Life Lessons From Baby Giraffe

M.Peer Mohamed Sardhar


Baby giraffes never go to school. But they learn a very important lesson rather early in life. A lesson that all of us would do well to remember.


The birth of a baby giraffe is quite an earth-shaking event. The baby falls from its mother’s womb, some eight feet above the ground. It shrivels up and lies still, too weak to move.

The mother giraffe lovingly lowers her neck to smooch the baby giraffe. And then something incredible happens. She lifts her long leg and kicks the baby giraffe, sending it flying up in the air and tumbling down on the ground. As the baby lies curled up, the mother kicks the baby again. And again. Until the baby giraffe, still trembling and tired, pushes its limbs and for the first time learns to stand on its feet.

Happy to see the baby standing on its own feet, the mother giraffe comes over and gives it yet another kick. The baby giraffe falls one more time, but now quickly recovers and stands up. Mama Giraffe is delighted. She knows that her baby has learnt an important lesson: Never mind how hard you fall, always remember to pick yourself up and get back on your feet.

Why does the mother giraffe do this? She knows that lions and leopards love giraffe meat. So unless the baby giraffe quickly learns to stand and run with the pack – it will have no chance of survival. Most of us though are not quite as lucky as baby giraffes. No one teaches us to stand up every time we fall. When we fail, when we are down, we just give up. No one kicks us out of our comfort zone to remind us that to survive and succeed, we need to learn to get back on our feet.


If you study the lives of successful people though, you will see a recurring pattern. Were they always successful in all they did? No. Did success come to them quick and easy? No, no! You will find that the common streak running through their lives is their ability to stand up every time they fall. The ability of the baby giraffe!


Have you heard about a young sales executive from Kolkata who dreamt about becoming an announcer on radio? He auditioned with All India Radio for a job. The authorities felt that he didn’t have a particularly good voice and he was rejected. He refused to accept defeat and continued to chase his dream.


He tried for a role in the movies. He got rejected. They thought he was too tall. He kept trying and got a few lucky breaks. But most of his early films flopped. He did not give up. He played an angry young man in a movie that became a super hit. And the failed radio announcer went on to become the country’s biggest superstar – widely admired for his baritone voice! His name? Amitabh Bachchan.


The road to success is never an easy one. There are several obstacles, and you are bound to fall sooner or later. You will hit a road block, you will taste failure. But success lies in being able to get up every time you fall. That’s a critical life skill. And it’s the habit of all successful people.


Learning to win in life is quite like learning to ride a bicycle. As you start to ride, you might fall and get bruised. It doesn’t matter. You need to get back up and continue to ride. Fall one more time? Get back up again. That’s all it takes. Learn to get back up every time you fall.


And just remember one more thing. Next time you find a friend or a parent kicking you, don’t get upset with them. Like the mother giraffe, they may only be trying to teach you one of life’s most important lessons...

Niels Bohr

The following concerns a question in a physics degree exam at the University of Copenhagen :-
'Describe how to determine the height of a skyscraper using a Barometer ?'
One student replied :-
'You tie a long piece of string to the neck of the barometer, then lower the barometer from the roof of the skyscraper to the ground. The length of the string plus the length of the barometer will equal the height of the building.'

This highly original answer so incensed the examiner that the student was failed.

The student appealed on the grounds that his answer was indisputably correct, and the university appointed an independent arbiter to decide the case.

The arbiter judged that the answer was indeed correct, but did not display any noticeable knowledge of physics.

To resolve the problem it was decided to call the student in and allow him six minutes in which to provide a verbal answer which showed at least a minimal familiarity the basic principles of physics.

For five minutes the student sat in silence, forehead creased in thought.

The arbiter reminded him that time was running out, to which the student replied that he had several extremely relevant answers, but couldn't make up his mind which to use.

On being advised to hurry up the student replied as follows:

'Firstly, you could take the barometer up to the roof of the skyscraper, drop it over the edge, and measure the time it takes to reach the ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the formula H = 0.5g x t squared. But bad luck on the barometer.'

'Or if the sun is shining you could measure the height of the barometer, then set it on end and measure the length of its shadow. Then you measure the length of the skyscraper's shadow, and thereafter it is a simple matter of proportional arithmetic to work out the height of the skyscraper.'

'But if you wanted to be highly scientific about it, you could tie a short piece of string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum, first at ground level and then on the roof of the skyscraper. The height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring force T = 2 pi sq root (l / g).'

'Or if the skyscraper has an outside emergency staircase, it would be easier to walk up it and mark off the height of the skyscraper in barometer lengths, then add them up.'

'If you merely wanted to be boring and orthodox about it, of course, you could use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof of the skyscraper and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars, into feet to give the height of the building.'

'But since we are constantly being exhorted to exercise independence of mind and apply scientific methods, undoubtedly the best way would be to knock on the janitor's door and say to him, 'If you would like a nice new barometer, I will give you this one if you tell me the height of this skyscraper'. '

The student was Niels Bohr, the only person from Denmark to win the Nobel prize for Physics

Harvard

A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston, and walked timidly without an appointment into the president of Harvard's outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods country folks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Cambrigde. She frowned. "We want to see the president, "the man said softly. "He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped. "We'll wait," the lady replied.

For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away. They didn't. And the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the president, even though it was a chore she always regretted to do. "Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes, they'll leave, "she told him. He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them, but he detested gingham and homespun suits cluttering his office.

The president, stern-faced with dignity, strutted toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son that attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard, and was very happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. And my husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him somewhere on campus. "The president wasn't touched, he was shocked. "Madam," he said gruffly, "we can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery."

