other side of the road... that way I can see that you are home safe ...."

"Thank you father ..."

"Why don't you go home ... why do you stay in this Church right after school?"

"I just want to say "Hi" to my friend, God," and the priest would leave the boy to spend time beside the altar, talking by himself, but he was hiding behind the altar to listen to what this boy has to say to his heavenly FATHER.

"You know my math exam was pretty bad today, but I did not cheat - although my seatmate is bullying me for notes ... I ate one cracker and drank my water, Itay had a bad season and all I can eat is this cracker. Thank you for this! I saw a poor kitten who was hungry and I know how he feels so I gave my last cracker to him ... funny but I am not that hungry ... Look, this is my last pair of slippers ... I may
have to walk barefooted next week ... you see this is about to be broken.. but it is okay ... at least I am still going to school ... some says we will have a hard season this month, some of my classmates have already stopped going to school ... please help them get to school again, please God? ... Oh, you know, Inay had hit me again, it is painful, but I know this pain will pass away, at least I still have a mother ... God, you want to see my bruises? I know you can heal them ...here... here and .... Oh ... blood ... I guess you knew about this one huh? Please don't be mad at Inay, she is just tired and she worries for the food in our table and my schooling that is why she hits us ...

Oh, I think I am in love ... there's this pretty girl in my class, her name is Anita ... do you think she will like me? Anyway, at least I know you will always like me, I don't have to be anybody just to please you, you are my very best friend! Hey your birthday is two months from now!!! Aren't you excited? I am! wait till you see, I have a gift for you .... but it is a surprise! I hope you will like it! Oooops, I have to go ..." then he stood up and calls out, "Padre, padre, I am finished talking to my friend .. you can accompany me to the other side of the road now"

This routine happens everyday. Andoy never fails. Father Agaton shares this every Sunday to the people in his church because he has not seen a very pure faith and trust in God, a very positive look at
negative situations.

One Christmas day, Father Agaton was sick so he could not make it in the Church, he was sent to the hospital. The Church was left to 4 manangs who would chant the rosary in 1000 miles per hour, would not smile and would always find fault in what you do, they are also very well versed in cursing if you irritate them! They were kneeling, saying their kilometric rosary when Andoy, coming from his Christmas party, playfully dashed in, "Hello God!!!!! I " P----!!!!! (a curse) Bata ka!!!! Alam mo nang may nagdadasal!!!!!Alis!!!!!"

Poor Andoy was so terrified, "where's Father Agaton? He is supposed to help me cross the street .... and to be able to cross the street I will have to pass by the back door of this church ... not only that, I have to greet Jesus-it is His birthday, I have a gift right here ...." just as he was about to get the gift out of his shirt, the manang pulled his shirt and threw him out of the church.

"Susmaryosep!!! (does a sign of the cross fervently) Alis kang bata ka, kung hindi matatamaan ka!!!

So the boy had no choice but to cross the dangerous side of the road in front of the church. He crossed. A fast moving bus came in. There was a blind curve. The boy was protecting his gift inside his shirt, so he was not looking. There was so little time. Andoy died on the spot. A lot of people crowded the poor boy, the body of a lifeless young boy... Suddenly, out of nowhere a tall man in pure white shirt and pants, a face so mild and gentle, but with eyes full of tears... He came and carried the boy in His arms, He was crying. Curious bystanders nudged the man in white, and asked, "excuse me sir, are you related to this child? Do you know this child?" The man in white, His face mourning and in agony, lifted up and answered, "He was my bestfriend ... " was all he said.

He took the badly wrapped gift in the bloody chest of the lifeless boy, and placed it near His heart. He stood up and carried the boy away and they both disappeared in sight. The crowd was curious...

The next day, Father Agaton learned of the shocking news. He visited the house, and wanted to verify about the man in white. He consulted the parents of Andoy. "How did you know that your son died?"

"A man in white brought him here." sobbed the mother. "What did he say?" The father answered, "He did not say anything. He was mourning. We do not know him and yet he was very lonely at our son's death, as if he knew our son very well. But there was something peaceful and unexplainable about him. He gave me my son, and then he smiled peacefully. He rubbed my son's hair away from his face and kissed him on his forehead, then he whispered something ..."

"What did he say?" "He said to my boy ..." the father began, "Thank you for the gift ... I will see you soon... you will be with me ..." and the father of the boy continued, "and you know for a while, it felt so wonderful... I cried, but I do not know why .... all I know is I cried in tears of joy ... I could not explain it father, but when that man left, something peaceful came over me, I felt a deep sense of love inside... I could not explain the joy in my heart, I knew my boy is in heaven now ... but ... tell me father, who is this man that my son talks to everyday in your church, you should know because you are always there... except on the time of his death ..."

Father Agaton suddenly felt the tears welling in his eyes, with trembling knees, he murmurred," ... He was talking to no one .... but ....GOD...."

You can't really tell...

You can't really tell why does someone affect your life the most. You have plenty of questions and you wonder why.

You're making your life harder than it's supposed to be. You keep on pushing yourself to be loved by that person and you keep on pretending that there is indeed a glimpse of hope for you to be together.

But sometimes you wake up crying...you wake up feeling alone and unwanted...You tell yourself "I am okay" but the truth is, you're not.

You keep on clinging with the past, though you know that deep inside, everything's over (has it started?-this should be the very first question). We have to accept the fact that while some good things never last, SOME DO NOT EVEN START.

We do love to prolong the agony, we love to keep the hurt alive, because we believe that if we still feel hurt, we still feel LOVE for that special person. Why do we always cry over spilled milk? Because of the fact that we have lost it and we still very much want to drink it.

