Appreciate your Parents

0 

.0

Birthday Conversation

Wake up, my love, today is your birthday.

No, my old man, I don't want to get up today.

Why not,  Today is a very special day, it's your birthday...

No,  it will be like the last few years, eating dinner alone, staying up a little longer than usual, hoping that our children will arrive. Falling asleep crying in each other's arms, seeing that dawn broke and they didn't arrive once again.

Don't cry, my darling. There were always two of us, you and me. Our children were a gift from God, but they are grown. We have to let them fly. We already gave them all the love we could, we can't do more.

I know, my old man, but it doesn't stop hurting, this hole they leave in our soul, this pain of loneliness, another little broken piece, every year one more.

Don't cry anymore, my old lady. Think about it: when you were children, all happy together, opening the gifts and cutting the cake. We gave them what we could, it was not up to us. We gave them all our love. Now they are grown up, they are doing well in life. We must be happy for them, even though with their wealth, they have taken us out of their hearts and lives.

 Our rich children, one more birthday without them. They forgot what love really is.

Get up, my darling. Today is the day to thank God for the beautiful years we lived with our

children. We should not be sad or cry for what we cannot change. Get up, my old lady. Today is a day to celebrate.

...Yes, my old man, I'm going to get up, because I don't want you alone.

"Not even having all the money in the world could you match the love of a father or mother. Enjoy them today while they are here, because the day they are gone, you will have the worst regrets."

Reflection: In short, the text reminds us that we should value and enjoy our parents while we have them, since their love is irreplaceable, and their absence will leave an irreplaceable void.

  

the Barren Tree

 

THE BARREN TREE

A Short Moral Story.

There was a tree in the forest, an olive tree called Amalia. Sadly, she was barren, and that pained her greatly. Unlike her mates, she never bore any fruit ever since she came of age.

Amalia was insulted, mocked and called useless by the other trees in the forest. They taunted her too many times; shouted at her and threw rotten fruits at her due to her inability to produce fruits.

One day, a king and his woodcutters came to the forest to cut down a big tree for a building project. The king asked the trees as loudly as possible,

"We've come to cut down a useless tree! So tell us, which tree is useless?"

All the trees pointed at Amalia and began to wail,

"It's Amalia! It's Amalia! She is entirely useless and worthless! She has been struck down by a terrible curse! She has not bore a single fruit in her whole life! Cut her down! Cut her!"

Without hesitation, the king ordered his woodcutters to cut down Amalia. However, just as they were about to slash her with an axe, Amalia pleaded,

"Please, don't kill me, I'm begging you! I may be barren, but I swear I'm not useless. Why not ask the animals? If they say I'm useless, then cut me down!"

The king and his woodcutters stopped for a moment. The king called all the nearby animals and asked as loudly as possible,

"Hey, animals, I want to ask you all a simple question! Is Amalia a useless tree?"

At once, the monkey hollered,

"Amalia has been a tremendous help to me. She provides a home for me and my family! We are very grateful to her!"

The bird chirped,

"Amalia is extremely helpful to me. She let me build my nests on her strong branches. I can't thank her enough!"

The squirrel whistled,

"Amalia has been a big help to me and my brother this winter. She let us sleep inside her hollow to stay warm. We are deeply indebted to her for her help!"

The deer bleated,

"Amalia has been incredibly helpful to me and the herd. On hot summer days, we come to her shade to take a rest. She has been such a blessing!"

Upon hearing all that, the king smiled widely and exclaimed,

"Wow, you're such a useful tree, Amalia! You don't deserve to be cut down! We'll just look for another tree to cut down!"

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Truly, in this world, there is no one person who is useless. The notion that some people are useless or that others are more important is pure fallacy, everyone has different roles to play, time and opportunity happens to us. And at the right time, our usefulness will unfold. Every bad situation will have something positive. Even a dead clock shows correct time twice a day. Learning to appreciate other people can play a vital role in erasing the mindset that they are not useful, this can help to remind them of their self worth, how valuable they can be and teach them to make the most of themselves.

 

Colours of the Wind / Soul

 

Colours of the Wind

You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew, you never knew

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?

Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sun sweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth

The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends

How high does the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you'll never know

And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
For whether we are white or copper skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain
We need to paint with all the colours of the wind

You can own the Earth and still
All you'll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colours of the wind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob5UggoNtjc&ab_channel=Dranreb

Colours of the Soul in Gaza

You think you own whatever land you land on
Palestine is something you can claim
But I know every child, man and woman
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a Gazen
You'll learn things you never knew, you never knew

Have you ever heard the whispers in the olive trees?
Stories of a history untold
Can you hear all the voices of the silenced?
Can you see all the colours of our soul ?
Can you find a humanity within us all?

Come hear the ancient church bells of my village
Come taste the sun-sweet orange of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth

The Muslims and the Jews are my brothers
The river and the sea are my friends0
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends

How deep does our roots grow?
If you cut them out, the world will never know

And you'll never hear the whispers of the olive trees
Stories of a history untold
We need to sing with all the voices of the silenced
We need to paint with all the colours of our soul

They can own the land and still
All they'll own is land until
You can find humanity within us all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FlDwUM4t7M&ab_channel=PalestineWillBeFree

Here's to the bridge-builders, the hand-holders, the light-bringers, those extraordinary souls wrapped in ordinary lives who quietly weave threads of humanity into an inhumane world.

They are the unsung heroes in a world at war with itself.

They are the whisperers of hope that peace is possible.

Look for them in this present darkness.

Light your candle with their flame. And then go.

Build bridges. Hold hands.

Bring light to a dark and desperate world.

Be the hero you are looking for.

Peace is possible.

It begins with us ..

L.R. Knost

Practical Wisdom from Pope Francis

Maybe he can’t stand on his feet anymore and suffering has shaped his character but this speech by Pope Francis from a few days ago is simply AMAZING!

“You can have flaws, be anxious and even be angry, but don’t forget that your life is the greatest business in the world. Only you can stop it from failure. You are appreciated, admired and loved by many. Remember that being happy is not having a sky without storms, a road without accidents, a job without effort, relationships without disappointments.

“Being happy is to stop feeling a victim and become the author of your own destiny. It's going through deserts, but being able to find an oasis deep in your soul. It's to thank God every morning for the miracle of life. It’s kissing your children, cuddling your parents, having poetic moments with your friends, even when they hurt us.

“To be happy is to let live the creature that lives in each of us, free, joyful and simple. It's having maturity to be able to say: "I made mistakes". Having the courage to say "I'm sorry". It's having a sensitivity to say "I need you". Is having the ability to say "I love you". May your life become a garden of opportunities for happiness... that in spring I can be a lover of joy and in winter a lover of wisdom.

"And when you make a mistake, start over. Because only then will you fall in love with life. You will find that being happy doesn't mean having a perfect life. But she uses tears to irrigate tolerance. Use your defeats to train your patience.

"Use your mistakes with the serenity of the sculptor. Use pain to tune into pleasure. Use obstacles to open the windows of intelligence. Never give up ... Above all, never give up on the people that love you. Never give up on happiness, because life is an amazing show. ".

POPE FRANCIS