"Oh, no" the lady explained quickly, "we don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would give a building to Harvard." The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, then exclaimed, "A building!! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical plant at Harvard!!"

For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. He could get rid of them now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a university? Why don't we just start our own?" Her husband nodded. The president's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, CA where they established the University that bears their name...a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.

"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them."

- Malcolm Forbes

The fisherman story

A management consultant, on holiday in an African fishing village, watched a little fishing boat dock at the quayside. Noting the quality of the fish, the consultant asked the fisherman how long it had taken to catch them.

"Not very long." answered the fisherman.

"Then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the consultant.

The fisherman explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The consultant asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, have an afternoon's rest under a coconut tree. In the evenings, I go into the community hall to see my friends, have a few beers, play the drums, and sing a few songs..... I have a full and happy life." replied the fisherman.

The consultant ventured, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you...... You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have a large fleet. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to a city here or maybe even in the United Kingdom, from where you can direct your huge enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the fisherman.

"Oh, ten, maybe twenty years." replied the consultant.

"And after that?" asked the fisherman.

"After that? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the consultant, laughing, "When your business gets really big, you can start selling shares in your company and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" pressed the fisherman.

"After that you'll be able to retire, move out to a small village by the sea, sleep in late every day, spend time with your family, go fishing, take afternoon naps under a coconut tree, and spend relaxing evenings having drinks with friends..."

" That's what I’m doing right now", said the fisherman and went his way.

The Emperor and the Seed

Here is one f the inspirational stories about integrity

Once there was an emperor in the Far East who was growing old and knew it was coming time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own children, he decided to do something different.

He called all the young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It has come time for me to step down and to choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One seed. It is a very special seed. I want you to go home, plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring to me, and the one I choose will be the next emperor of the kingdom!"

There was one boy named Ling who was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the whole story. She helped him get a pot and some planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.

After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept going home and checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by. Still nothing.

By now others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she encouraged him to go, and to take his pot, and to be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.

When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by all the other youths. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"

All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?

Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grown, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"

Commitment

I will never forget what my old headmaster told taught me. Normally when you are only 15 years of age you do not remember most of the things that are preached by your teachers. But, this particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story.

It was a normal Monday morning at an assembly, and he was addressing the students on important things in life and about committing ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went:

An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years.

His house was filthy, and a stench came out of the house and it smelled horribly. The neighbors could not stand the smell anymore, so they summoned the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.

The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house in anticipation to share the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.

He said nothing at all; he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg.

Obviously, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing, commitment.


We should remain true to our course; which may mean committing yourselves to things that people around you would normally disapprove. Let nothing distract us from being happy, let nothing else determine our fate, but ourselves.
What makes us happy is what matters in the end,
not what we acquire.


By Olehile Fischer Thataone

The True Meaning Of Love

My husband is an Engineer by profession. I love him for his steady nature and I love the warm feeling when I lean against his broad shoulders.

Three years of courtship and now two years into marriage, I would have to admit that I am getting tired of it. The reasons for loving him before have now transformed into the cause of all my restlessness.

I am a sentimental woman and extremely sensitive when it comes to a relationship and my feelings. I yearn for the romantic moments, like a little girl yearning for candy.

My husband is my complete opposite. His lack of sensitivity and inability to bring romantic moments into our marriage has disheartened me about love. One day, I finally decided to tell him my decision - that I wanted a divorce.

"Why?" he asked, shocked.

"I am tired; there are no reasons for everything in the world!" I answered.

He kept silent the whole night, seeming to be in deep thought, with a lighted cigarette in his hands at all times.

My feeling of disappointment only increased. Here was a man who couldn't even express his predicament. What else can I hope from him?

Then finally he asked me, "What can I do to change your mind?"

Somebody said it right; it's hard to change a person's personality and I guess I started losing faith in him.

Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered, "Here is the question. If you can answer and convince my heart, I will change my mind. Let's say, I want a flower located on the face of a mountain cliff and we both are sure that picking the flower will cause your death. Will you do it for me?"

He answered, " I will give you your answer tomorrow... "

My hopes just sank by listening to his response.

I woke up the next morning to find him gone and saw a piece of paper with his scratchy handwriting, underneath a milk glass, on the dining table near the front door, that went...

"My dear, I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow me to explain the reasons further..."

This first line was already breaking my heart but I continued reading.

"When you use the computer, you always mess up the software programs and you cry in front of the screen. I have to save my fingers so that I can help to restore the programs.

You always leave the house keys behind, thus I have to save my legs to rush home to open the door for you. You love traveling but always lose your way in a new city; I have to save my eyes to show you the way.

You always have the cramps whenever your "good friend" approaches every month; I have to save my palms so that I can calm the cramps in your tummy.

You like to stay indoors and I worry that you will be infected by infantile autism. I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories to cure your boredom.

You always stare at the computer and that will do nothing good for your eyes. I have to save my eyes so that when we grow old, I can help to clip your nails and help to remove those annoying white hairs so I can also hold your hand while strolling down the beach, as you enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful sand and tell you the color of flowers, just like the color of the glow on your young face.

Thus, my dear, unless I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I do, I could not pick that flower yet, and die."

My tears fell on the letter and blurred the ink of his handwriting and I continued reading...

"Now that you have finished reading my answer, if you are satisfied, please open the front door for I am standing outside bringing your favorite bread and fresh milk."

I rushed to pull open the door and saw his anxious face and his hands clutching tightly the milk bottle and loaf of bread. Now I am very sure that no one will ever love me as much as he does and I have decided to leave the flower alone.