But life is not like that. There are things which can be brought back and there are things that are impossible to relive. All we have to do, perhaps, is to stop having those false hopes, stop clinging with the past and lastly, stop pretending that love is still alive where in fact it's no longer there, it's no longer part of your life.

When you keep on dwelling with the past, you may not be able to move forward. You may not be able to know that hey, there's life after the pain, after the hurt, after that dreadful incident of your life. It's just a matter of accepting the fact that what you felt was just a thing of the past, something that must be forgotten. Forget the hurt, but never forget the great feeling of being in love, of being taken care of. These are your weapons while on your search for a new love, a new relationship. Never forget that loving feeling, that will help you be mature enough to handle the next relationship...

And if love knocks at your door once again, don't be afraid to give it a try. Give yourself a chance to be happy once again, to feel that great feeling once again. You never know, that love could just be the same love that you have been waiting for a lifetime. That same person could be the "next person" after all. In that case, you should be careful, extra careful in deciding. It's harder, because you have lot of things to consider. You were hurt the first time, you can be hurt again this time. But, come to think of it, you may also have the opportunity to learn from your mistakes and rebuild the relationship, a better one this time.

If it's the a brand new love, then it's better. It's a fresh start, a new horizon to pursue and a great deal of opportunity to be happy and hurt-free.

Don't forget...never waste any opportunity to show how much you care. You never know, it might be too late after all. Sometimes you wait for the other person to do it first just to know that, that person might be waiting for you all this time. Pride doesn't bear any fruit, humility and truthfulness do.

In God's time, we will all fall in love, for the right reasons, to the right person. When that time comes, it will be worth the long wait, the tears and the pain, then we will forget we ever cried!

Breakfast at McDonald's

This is a good story, please read it all the way through until the end.

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 gentle man'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 being s 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 it's food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

The Waterbearer

A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."



The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them.

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house"

Moral of the Story: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots.

But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.

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 short... Enjoy it!

Take a bite...

Is this your story …?

You studied history and mathematics …

But no one taught you how to achieve your goals.

No one taught you how to use your subconscious mind
to accelerate results in your life.

And you never studied happiness!

You knew that life could be better.
You tried a few things …



But until now, nothing "clicked".

Here's why we get stuck …

Every day we have about 50,000 thoughts.

Our thoughts determine our actions –
and our actions create results.

Here's the problem …

when you keep having the same thoughts -
you keep getting the same results!

You stay trapped in an endless circle of …

Your old thoughts are like roadblocks.

The only way to enjoy more success and
more happiness is to break the cycle!

Did I Marry The Right Person?

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?"

I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your husband?"

In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?"

Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies.

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love... because it's happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept off my feet." Think about the imagery of that expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling is love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love u once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, church, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it.

I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the expression "the labor of love."

Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable... you can "make" love.

Love in marriage is indeed a "decision"... not just a feeling.

Why wedding ring should be put on the fourth finger?

Please follow the below step, really god make this a miracle (this is from a Chinese excerpt)

First, show your palm, centre fingers bend and put together back to back.

Secondly, the rest 4 fingers tips to tips.

Game begin, follow the below arrangement, 5 fingers but only 1 pair can split.




Try to open your thumb, the thumb represent parents, it can be open because all human does go thru sick and dead. Which are our parents will leave us one day.

Please close up your thumb, then open your second finger, the finger represent brothers and sisters, they do have their own family which is too they will leave us too.

Now close up your second finger, open up your little finer, this represent your children. Sooner or later they too will leave us for they got they own living to live.

Nevertheless, close up your little finer, try to open your fourth finger which we put our wedding ring; you will be surprise to find that it cannot be open at all. Because it represent husband and wife, this whole life you will be attach to each other.

Real love will stick together ever and forever.


Thumb represents parents
Second finger represents brothers & sisters
Centre finger represents own self
Fourth finger represents your partner
Last finger represents your children

A Needle Can Save!

...just want you to share this message maybe you might use this in the future.


Dear Friends,

You may have received this information before but nevertheless, it is good to know.....


Keep a syringe or needle in your home to do this... It's amazing and an unconventional way of recovering from stroke, read it through it can help somebody one day.


This is amazing. Please keep this very handy... Excellent tips. Do take a minute to read this. You'll never know. One's life may depend on you.

"My father was paralyzed and later died from the result of a stroke. I wish I knew about this first aid before. When stroke strikes, the capillaries in the brain will gradually burst." (Irene Liu)


When a stroke occurs, stay calm. No matter where the victim is, do not move him/her. Because, if moved, the capillaries will burst. Help the victim to sit up where he is to prevent him from falling over again, and then the bloodletting can begin. If you have in your home an injection syringe that would be the best, otherwise, a sewing needle or a straight pin will do.

1. Place the needle/pin over fire to sterilize it, and then use it to prick the tip of all 10 fingers.

2. There are no specific acupuncture points, just prick about a mm from the fingernail.

3. Prick till blood comes out.

4. If blood does not start to drip, then squeeze with your fingers.

5. When all 10 digits is bleeding, wait a few minutes then the victim will regain consciousness.

6. If the victim's mouth is crooked, then pull on his ears until they are red.

7. Then prick each ear lobe twice until two drops of blood comes from each ear lobe. After a few minutes the victim should regain consciousness.

Wait till the victim regain his normal state without any abnormal symptoms then take him to the hospital, otherwise, if he was taken in the ambulance in a hurry to the hospital, the bumpy trip will cause all the capillaries in his brain to burst. If he could save his life, barely managing to walk, then it is by the grace of his ancestors.

I learned about letting blood to save life from Chinese traditional doctor Ha Bu-Ting who lives in Sun-Juke.Furthermore, I had practical experience with it. Therefore I can say this method is 100% effective. In 1979, I was teaching in Fung-Gaap College in Tai-Chung. One afternoon I was teaching class when another teacher came running to my class room and said in panting, "Ms. Liu, come quick, our supervisor has had a stroke!"

I immediately went to the 3rd floor. When I saw our supervisor, Mr.Chen Fu-Tien, his color was off, his speech was slurred, his mouth was crooked-all the symptoms of a stroke. I immediately asked one of the practicum students to go to the pharmacy outside the school to buy a syringe, which I used to prick Mr. Chen's 10 fingers tips. When all 10 fingers were bleeding (each with a pea-sized drop of blood), after a few minutes, Mr. Chen's face regained its color and his eyes' spirit returned, too. But his mouth was still crooked. So I pulled on his ears to fill them with blood. When his ears became red, I pricked his right earlobe twice to let out 2 drops of blood. When both earlobes had two drops of blood each, a miracle happened. Within 3-5 minutes the shape of his mouth returned to normal and his speech became clear. We let him rest for a while and have a cup of hot tea, then we helped him go down the stairs, drove him to Wei-Wah Hospital. He rested one night and was released the next day to return to school to teach.

Everything worked normally. There were no ill after-effects. On the other hand, the usual stroke victim usually suffers irreparable bursting of the brain capillaries on the way to the hospital. As a result, these victims never recover.- (Irene Liu)


Therefore stroke is the second cause of death. The lucky ones will stay alive but can remain paralyzed for life. It is such a horrible thing to happen in one's life. If we can all remember this bloodletting method and start the life-saving process immediately, in a short time, the victim will be revived and regain 100% normality.


We hope you can tell others about this first aid method. By doing so, stroke may be removed from the list of major causes of death.

A simple story of true love and true care...

I was born in a secluded village on a mountain. Day by day, my parents plowed the yellow dry soil with their backs towards the sky.

I have a brother who is 3 years younger than me. I wanted to buy a handkerchief, which all girls around me seemed to have. So, one day I stole 50 cents from my father's drawer. Father had discovered about the stolen money right away.

He made me and my younger brother kneel against the wall as he held a bamboo stick in his hand.

"Who stole the money?" he asked.

I was stunned, too afraid to talk. Neither of us admitted to the fault, so he said, "Fine, if nobody wants to admit, you two should be beaten!"

He lifted up the bamboo stick.

Suddenly, my younger brother gripped father's hand and said, "Dad, I was the one who did it!"

The long stick smacked my brother's back repeatedly. Father was so angry that he kept on whipping my brother until he lost his breath.

After that, he sat down on our stone bed and scolded my brother, "You have learned to steal from your own house now. What other embarrassing things will you be possibly doing in the future? You should be beaten to death, you shameless thief!"

That night, my mother and I hugged my brother. His body was full of wounds from the beating but he never shed a single tear.

In the middle of the night, all of sudden, I cried out loudly.

My brother covered my mouth with his little hand and said, "Sis, now don't cry anymore. Everything has happened."

I still hate myself for not having enough courage to admit what I did.

Years gone by, but the incident still seemed like it just happened yesterday.

I will never forget my brother's expression when he protected me.

That year, my brother was 8 years old and I was 11 years old.

When my brother was in his last year of secondary school, he was accepted in an upper secondary school in the central. At the same time, I was accepted into a university in the province.

That night, father squatted in the yard, smoking, packet by packet. I could hear him ask my mother, "Both of our children, they have good results? very good results?"

Mother wiped off her tears and sighed, "What is the use? How can we possibly finance both of them?"

At that time, my brother walked out, he stood in front of father and said, "Dad, I don't want to continue my study anymore, I have read enough books."

Father swung his hand and slapped my brother on his face.

"Why do you have a spirit so damn weak? Even if it means I have to beg for money on the streets, I will send you two to school until you have both finished your study!"

And then, he started to knock on every house in the village to borrow money.

I stuck out my hand as gently as I can to my brother's swollen face, and told him, "A boy has to continue his study; If not, he will not be able to overcome this poverty we are experiencing." I, on the other hand, had decided not to further my study at the university.

Nobody knew that on the next day, before dawn, my brother left the house with a few pieces of worn-out clothes and a few dry beans. He sneaked to my side of he bed and left a note on my pillow; "Sis, getting into a university is not easy. I will go find a job and I will send money to you."
I held the note while sitting on my bed, and cried until I lost my voice.

That year, my brother was 17 years old; I was 20 years old.

With the money father borrowed from the whole village, and the money my brother earned from carrying cement on his back at a construction site, finally, I managed to get to the third year of my study in the university.

One day, while I was studying in my room, my roommate came in and told me, "There's a villager waiting for you outside!"

Why would there be a villager looking for me? I walked out, and I saw my brother from afar. His whole body was covered with dirt, dust, cement and sand. I asked him, "Why did you not tell my roommate that you are my brother?"

He replied with a smile, "Look at my appearance. What will they think if they would know that I am your brother? Won't they laugh at you?"

I felt so touched, and tears filled my eyes. I swept away dirt and dust from my brother's body. And told him with a lump in my throat, " I don't care what people would say! You are my brother no matter whatyour appearance is?"

From his pocket, he took out a butterfly hair clip. He put it on my hair and said, "I saw all the girls in town are wearing it. So, I think you should also have one."

I could not hold back myself anymore. I pulled my brother into my arms and cried. That year, my brother was 20 years old; I was 23 years old.

I noticed that the broken window was repaired the first time I brought my boyfriend home. The house was scrubbed cleaned.