That's life and love. When one is surrounded by love, the feeling of excitement fades away and one tends to ignore the true love that lies in between the peace and dullness.

Love shows up in all forms, even very small and cheeky forms. It has never been a model. Flowers and romantic moments are only used and appear on the surface of the relationship. Under all this, the pillar of true love stands... and that's our life.

Love, not words, wins arguments.

--- Written in 2008 by Denise D'souza --- Pakistan

Being With Your Mother

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie.

She said, "I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would Love to spend some time with you."

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my Mother, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

"What's wrong, are you well?" she asked.

My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

"I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you," I responded. "Just the two of us."

She thought about it for a moment and then said, "I would like that very much."

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up, I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's.

"I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son and they were impressed," she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting."

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady.

After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half-way through the entrees, I lifted my eyes and saw Mother sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips.

"It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said.

"Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I responded.

During the dinner , we had an agreeable conversation nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie.

As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you."

I agreed.

"How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home.

"Very nice, much more so than I could have imagined," I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.

Sometime later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place Mother and I had dined. An attached note said:

"I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but, nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son."

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: 'I love YOU' and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve.

Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till some "other" time.

--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Danish Ifran --- Pakistan

When You Know The Truth

The train has started moving. It is packed with people of all ages, mostly working men and women and young college guys and gals. Near the window, sat an old man with his 30-year-old son.

As the train moves, the son is overwhelmed with joy because he is thrilled by the scenery outside.

"See dad, the scenery of green trees moving away is very beautiful."

This behavior from the thirty-year-old son made the other people on the train feel strange about him. Everyone started murmuring something or other about this son.

"This guy seems to be a crack," newly married Anup whispered to his wife.

Suddenly it started raining. Raindrops fell on the travelers through the opened window. The thirty-year-old, filled with joy said, " See dad, how beautiful the rain is..."

Anup's wife became irritated with the raindrops, as they were dropping on her new suit and spoiling it.

"Anup, can't you see it's raining? You. Old man. If your son is not feeling well, get him to a mental asylum soon and don't disturb the public henceforth."

The old man hesitated first and then in a low tone replied, "We are on the way back from hospital. My son was discharged this morning. He was blind at birth. Only last week he regained his vision. Rain and nature are new to his eyes. Please forgive us for the inconvenience caused."

--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Kartik Bodawala --- India
The things we see may be right, from our perspective, until we know the truth. But when we know the truth, our reaction to that will hurt even us. So try to understand the problem better before taking a harsh action.

Saving A Relationship

When I got home that night, as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, "I've got something to tell you."

She sat down and ate quietly. I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking.

"I want a divorce."

I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, "Why?"

I avoided her question. This made her angry.

She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, "You are not a man!"

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.

She had lost my heart to Jane.

I didn't love my wife anymore. I just pitied her!

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. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger.

I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said, for I loved Jane so dearly.

Finally my wife 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 a divorce, which had obsessed me for several weeks, seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to bed and fell asleep very fast because I was tired, after an eventful day with Jane.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and went to sleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions. She didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested for the one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible.

Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me but she had something more. She asked me to recall how I had carried her into our bridal room, on our wedding day.

She requested that every morning, for the month's duration, I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door.

I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable, I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife's odd divorce condition. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd.

"No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce," she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy.

Our son clapped behind us, "Daddy is holding Mommy 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, "Don't tell our son about the divorce."

I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more; there were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her.

For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the third day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fourth and fifth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Jane about this.

It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

My wife was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one.

Then she sighed, "All my dresses have grown bigger."

I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin. That was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, "Dad, it's time to carry Mom out."

To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute.

I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like 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.

I held her tightly and said, "I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy."

I drove to office and then jumped out of the car swiftly, without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind.

I walked upstairs.

Jane opened the door and I said to her, "Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore."

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead.

"Do you have a fever?" she said.

I moved her hand off my head.

"Sorry, Jane," I said. "I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day, I am supposed to hold her until death do us part."

Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop, on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card.

I smiled and wrote, "I'll carry you out every morning until death do us part."

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands and a smile on my face. I ran upstairs only to find my wife in the bed - dead.

My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was too busy with Jane to even notice.

My wife knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from whatever negative reaction that might come from our son, in case we pushed through with the divorce. At least, in the eyes of our son, I was a loving husband.


Morale of the story: The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, or the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves.

So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

Please consider sharing this story. If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you. If you do, you just might save a marriage.

Remember: Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. And for those of us not married, we can learn the art of sticking together with our relationship partner, despite the odds. You are both stronger than the odds, only when you agree to stick together.

--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by George Wachirah --- Kenya

Service With A Smile

Everything I learned about selling, I learned in one afternoon from my father, Walt, at his furniture store in New Era, Michigan. I was 12 years old. I was sweeping the floor when an elderly woman entered the store. I asked Dad if I could wait on her. "Sure," he replied. "May I help you?" "Yes, young man. I bought a sofa from your store and the leg fell off. I want to know when you're going to fix it." "When did you purchase it, ma'am?" "About 10 years ago."

I told my father that she thought we were going to fix her old sofa for free. He said to tell her we'd be there that afternoon. After screwing on the new leg, we left and on the ride back Pop asked, "What's bothering you, son?"

"You know that I want to go to college. If we drive around fixing old sofas for free, we'll go broke!" "You had learned how to do that repair job anyway. Besides, you missed the most important part. You didn't notice the store tag when we flipped the couch over. She bought it from Sears." "You mean we did that job for nothing and she's not even our customer?" Dad looked me in the eye and said, "She is now." Two days later she returned to our store and bought several thousand dollars worth of new furniture from me. When we delivered it, she put a gallon jar filled with change, singles, fives, tens, twenties, fifties and hundreds on the kitchen table.