After my boyfriend left, I danced like a little girl in front of my mother, "Mom, you didn't have to spend so much time cleaning the house! "But she told me with a smile, "It was your brother who went home early toclean the house. Didn't you see the wound on his hand? He hurt his hand while he was replacing the window."

I went into my brother's bedroom. Looking at his thin face, I felt like there are hundreds of needle pricked in my heart.

I applied some ointment on his wound and put a bandage on it, "Does it hurt? " I asked him.

"No, it doesn't hurt. You know, when at the construction site, stones keep falling on my feet. Even that could not stop me from working."

In the middle of the sentence, he stopped. I turned my back on him and tears rolled down my face. That year, my brother was 23 years old; I was 26 years old.

After I got married, I lived in the city. Many times my husband invited my parents to come and live with us, but they didn't want.

They said, once they left the village,they wouldn't know what to do.

My brother agreed with them. He said, "Sis, you just take care of your parents-in-law. I will take care of mom and dad here."

My husband became the director of his factory. We asked my brother to accept the offer of being the manager in the maintenance department. But my brother rejected the offer. He insisted on working as a repairman instead for a start.

One day, my brother was on the top of a ladder repairing a cable, when he got electrocuted, and was sent to the hospital.

My husband and I visited him at the hospital. Looking at the white gypsum on his leg, I grumbled, "Why did you reject the offer of being a manager? Managers won't do something dangerous like that. Now look at you, You ar suffering a serious injury. Why didn't you just listen to us?"

With a serious expression on his face, he defended his decision, "Think of brother-in-law. He just became the director, and I being uneducated, and would become a manager, what kind of rumors would fly around?"

My husband's eyes filled up with tears, and then I said, "But you lack in education only because of me!"

"Why do you talk about the past?" he said and then he held my hand.

That year, he was 26 years old and I was 29 years old.

My brother was 30 years old when he married a farmer girl from the village.

During the wedding reception, the master of ceremonies asked him, "Who is the one person you respect and love the most?"

Without even taking a time to think, he answered, "My sister." He continued by telling a story I could not even remember.

"When I was in primary school, the school was in a different village. Everyday, my sister and I would walk for 2 hours to school and back home. One day, I lost the other pair of my gloves. My sister gave me one of hers.

She wore only one glove and she had to walk far. When we got home, her hands were trembling because of the cold weather that she could not even hold her chopsticks. From that day on, I swore that as long as I live, I would take care of my sister and will always be good to her."

Applause filled up the room. All guests turned their attention to me.

I found it hard to speak, "In my whole life, the one I would like to thank most is my brother." And in this happy occasion, in front of the crowd, tears were rolling down my face again.

Love and care for the one you love every single days of your life. You may think what you did is just a small deed, but to that someone, it may mean a lot.

Have a nice day everyone! May this story inspire you in any way!

One Red Rose

Hey Mommy, what are you staring at? Are you listening, Mom?"

"I said, after watching Enteng Kabisote, let us pass by at Dad's favorite record store and buy him a new CD."

"Shhhh... All right, Josh...," I whispered. "Mom heard you loud and clear," I replied.

Josh just turned 5 years old last December 25. Those five years of being a Mom to a very handsome, sweet and smart kid is probably the most exciting and fulfilling stage of my life.

I'll be 28 years old this Feb. 14. At my age, I can recognize all the anime characters -- from Ghost Fighter to Ragnarok, to Lupin to Mask Ryder.

Josh loves watching television and most of the time, I am his TV buddy.

Whenever I would arrive home from work, he is always ready with his never-ending stories of what he did at school and what had happened to Mask Rider Ryuki.

Some of my morning rituals, though repetitive, are never boring. I usually wake up at 5AM, take shower, prepare Josh's uniform, and make sure all his stuff are inside his bag including his baon.

Then I would wake up his yaya and ask her to give Josh a bath, while I prepare myself for the office.

In between putting on my blush-on and lipstick, I would always hear Josh giggling, yelling and making fun of his Yaya Ella.

In most times, I would get jealous of Ella, they get along well.

Josh is much like his dad, they are both makulit. At his young age, Josh loves listening to music and oftentimes mimics all rockers he sees on MTV.

Before Josh disrupted my thoughts about the CD he wished to buy for his Dad, I was in a trance, pondering the first time I met Kelvin...

It was Valentines Day of 1997 when I first laid eyes on him, it was also my 20th birthday then.

I found myself sitting alone in one of the waiting sheds of the campus, when I noticed him walking directly to my direction.

He was wearing a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt.

Every stride he made toward my place made me nervous.

His good looks and boyish features became too evident as he came closer.

I was so conscious that I stood up and tried to walk away until he called out, "Mariz, wait!"

I stood still, thinking, "how did this guy whom I never met before know my name?"

As I turned my head and looked back, he smiled and uttered, "Happy Valentines".

He then handed me a red rose.

I smiled back, sat down and we talked.

I learned that Kelvin was an admirer, who befriended one of my classmates to get to know me as well.

He confessed that he, together with my classmates, really planned that particular day -- I found out it was the reason I sat alone, waiting without my usual tropa.

We talked for almost an hour -- we were comfortable conversing. I learned that we were both on our junior year, he was taking up ECE while I, Business Ad. We both studied at PLM.

Kelvin and I became very close -- he loved poetry and music; I liked cross stitching.

He was always the first one to laugh whenever he delivered a joke. As for me, I often laughed at his jokes because he laughed like a gorilla.

We became inseparable since the first time we met. Kelvin became the closest person to me aside from my family.

On the eve of my graduation, after more than a year of friendship courtship, he became my first boyfriend.