"Take what you need," she said and left the room. I've been selling for 30 years since that day. I have had the highest closing average in every organization I have represented because I treat every customer with respect.

Jalan Raya

Teringat berpuluh-puluh tahun dahulu kat jalan ni ........

Emak bentang tikar mengkuang kat tepi jalan, kemudian mak jemur padi. Emak suka jemur padi kt atas jln raya kerna cepat kering; sebab jalan tu panas .....

Kalaulah skarang ni mak jemur padi kat tepi jalan tu ........!

.... mak bukan sahaja kehilangan padi, malah tikar mengkuang pun entah gi maner.

..... jln raya bukan sahaja tempat mak jemur padi, tapi juga tempat mak menggosokkan tapak kakinya yg pecah-pecah; maknanya tempat spa mak jugak lah...!!

.... kalaulah mak masih menggunakan jln raya skarang ni untuk spa percumanya, mak bukan sahaja menghilangkn pecah-pecah di tapak kakinya, malah mak jugak akan kehilangan tapak kakinya....!!

... kekadang, rasa rindu zaman dahulu......!!

Puppies For Sale

A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read "Puppies For Sale." Signs like that have a way of attracting small children, and sure enough, a little boy appeared under the store owner's sign. "How much are you going to sell the puppies for?" he asked. The store owner replied, "Anywhere from $30.00 to $50.00." The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. "I have $2.37," he said. "Can I please look at them?"

The store owner smiled and whistled and out of the kennel came Lady, who ran down the aisle of his store followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, "What's wrong with that little dog?"

The store owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn't have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame. The little boy became excited. "That is the little puppy that I want to buy." The store owner said, "No, you don't want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I'll just give him to you."


The little boy got upset. He looked straight into the store owner's eyes, pointing his finger, and said, "I don't want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I'll pay full price. In fact, I'll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for."

The store owner countered, "You really don't want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies." To this, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace.

He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, "Well, I don't run so well myself and the little puppy will need someone who understands!"

Sand & Stone

Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:

'Today my best friend slapped me in the face.'

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:

'Today my best friend saved my life.'

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, 'After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?'

The friend replied, 'When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.'

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in stone.

They say 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.

Do not value the things you have in your life, but value who you have in your life!

--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Kartik Bodawala --- India

MANNERS

The tired ex-teacher edged closer to the counter at Kmart. Her left leg hurt and she hoped she had taken all of her pills for the day: the ones for her high blood pressure, dizziness and a host of other ills. Thank goodness I retired years ago, she thought to herself. I don't have the energy to teach these days. Just before the line to the counter formed, she spotted a young man with four children and a pregnant wife or girlfriend in tow. The teacher couldn't miss the tattoo on his neck. He's been to prison, she thought. She continued checking him out. His white T-shirt, shaved hair and baggy pants led her to surmise, He's a gang member.

The teacher tried to let the man go ahead of her. "You can go first," she offered. "No, you go first," he insisted. "No, you have more people with you," said the teacher. "We should respect our elders," parried the man. And with that, he gestured with a sweeping motion indicating the way for the woman. A brief smile flickered on her lips as she hobbled in front of him. The teacher in her decided she couldn't let the moment go and she turned back to him and asked "Who taught you your good manners?"

"You did Mrs. Simpson, in third grade."

By Paul Karrer - from Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul,

What It Means To Be Poor

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad."

"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.

"Oh Yeah" said the son.

"So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

With this the boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are."

Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don’t have. What is one person`s worthless object is another’s prize possession. It is all based on one`s perspective. Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for all the bounty we have, instead of worrying about wanting more. Take joy in all you have, especially your friends. Pass this message on.

Sesekali kita harus juga berdusta?

Seorang wanita baru sahaja berpindah ke sebuah kota kecil. Setelah berada di sana beberapa waktu, ia mengeluh kepada tetangganya tentang layanan buruk yang dialaminya di pasar mini di kota tersebut. Ia meminta pada tetangganya agar mau menyampaikan kritiknya pada pemilik pasar mini tersebut.

Beberapa hari kemudian wanita pendatang tersebut pergi lagi ke pasar mini itu. Pemilik pasar mini menyambutnya dengan senyum lebar sambil mengatakan betapa senangnya ia melihat wanita itu berkenan datang kembali ke pasar mininya, dan berharap wanita dan suaminya menyukai kota mereka. Bukan hanya itu, pemilik pasar mini itu bahkan menawarkan diri membantu wanita dan suaminya menguruskan berbagai hal agar mereka gembira menetap di kota itu. Lalu, ia pun mengirimkan apa yang dipesan wanita itu dengan cepat dan baik.

Wanita itu merasa senang dengan perubahan luar biasa yang ditunjukkan oleh pemilik pasar mini itu. Kemudian, ia melaporkan hal itu pada tetangganya. Katanya, “Anda tentu sudah menyampaikan kritik saya mengenai betapa buruk layanannya waktu itu.”

“Oh, tidak,” jawab tetangganya. “Sebenarnya saya tidak menyampaikan kritik anda pada mereka. Saya harap anda tidak keberatan. Saya katakan pada pemilik pasar mini itu betapa anda mengagumi melihat kegigihan mereka mendirikan pasar mini di kota kecil ini. Dan, saya nyatakan yang anda merasakan bahawa pasar mininya adalah salah satu pasar mini dengan pelayanan terbaik yang pernah anda temui.”