In 1998, I graduated from college, and Kelvin was on his 5th year in ECE then.

I remember during the graduation rites at PICC, Kelvin was hesitant to come and see me receive my diploma because that will also be the first time for him to meet my family. I forced him though. I introduced Kelvin to my family, oh, I could not forget that scenario. He was so nervous and pale.

June of 1998, I was employed in one of the top corporations in Ortigas, while Kelvin was on his last year in Engineering.

At that time, we saw to it that our relationship will not be tested by the temptations of the corporate world and tried our best to fight his insecurity of still "being a student".

Every relationship, as they say, has its ups and downs. Kelvin started to show signs of jealousy and insecurity. We seldom went out on dates, he always had excuses.

Behind all his aloofness, I knew then that he just did not want me to spend money on our dates.

His pride was slowly tearing our relationship apart during those times.There were couple of nights I spent crying instead of resting. My co-workers were asking me to give up Kelvin, they insisted that life and love in college was different when starts working in the corporate world.

October 26, 1998, Kelvin's birthday. I surprised him while he and his study group were busy finishing their case study on Microprocessor Clock Speed.

I showed up wearing my old college uniform. He was shocked and he stared long at my old uniform, then he embraced me so hard that I raced for my breath.

When he let go, I saw tears in his eyes. He kept repeating how much he loved me and that he was sorry for pushing me away.

He confessed that, he was so jealous and insecure that he wanted me to find some other guy that could treat me out in any restaurant I wanted; buy me anything I pleased; or fetch me with nice cars; and shower me with gifts.

Then I found myself crying for I never had known then how much I loved Kelvin, until I knew how sensitive he was.

How he wished to give me the WORLD, when I only longed for a single red rose.

February 14, 1999, on my 22nd birthday, he gave me one red rose; same as what he gave me when we first met two years before.

And I swore then, that was the only thing I wished to receive.

Thursday, April 1, 1999, Kelvin fetched me from work. He bragged all afternoon, he said he will graduate on the 30th, Friday.

He kept on asking me to address him as Engineer Kelvin Regalado. I did.

That night, we made love for the first time. It was passionate and unforgettable.

April 18, 1999, our 2nd anniversary, Kelvin composed this poem in front of me.

Star shine's bright on a darkest night...
being with you makes every thing right...
here is my heart with love as pure as white...
here are my arms that will hug with all my might...
at the bottom of the lighthouse maybe the darkest,
amidst fears and sorrows...
I'll be abreast atop mountains and hills maybe the loneliest
but if you find yourself there...
close your eyes think of me... I'll be there, my dearest...

Exactly a week before Kelvin's graduation, at around 5:30 in the afternoon, I received a message from my beeper, it was from his younger brother, Jethro.

The message said, "Kuya is at PGH, emergency room".

I hurriedly jumped into the first available taxi, I was literally crying a river.

I was accustomed to be greeted with smiles by Kelvin's family, but that night was different. They were all crying, and I needed not any word from them to know what was happening./

Jethro nonetheless, told me the whole story -- The police came to their house and brought them to the hospital because Kelvin was shot in a pawnshop hold-up incident and that his condition was critical.

Jethro narrated that while Kelvin was pawning his necklace which he received from his aunt as an advanced graduation gift, two hold-uppers suddenly showed up and shot both guard and Kelvin.

Jethro's last narration dropped like a bomb on my ears. Apparently, Kelvin told Jethro why he wanted to pawn the necklace.

"Alam mo Jethro, ayos tong gift ni Tita, isasanla ko muna, para ipambili ko ng singsing, ako magreregalo kay Mariz sa graduation ko."

April 24, 1999, Kelvin died. Up to now I can't find the words to express how I felt then.

April 30, 1999, all of us whom he'd touched, whom he'd shared jokes with; all those who had read his poems, who had heard his songs, were marching not toward PICC for his graduation, but to his funeral.

It was the worst breakup.

Two months after Kelvin died, I was diagnosed as pregnant. I cried and cried until tears rolled out empty.

My family spoke no word, they pitied me. I thought they would kill me, be ashamed of me, but that did not happen.

Both my family and Kelvin's supported me and showed how much they loved me.

December 25, 1999, instead of humming Christmas songs and crying over the thoughts of not celebrating it with Kelvin, I gave birth to a boy I named Josh.

Since then, the happiness that Josh and I share is beyond what his dad would have planned for me.

I am no longer particular with dates and time, I don't even wear a watch, and I just make each day with my kid a day to cherish.

Each day at the office is an opportunity to give Josh a better life, education and future./ It all started with one red rose.

And until there is a rose, I will never be hopeless.

"I will carry you in my arms until we are old"

I will carry you in my arms until we are old On my wedding day, I carried my wife in my arms. The bridal car stopped in front of our one-room flat. My buddies insisted that I carry her out of the car in my arms. So I carried her into our home. She was then plump and shy. I was a strong and happy bridegroom.

This was the scene of ten years ago.

The following days were as simple as a cup of pure water: we had a kid, I went into business and tried to make more money. When the assets were steadily increasing, the affections between us seemed to ebb.

She was a civil servant. Every morning we left home together and got home almost at the same time. Our kid was studying in a boarding school. Our marriage life seemed to be enviably happy. But the calm life was more likely to be affected by unpredictable changes.

Dew came into my life. It was a sunny day. I stood on a spacious balcony. Dew hugged me from behind. My heart once again was immersed in her stream of love.

This was the apartment I bought for her. Dew said, You are the kind of man who best draws girls eyeballs. Her words suddenly reminded me of my wife. When we just married, my wife said, "Men like you, once successful, will be very attractive to girls." Thinking of this, I became somewhat hesitant. I knew I had betrayed my wife.

But I couldn't help doing so. I moved Dew's hands aside and said, "You go to select some furniture, O.K.?" I've got something to do in the company.

Obviously she was unhappy, because I had promised her to go and see with her. At the moment, the idea of divorce became clearer in my mind although it used to be something impossible to me. However, I found it rather difficult to tell my wife about it. No matter how mildly I mentioned it to her, she would be deeply hurt. Honestly, she was a good wife.

Every evening she was busy preparing dinner. I was sitting in front of the TV. The dinner was ready soon. Then we watched TV together. Or, I was lounging before the computer, visualizing Dews body. This was the means of my entertainment.

One day I said to her in a slight joking way, suppose we divorce, what will you do? She stared at me for a few seconds without a word. Apparently she believed that divorce was something too far away from her.

I couldn't imagine how she would react once she got to know I was serious. When my wife went to my office, Dew had just stepped out. Almost all the staff looked at my wife with a sympathetic eye and tried to hide something while talking with her. She seemed to have got some hint.

She gently smiled at my subordinates. But I read some hurt in her eyes. Once again, Dew said to me, "He Ning, divorce her, O.K.?" Then we live together. I nodded.

I knew I could not hesitate any more. When my wife served the last dish, I held her hand. I've got something to tell you, I said. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want to divorce. I raised a serious topic calmly. She didn't seem to be much annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I'm serious.

I avoided her question. This so-called answer turned her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man!

At that night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer, because my heart had gone to Dew.

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. I felt a pain in my heart.

The woman who had been living ten years with me would become a stranger one day. But I could not take back what I had said.

Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had stressed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer.

A late night, I came back home after entertaining my clients. I saw her writing something at the table. I fell asleep fast. When I woke up, I found she was still there. I turned over and was asleep again.

She brought up her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but I was supposed to give her one month's time before divorce, and in the month's time we must live as normal life as possible.

Her reason was simple: our son would finish his summer vacation a month later and she didn't want him to see our marriage was broken. She passed me the agreement she drafted, and then asked me, "He Ning, do you still remember how I entered our bridal room on the wedding day?"

This question suddenly brought back all those wonderful memories to me. I nodded and said, I remember.

You carried me in your arms, she continued, so, I have a requirement, that is, you carry me out in your arms on the day when we divorce. From now to the end of this month, you must carry me out from the bedroom to the door every morning.

I accepted with a smile. I knew she missed those sweet days and wished to end her marriage with a romantic form.

I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she does, she has to face the result of divorce, she said scornfully. Her words more or less made me feel uncomfortable.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. We even treated each other as a stranger. So when I carried her out for the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain.

From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly, Let us start from today, don't tell our son. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door.

She went to wait for bus, I drove to office. On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. We were so close that I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this intimate woman carefully for a long time. I found she was not young any more. There were some fine wrinkles on her face.

On the third day, she whispered to me, The outside garden is being demolished. Be careful when you pass there.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I seemed to feel that we were still an intimate couple and I was holding my sweetheart in my arms. The visualization of Dew became vaguer.

On the fifth and sixth day, she kept reminding me something, such as, where she put the ironed shirts, I should be careful while cooking, etc.

I nodded. The sense of intimacy was even stronger. I didn't tell Dew about this.

I felt it was easier to carry her. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger. I said to her, It seems not difficult to carry you now.

She was picking her dresses. I was waiting to carry her out. She tried and tried a few but could not find a suitable one.

Then she sighed, All my dresses have grown fatter. I smiled. But I suddenly realized that it was because she was thinner that I could carry her more easily, not because I was stronger.

I knew she had buried all the bitterness in her heart. Again, I felt a sense of pain. Subconsciously I reached out a hand to touch her head. Our son came in at the moment. Dad, it's time to carry mum out. he said. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had been an essential part of his life. She gestured our son to come closer and hugged him tightly.

I turned my face because I was afraid I would change my mind at the last minute. I held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly, as if we came back to our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad.

On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. She said, Actually I hope you will hold me in your arms until we are old.

I held her tightly and said, Both you and I didn't notice that our life was lacking of such intimacy.

I jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my decision. I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door. I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I won't divorce. I'm serious.

She looked at me, astonished. The she touched my forehead. You got no fever. She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I can only say sorry to you, I won't divorce.

My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of life, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I understand that since I carried her into the home, she gave birth to our child, I am supposed to hold her until I am old. So I have to say sorry to you.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into cry.

I walked downstairs and drove to the office. When I passed the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet for my life which was her favorite.

The salesgirl asked me to write the greeting words on the card. I smiled and wrote, "I ll carry you out every morning until we are old."

Dealing with Job Difficulties

"Every job has built-in difficulties"

Difficulties, alone, don't cause job burn out. It's the lack of control that drains you and leads to frustration.

If people and situations don't demand your best, you soon become bored. So, some stress is both expected and good.

To avoid job burn out, you must embrace challenges that keep you interested and performing at your peak. Labeling difficulties as challenges is a big step in that direction.

You have a personal responsibility to yourself, your well-being and your happiness. Don't let job stress control you. If you need to make changes to avoid burn out, take action today!

For a wonderful relationships...

TRUST is a very important factor for all relationships. When trust is broken, it is the end of the relationship. Lack of trust leads to suspicion, suspicion generates anger, anger causes enmity and enmity may result in separation.

A telephone operator told me that one day she received a phone call. She answered, "Public Utilities Board." There was silence. She repeated, "PUB." There was still no answer. When she was going to cut off the line, she Heard a lady's voice, "Oh, so this is PUB.Sorry, I got the number from my Husband's pocket but I do not know whose number it is."