RAHSIA PASANGAN ANDA MELALUI TARIKH LAHIR - 3

8. Tarikh Lahir pada 8 & 23

Dia bersifat peramah dan mudah perasa. Kepada teman-teman dia bersifat lembut & bijaksana. Namun begitu dia tersisih dari teman- teman kerana rasa rendah diri yang terlalu menebal. Dia memerlukan suasana yang seimbang baik sewaktu berfikir mahupun dalam kehidupan seharian.Kelemahan yang paling menonjol ialah gugup dan selalu dihantui perasaan khuatir tetapi dia adalah seorang yang penjimat. Dalam urusan cinta, dia seorang yang tabah dan rela berkorban.

9. Tarikh Lahir pada 10, 16 & 21

Suka bekerja keras,memiliki nafsu yang tinggi dalam usaha mencapai cita-citanya.Dalam pergaulan sehari-hari dia merupakan orang yang mudah tersinggung.Namun begitu dia seorang yang jujur & tabah dalam menghadapi persoalan.Soal cinta dia sangat setia dan sebab itulah dia mudah disenangi. Tapi dia seorang yang terlalu cemburu. Kalau baik dia sangat baik dan kalau jahat dia merupakan orang yang paling jahat.


10. Tarikh Lahir pada 12 & 19

Orang yang lahir pada tarikh ini memiliki sifat suka dipuji.Dia berharap setiap orang akan menganggapnya sebagai juara. Pada dasarnya dia suka berdandan dan berpakaian rapi.Kerana itu dia sering membelanjakan wangnya untuk menunjukan penampilannya.Dalam kehidupan sehari-hari dia adalah pasangan yang disegani kerana bakat kepimpinannya.Sifatnya yang bijaksana membuatkan dia disegani dalam pergaulan.Dalam urusan cinta, dia adalah pasangan yang sangat susah untuk dipercayai.

11. Tarikh Lahir pada 15, 20 & 26

Jangan mengharapkan sifat romantis dari pasangan yang lahir pada tarikh ini.Dia tergolong dalam orang yang kurang serius, bersikap bodoh dalam menghadapi sesuatu. Namun begitu dia selalu bersikap penuh pengertian bila menghadapi sesuatu masalah. Dia sangat benci pada perkara-perkara yang berbau keributan terutama yang menimbulkan huru-hara. Dalam hal percintaan dia menuntut untuk lebih diberi perhatian tapi dia jarang mengambil berat pada pasangannya. Namun begitu sikapnya disenangi oleh kawan-kawan.

12. Tarikh Lahir pada 22 & 25

Wataknya paling susah untuk dimengertikan. Kadangkala dia disukai kerana kebaikannya dan kadangkala dia dibenci kerana perbuatannya.Namun buat teman-teman dia merupakan orang penuh pengertian. Dalam pelbagai situasi dia lebih suka merendahkan diri jarang sekali mahu menonjolkan kelebihannya pada orang lain. Pasangan jenis ini terkenal sebagai perayu dan sebab itulah dia diberi jolokan seniman asmara.

RAHSIA PASANGAN ANDA MELALUI TARIKH LAHIR - 2

4. Tarikh Lahir pada 4, & 13

Pasangan yang lahir pada tarikh ini adalah seorang yang pandai, suka bergaul dan mudah berubah pendapat. Dia seringkali tidak yakin dengan diri sendiri.Dalam soal cinta, dia tergolong pasangan yang mata keranjang dan suka bertukar-tukar partner. Sifat ini membuatkan orang tidak suka apa lagi untuk bersimpati dengannya. Dia sering bersifat dingin kepada orang lain kerana menganggap orang lain merupakan faktor penyebab timbulnya masalah. Tapi dia memiliki sifat kelakar, mudah ketawa dan kadangkala bersikap keanak-anakkan.

5. Tarikh Lahir pada 5 & 17

Yang lahir pada tarikh ini adalah seorang yang optimis, bercita-cita tinggi dan punya kecederungan untuk berprestasi. Namun begitu dia adalah seorang yang berwatak keras dan apa yang diinginkan selalunya dipenuhi.Memandangkan sesuatu selalunya dari segi yang menguntungkan.Tapi sayangnya dia suka menganggap remeh pada orang lain.Dalam soal cinta, berhati-hatilah kerana dia suka bertukar-tukar pasangan.

6.Tarikh Lahir pada 6, 14 & 27

Dia adalah seorang pasangan yang tidak mahu kalah dan pantang menyerah. Kejujuran dan keadilan merupakan sifat yang membuatkan dia disegani.Dalam soal cinta dia ingin memberi yang terbaik kepada orang yang dicintainya.Namun begitu harga dirinya terlalu tinggi sehingga dia tidak pernah mengerti mengapa seseorang itu menolak kebaikannya.

7. Tarikh Lahir pada 7, 28 & 31

Dia adalah seorang yang bersifat terbuka berterus terang & jujur.Namun dia mudah sekali terpengaruh dan ingin mencapai sesuatu itu dengan cara mudah. Cinta baginya sering diertikan sebagai pengisi masa lapang. Semasa bercinta dia sangat berhati-hati dan suka sekali merayu dan kalau pasangannya curang dia dengan mudah
meninggalkannya.