Without mutual trust, just imagine what will happen to the couple if the telephone operator answered with just "hello" instead of "PUB".

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NO POINTING FINGERS

A man asked his father-in-law, "Many people praised you for a successful marriage. Could you please share with me your secret?"

The father-in-law answered in a smile, "Never criticize your wife for her shortcomings or when she does something wrong. Always bear in mind that because of her shortcomings and weaknesses, she could not find a better husband than you."

We all look forward to being loved and respected. Many people are afraid of losing face. Generally, when a person makes a mistake, he would look around to find a scapegoat to point the finger at. This is the start of a war. We should always remember that when we point one finger at a person, the other four fingers are pointing at ourselves. If we forgive the others, others will ignore our mistake too.

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CREATING PERFECT RELATIONSHIPS?


A person visited the government matchmaker for marriage, SDU, and requested "I am looking for a spouse. Please help me to find a suitable one." The SDU officer said, "Your requirements, please." "Oh, good looking, polite, humorous , sporty, knowledgeable, good in singing and dancing. Willing to accompany me the whole day at home during my leisure hour, if I don't go out. Telling me interesting stories when I need companion for conversation and be silent when I want to rest." The officer listened carefully and replied, "I understand you need television."

There is a saying that a perfect match can only be found between a blind wife and a deaf husband ,because the blind wife cannot see the faults of the husband and the deaf husband cannot hear the nagging of the wife. Many couples are blind and deaf at the courting stage and dream of perpetual perfect relationship. Unfortunately, when the excitement of love wears off, they wake up and discover that marriage is not a bed of roses. The nightmare begins.

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NO OVERPOWERING

Many relationships fail because one party tries to overpower another,or demands too much. People in love tend to think that love will conquer all and their spouses will change the bad habits after marriage. Actually, this is not the case. There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "It is easier to reshape a mountain or a river than a person's character." It is not easy to change. Thus, having high expectation on changing the spouse character will cause disappointment and unpleasantness. It would be less painful to change ourselves and lower our expectations..

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RIGHT SPEECH

There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "A speech will either prosper or ruin a nation." Many relationships break off because of wrong speech. When a couple is too close with each other,we always forget mutual respect and courtesy. We may say anything without considering if it would hurt the other party.

A friend and her millionaire husband visited their construction site. A worker who wore a helmet saw her and shouted,"Hi, Emily! Remember me? We used to date in the secondary school." On the way home, her millionaire husband teased her, "Luckily you married me.Otherwise you will be the wife of a construction worker." She answered ,"You should appreciate that you married me. Otherwise, he will be the millionaire and not you."

Frequently exchanging these remarks plants the seed for a bad relationship. It's like a broken egg - cannot be reversed.

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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.

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.

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.

Thus, do not be too bothered by others words if our conscience is clear..

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BE PATIENT

This is a true story which happened in the States. 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 of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy's hands into 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 & 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 & committed suicide.

Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or u wish to take revenge. Think first before u lose your patience with someone u love. Trucks can be repaired.. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge.

People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.

If only...

There was once this guy who is very much in love with his girl. This romantic guy folded 1,000 pieces of paper cranes as a gift to his girl. Although, at that time he was just a small fry in his company, his future didn't seem too bright, they were very happy together.

Until one day, his girl told him she was going to Paris and will never come back. She also told him that she cannot visualize any future for the both of them, so they went their own ways there and then...

Heartbroken, the guy agreed. But when he regained his confidence, he worked hard day and night, slogging his body and mind just to make something out of himself.

Finally with all the hard work and the help of friends, this guy had set up his own company..

You never fail until you stop trying.

One rainy day, while this guy was driving, he saw an elderly couple sharing an umbrella in the rain walking to some destination. Even with the umbrella, they were still drenched. It didn't take him long to realize they were his girl's parents.

With a heart in getting back at them, he drove slowly beside the couple, wanting them to spot him in his luxury sedan. He wanted them to know that he wasn't the same any more; he had his own company, car, condo, etc. He made it! What he saw next confused him, the couple was walking towards a cemetery, and so he got out of his car and followed... and he saw his girl, a photograph of her smiling sweetly as ever at him from her tombstone and he saw his paper cranes right beside her...

Her parents saw him. He asked them why this had happened. They explained, she did not leave for France at all. She was ill with cancer. She had believed that he will make it someday, but she did not want to be his obstacle... therefore she had chosen to leave him.

Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

She had wanted her parents to put his paper cranes beside her, because, if the day comes when fate brings him to her again... he can take some of those back with him...

Once you have loved, you will always love. For what's in your mind may escape but what's in your heart will remain forever.

The guy just wept...The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside her knowing you can't have her, see her or be with her ever again......... hope you understand.

Find time to realize that there is one person who means so much to you, for you might wake up one morning losing that person who you thought meant nothing to you.

Patience and Parents

An 80 year old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45 year's old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow perched on their window.

The Father asked his Son, "What is this?"

The Son replied "It is a crow".

After a few minutes, the Father asked his Son the 2nd time, "What is this?"

The Son said "Father, I have just now told you "It's a crow".

After a little while, the old Father again asked his Son the 3rd time,What is this?"

At this time some ex-pression of irritation was felt in the Son's tone when he said to his Father with a rebuff. "It's a crow, a crow".

A little after, the Father again asked his Son t he 4th time, "What is this?"

This time the Son shouted at his Father, "Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times 'IT IS A CROW'. Are you not able to understand this?"