RAHSIA PASANGAN ANDA MELALUI TARIKH LAHIR

1. Tarikh Lahir pada 1, 9 & 24

Pada umumnya pasangan ini bersifat pendiam & konservatif. Namun dengan orang-orang tertentu dia cepat mesra. Tapi pasangan yang lahir tarikh ini mudah terperasan. Kerana sifatnya itu menyebabkan ramai orang yang tidak menyukainya. Namun begitu dia tetap dikagumi kerana bersikap serius terutamanya yang berhubung dengan orang ramai. Dalam hal percintaan, dia sanggup berhabis semata-mata untuk memenuhi segala keinginan pasangannya. Tapi hati-hati kadangkala dia lebih mementingkan persahabatan daripada percintaan dan lebih rela memutuskan cintanya demi sebuah persahabatan yang telah terjalin lama.

2. Tarikh Lahir pada 2, 11 & 30

Orangnya perasa dan mudah tersinggung. Sifatnya yang suka menyendiri membuatkan dia lebih suka tinggal di rumah. Ramai orang suka bergaul denganya kerana perwatakannya yang lembut & ramah. Dia paling benci jika cintanya ditolak atau dikhianati olih orang yang benar-benar dicintainya. Namun begitu dia selalu bersikap sabar dan tidak terburu- buru dalam bertindak. Sayangnya untuk urusan masa depan dia bersikap pesimis sering mengalah sebelum mencuba.Oleh itu mesti ada yang mendorongnya agar tidak terus terjebak dengan sikap pesimisnya.

3. Tarikh Lahir pada 3, 18 & 29

Sabar serta pandai menguasai diri adalah ciri yang khas bagi pasangan yang lahir pada tarikh ini. Tapi jangan cuba mempermain-mainkannya, dia akan mengamuk dengan hebat. Dia tergolong pasangan yang bijaksana dan bertanggungjawab. Sifat jujur & ramah adalah modal utamanya dalam bergaul. Tapi dalam soal cinta dia merupakan pasangan yang susah untuk di mengertikan.

A Simple Gesture

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed that the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles.

Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked, Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. Mark went home after dropping Bill at his house. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school, where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long-awaited senior year came. Three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.

Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. "Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life."

By John W. Schlatter - from Condensed Chicken Soup for the Soul - Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Patty Hansen

Whatever Happens, It Happens for Good

This story is about a king who was fond of hunting and was always accompanied with a minister who was very close to him. This minister had a habit of saying to everyone, "Whatever happens, it happens for good" and this annoyed other ministers in the court.

During one of the hunting excursions, the king's toe finger was chopped off and as per his habit the minister couldn't stop himself from saying, "Whatever happens, it happens for good". Since the king was the victim this time, he got very annoyed with the minister and put him in jail.

In an another hunting trip, the king was captured by Cannibals and was about to be killed, when they noticed one of his toe finger missing. As per their tradition, they were not allowed to kill a person whose any body part was missing. So, they set him free.

The king recalled the words of his minister and realised how true were his words. He went to the minister in jail and apologised for his mistake. However, the minister said that it was good that he was jailed. Otherwise, he would have accompanied the king for the hunting trip & eaten by cannibals.

Many times we are taken aback by the short term impact of an event and don't realise that each of these events has a design for shaping our long term future. It is nature's way of controlling our lives.

Be Greatful To Your Pains & Struggles

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

Bersyukurlah

Dua orang perempuan sedang berdiri menunggu teksi di sebuah tempat menunggu teksi di depan sebuah kedai runcit. Mereka seronok bercerita dari satu tajuk ke satu tajuk sehinggalah kepada tajuk tentang kenakalan anak-anak mereka.

"Anak-anak sekarang memang nakal, tidak makan nasihat langsung." Kata salah seorang perempuan tersebut. "Semalam bila aku balik dari kerja, rumah aku macam dilanggar garuda, bersepah-sepah dengan kain baju, buku-buku dan alat permainan merata tempat." Sambungnya lagi.

"Aku pun serupa." Sampuk seorang perempuan lagi. "Anak lelaki aku menconteng dinding dapur dengan pensil dan anak perempuan aku pula menumpahkan dakwat di atas permaidani, separuh mati aku membersihkannya."

"Sepatutnya kamu bersyukur, kerana masih dikurniakan dengan anak." Tiba-tiba seorang perempuan separuh umur muncul di belakang mereka. "Saya sangat merindui apabila balik dari kerja, rumah aku bersepah-sepah dengan kain baju yang busuk, pinggan-mangkuk dan cawan terdapat di merata tempat. Permaidani penuh dengan tumpahan susu ataupun pasu bunga pecah di halaman rumah terkena bola."

"Kamu tahu, dulu saya mempunyai dua orang anak namun kedua-duanya meninggal dunia kerana kemalangan jalan raya. Kini saya tinggal berdua bersama suami saya. Rumah saya sentiasa bersih, tiada cap jari di dinding, tiada bunyi pergaduhan, tiada bunyi hempasan pintu, tiada hilai tawa dan tiada ucapan "I love you, mom".

"Bersyukurlah dengan apa yang anda ada. Tangisan mereka, aduan mereka, impian mereka, renget mereka dan ketawa mereka adalah hiburan yang paling merdu yang ada di dunia ini."

"Bila kamu balik nanti dan rumah kamu bersepah-sepah, bersyukurlah kerana kamu masih lagi mempunyai anak....!!"

Jangan Malu Dengan Kelemahan Diri Kita

Setiap hari, seorang lelaki tua yang tinggal bersendirian di sebuah pondok usang, menjinjing dua buah baldi di kedua-dua belah tanganya dari perigi ke rumah untuk kegunaan setiap hari. Salah satu dari baldi tersebut bocor, menyebabkan setiap kali dia sampai ke rumah, airnya telah separuh kosong.