A little later the Father went to his room and came back with an old tattered diary, which he had maintained since his Son was born. On opening a page, he asked his Son to read that page. When the son read it, the following words were written in the diary :-

"Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow was sitting on the window. My Son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a Crow. I hugged him lovingly each time h e asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I did not at all feel irritated I rather felt affection for my innocent child".

While the little child asked him 23 times "What is this", the Father had felt no irritation in replying to the same question all 23 times and when today the Father asked his Son the same question just 4 times, the Son felt irritated and annoyed.

So..

If your parents attain old age, do not repulse them or look at them as a burden, but speak to them a gracious word, be cool, obedient, humble and kind to them. Be considerate to your parents.

From today say this aloud:

"I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered their selfless love on me. They crossed all mountains and valleys without seeing the storm and heat to make me a person presentable in the society today".

Say a prayer to God, "I will serve my old parents in the BEST way. I will say all good and kind words to my dear parents, no matter how they behave.

"Please dont cry... my son, I love you so much..."

a very nice reflection to share......

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... She was such an embarressment...

My mom ran a small shop at a flea market. She collected little weeds and such to sell... anything for the money we needed, she was such an embarressment.

There was this one day during elementary school.. it was field day, and my mom came. I was so embarressed. How could she do this tome? Ii threw her a hateful look and ran out.

The next day at school...
"Your mom only has one eye?!?!" .. and they taunted me.

I wished that my mom would just dissappear from this world so I said to my mom,"Mom.. why dont you have the other eye?! If you're only gonna make me a laughing stock,why dont you just die?!!!"

My mom did not respond.. I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it felt good to think that I had said what I'd wanted to say all this time.. maybe it was because my mom hadn't punished me, but I didn't think that I had hurt her feelings very badly.

That night... I woke up, and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My mom was crying there, so quietly, as if she was afraid that she might wake me. I took a look at her, then turned away. Because of the thing I had said to her earlier, there was something pinching at me in the corner of my heart.

Even so, I hated my mother who was crying out ofher one eye. So I told myself that I would grow up and become successful. Cause I hated my one-eyed mom and our desperate poverty..

Then I studied real hard. I left my mother and came to Seoul and studied, and got accepted in the Seoul University with all the confidence I had. then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. Then I had kids, too.. Now I'm living happily as a successful man. I like it here because it's a place that doesnt remind me of my mom.

This happiness was getting bigger and bigger, when..

What?! Who's this?!... it was my mother... still with her one eye. It felt as if the whole sky was falling apart on me. My little girl ran away, scared of my mom's eye.

And I asked her, "Who are you?!" "I don't know you!!!" as if trying to make that real. I screamed at her,"How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter!"

"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 dissappeared out of sight.

Thank good ness... she doesnt recognize me.. I was quite relieved. I told myself that I wasn't going to care, or think about this for the rest of my life. Then a wave of relief came upon me...

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion cameto my house. So, lying to my wife that i was going on a business trip, I went. After the reunion, I went down to the old shack, that I used to call a house... just out of curiosity..

There, I found my mother fallen on the cold ground. But I did not shed a single tear. She had a piece of paper in her hand.... it was a letter to me.

My son...

I think my life has been long enough now..

and... I won't visit Seoul anymore... but would it be too much to ask if I wanted you to come visit me once in a while?

I miss you so much.. and I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I decided not to go to the school

.... for you...

And I'm sorry that I only have one eye, and I was an embarressment for you.

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

I was so proud of my son that was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye. I was never upset at you for anything you did.. the couple times that you were angry with me,.. I thought to myself, 'it's because he loves me..'

My son... oh, my son... I don't want you to cry for me, because of my death.

Please don't cry... my son, I love you so much!

Why go to Church?

(If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this! If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it. If you're spiritually curious,there is still hope!)

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 yearsnow," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, muchto the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

Growing with Someone

Keep this in mind. This is for all: the recently married, the ones who have been married, the soon to get married, and the ones who are still looking...

Years ago, I asked God to give me a spouse, "You don't own because you didn't ask," God said. Not only I asked for a spouse but also explained what kind of spouse I wanted. I want a nice, tender, forgiving, passionate, honest, peaceful, generous, understanding, pleasant, warm, intelligent, humorous, attentive, compassionate and truthful. I even mentioned the physical characteristics I dreamt about. As time went by, I added the required list of my wanted spouse.

One night, in my prayer, God talked to my heart: "My servant, I cannot give you what you want", I asked God why? God said, "Because I am God and I am fair. God is the truth and all I do are true and right."

I asked "God, I don't understand why I cannot have what I ask from you?" God answered, "I will explain. It is not fair and right for Me to fulfill your demand because I cannot give something that is not your own self.

It is not fair to give someone who is full of love to you if sometimes you are still hostile, or to give you someone generous but sometimes you can be cruel; or someone forgiving, however, you still hide revenge; someone understanding, however, you are very insensitive...

"He then said to me: "It is better for Me to give you someone who I know could grow to have all qualities you are searching rather than to make you waste your time to find someone who already has the qualities you want."

Your spouse would be bone from your bone and flesh from your flesh and you will see yourself in her and both of you will be one. Marriage is like a school. It is a life-long education. It is where you and your partner make adjustment and aim not merely to please each other, but to be better human beings and to make a solid teamwork. I do not give you a perfect partner, because you are not perfect either. I give you a partner with whom you would grow together.

"Love is a commitment of the heart that will stand the test of wavering emotions, intellectual rationalizing, circumstantial allure, hormonal infatuation, and even the wounds of your lover. Anything less is not true love."

"Have A Heart That Never Hates

Have A Smile That Never Fades

Have A Touch That Never Hurts

And Build A Relation That Never Breaks"