Ia berlaku dalam tempoh yang lama, dan lelaki tua itu tidak pernah menghiraukannya sama ada untuk menggantikan dengan yang baru ataupun menampalkannya. Baldi yang sempurna begitu megah kerana dapat membantu tuannya dan mencemuh baldi yang bocor kerana kedaifannya.

Suatu hari baldi yang bocor telah berkata kepada tuannya, ".... saya malu dengan diri saya. Disebabkan kebocoran saya, tuan telah banyak mengalami kerugian...!"

"Apa yang hendak kamu malukan?" tanya tuan baldi tersebut. "Tidakkah kamu melihat di sepanjang perjalanan dari perigi ke rumah ini telah dipenuhi dengan kuntum-kuntum bunga yang begitu cantik dan mewangi? Saya telah menggunakan air yang bocor dari diri kamu untuk menyiramnya setiap kali saya melaluinya. Saya telahpun menjual bunga tersebut untuk menampung perbelanjaan saya seharian."

Moral

Jangan malu dengan kekurangan diri kita. Sebenarnya setiap kekurangan tersebut boleh menjadi kekuatan dan peluang jika dilihat dari sudut yang berlainan. Tuhan tidak menjadikan sesuatu itu tanpa ada kegunaannya!

Se Gelas Susu

Suatu hari, seorang budak lelaki yang miskin berjualan barangan dari rumah ke rumah bagi menampung perbelanjaan persekolahannya. Sehingga dia sampai ke rumah yang terakhir, dia merasa begitu dahaga sekali. Setelah pintu diketuk, keluarlah seorang gadis yang comel yang hampir sebaya dengannya. Apabila dia meminta ihsan segelas air dari gadis tersebut, gadis itu lalu masuk kembali ke dalam rumah dan membawa segelas besar susu.

Kerana kedahagaan yang teramat sangat, susu itu habis diminumnya. Sambil menghulurkan kembali gelas kepada gadis tersebut, budak itu bertanya, ".. berapakah harga segelas susu yang sangat enak ini?"

"Kamu tidak perlu membayar apa-apa," jawab gadis itu. "Emak telah berpesan, tidak perlu menerima apa-apa bayaran demi kerana keikhlasan."

"Saya berterima kasih kerana keikhlasan mu." Jawab budak itu. Ketika budak itu, Howard Kelly meninggalkan rumah tersebut, dia mendapat kekuatan dalam dirinya untuk berjaya di dalam kehidupannya!

Beberapa tahun kemudian, gadis tersebut mengalami penyakit yang sukar untuk diubati. Doktor telah memindahkannya ke hospital di bandar untuk rawatan pakar. Dr. Howard Kelly telah dipanggil untuk mengesan penyakit wanita tersebut. Bila Dr. Howard Kelly memasuki bilik wanita itu, kenangan seorang gadis comel dengan segelas susu terpancar diingatannya.

Beliau memberikan rawatan yang sebaik mungkin untuk wanita tersebut. Beliau menggunakan segala kepakaran dan kemudahan yang ada untuk memastikan wanita itu sembuh dari panyakitnya. Hasilnya, wanita tersebut kembali sihat dan dibenarkan keluar dari hospital.

Ketika sedang berkemas untuk meninggalkan hospital, wanita tersebut telah dihulurkan dengan bil rawatan yang perlu dibayarnya oleh seorang pekerja hospital. Wanita tersebut gementar untuk membukanya, kerana andaiannya dia terpaksa menghabiskan tempoh hayatnya untuk membayar bil rawatan.

Ketika dibuka, matanya terpandang pada sepotong ayat .......

"Telah dibayar dengan segelas susu"

..................................
(Dr. Howard Kelly)

Sebuah Tingkap Hospital

Dua orang lelaki, yang terlantar tenat di tempatkan di sebuah bilik hospital. Seorang daripada mereka akan dibangunkan dari tempat tidurnya selama sejam setiap petang untuk pengaliran darah. Seorang lagi terpaksa terlantar dikatilnya sepanjang masa.

Setiap petang, lelaki yang dibangunkan dari tempat tidurnya akan menceritakan kepada sahabatnya segala apa yang dilihatnya melalui tingkap hospital. Sahabatnya hanya dapat membayangkan apa yang diceritakan oleh lelaki di tepi tingkap kerana kesihatannya tidak mengizinkannya untuk sama-sama melihat melalui tingkap hospital.

"....sungguh cantik pemandangan melalui tingkap ini. Ada tasik yang jernih airnya dengan angsa-angsa berenang dengan gembira. Pemancing tidak lepas dari mendapat ikan yang banyak. Dan lihat di sana, sepasang kekasih sedang memadu asmara di bawah pohon yang rendang!......"

Di suatu subuh yang hening, lelaki yang duduk di tepi tingkap didapati telah meninggal dunia ketika jururawat ingin memandikannya.

Petang itu, lelaki yang terlantar tidak dapat lagi mendengar cerita keindahan pemandangan melalui tepi tingkap. Dengan berat hati beliau berkata kepada jururawat yang hadir pada senja itu, "...izinkan aku diangkat untuk melihat melalui tingkap walaupun untuk sesaat, kerana aku terlalu rindu ingin melihat keindahan melaluinya...!"

Dengan berhati-hati, jururawat menarik katil pesakit tersebut ke tepi tingkap. Dengan kepayahan, beliau cuba melemparkan pandangan melalui tingkap. Hanya tembok kosong sahaja yang kelihatan, tidak ada tasik, tidak ada angsa, tidak ada pemancing dan tidak ada sepasang kekasih memadu asmara!

Dengan kehairanan lelaki tersebut bertanya kepada jururawat, ".... mana tasik yang sering disebutkan oleh sahabat saya yang meninggal itu?..."

"......... sebenarnya tidak ada tasik di luar sana. Tidak ada angsa, tidak ada pemancing dan tidak ada kekasih memadu asmara. Lagipun pesakit yang meninggal dunia pagi tadi sebenarnya buta. Dia tidak boleh melihat walaupun cahaya putih...!" jawab jururawat.

(Wujudkan insan sebegitu hari ini, yang sanggup menggembirakan sahabatnya walaupun sebenarnya dia tidak bahagia?)

Katakan .....

Katakanlah, tiba-tiba ada pengumuman dari langit mengatakan sebelum menjelang subuh esok 'kiamat akan berlaku'!

Bagaimana kita pada ketika itu? Terfikirkah kita tentang amalan yang telah kita lakukan sepanjang hidup kita? Bagaimana tentang jumlah amalan kita? Atau, memang banyak amalan kita, 'tetapi' amalan itu adalah amalan yang buruk!

Sempatkah kita untuk bertaubat pada ketika itu? Mencari mereka yang pernah kita lakukan kesalahan untuk memohon kemaafan? Mencari mereka yang pernah kita hutangi untuk melunaskannya? Atau, kita sekadar termenung menyesali diri, menyumpah menyalahi diri atau meraung menginsafi diri?

Katakanlah, tiba-tiba ada pengumuman baru dari langit mengatakan bahawa terdapat kesilapan mengenai pengumuman kiamat tadi; tarikh kiamat 'ditangguhkan' kerana perkara yang tidak dapat dielakkan!

Berterima kasihlah dengan pengumuman tersebut dan bersedialah kita untuk bertaubat dan memulakan satu hidup baru! Tinggalkanlah segala kemungkaran, bersihkanlah hati, sucikanlah jiwa, berprasangka baiklah sesama manusia, buanglah hasat dengki, banyakkan berdiam diri dari berkata dan mengata; mengumpat dan mengeji; berdusta dan memperdaya, serta hapuskan tamak dan haloba pada dunia!

Lupakan sementara pengumuman dari langit, kerana ia tidak mungkin akan berlaku. Yang mungkin akan berlaku, kita akan 'diambil' sebelum Asar esok, dan tidak sempat berbuat baik!

Hebat Sangatkah Kita?

Seringkali kita didiwawarkan, kita adalah bangsa yang hebat; mempunyai budi bahasa yang tinggi, prihatin, murah dengan senyuman, menghormati orang lain, suka membantu, pandai menjaga maruah diri, bersemangat tinggi, berdarah pahlawan dan lagi dan lagi dan lagi .........

Dan sehingga kini, kita masih leka dengan ungkapan yang begitu 'indah' itu! Peristiwa-peristiwa yang banyak berlaku semenjak kebelakangan ini cuba kita kaitkan dengan 'kehebatan' kita itu....

Dulu, kita ada 'anak buluh betung', hari ini kita ada 'anak tong sampah'. Kisahnya mungkin sama, tetapi cerita 'anak buluh betung' lebih baik kerana dia diberikan persepsi yang baik. Kenapa tidak kita berikan persepsi yang sama untuk 'anak tong sampah'; katakanlah dia adalah anak raja dari kayangan dan kerana fitnah oleh dayang-dayang istana yang cemburu lalu tabib meminta raja menurunkannya ke dunia, lalu tercampaklah anak itu di tepi tong sampah sebelum bidan istana sempat mengerat tali pusatnya. Hebat!

Kita ada remaja yang berani melakukan aksi yang hebat dijalanraya tidak kira sama ada lelaki mahupun perempuan. Memang darah pahlawan sahaja yang berani melakukan perkara-perkara tersebut. 'Si Penakut' hanya layak duduk di loteng-loteng rumah, atau terperap di dalam bilik memegang buku pelajaran. Mereka 'dayus' kerana takut menjadi miskin jika tidak berpelajaran!

Kita harus megah dengan bangsa kita! Dua contoh tersebut sudah cukup menggambarkan kehebatan bangsa kita, satu-satunya bangsa yang mempunyai hubungan secara langsung dengan kayangan dan bangsa berdarah pahlawan!

Manusia & Kemanusiaan

Kita megah kerana kita manusia. Lalu kita beri penambahan ke dan an pada perkatan manusia menjadi 'kemanusiaan' yang membawa erti satu nilai yang begitu baik, murni dan sempuna! Manusia dan kemanusiaan adalah saling berkait rapat yang menunjukkan seolah-olah mereka adalah begitu prihatin, tanpa dosa, bersimpati, membantu, tidak boleh melihat orang lain susah dan bla bla bla ..........!

Dan mereka memberi perkataan berlawanan untuk kemanusiaan iaitu kebinatangan yang menunjukkan satu sikap dan sifat yang kurang baik, gelojoh, jahat, busuk hati, dengki, khianat serta bla bla bla ..........!

Binatang tidak pernah mengumpat! Mereka tidak pernah mengkhianati sesama mereka. Tidak pernah memfitnah. Tidak pernah membunuh tanpa sebab (kerana mereka membunuh hanya untuk dijadikan makanan sahaja). Tidak pernah "derhaka", bermuka-muka, memburuk-burukkan sesama mereka, menyakiti hati sesama mereka, dan bla bla bla ............

Hari ini, kita terimalah hakikat bahawa binatang lebih "mulia" dari manusia dalam banyak perkara. Dan bersedialah kita untuk menerima hakikat bahawa sifat "kemanusiaan" itu adalah sifat yang negatif dan sifat "kebinatangan" itu adalah sifat yang positif.