" I am Sorry"

 

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“I AM SORRY”

Once there was a man who had 3 daughters and was a single parent to his children. One morning he asked his oldest daughter, Sonia, to do the breakfast dishes before going to school. Not realizing that she was already running late and facing too many tardy notices, he was stunned by her reaction. She burst into profuse tears. Again, misinterpreting the motive behind the outburst, assuming that she was merely trying to get out of an unpleasant chore, he demanded that she dry her tears and get back to work immediately. She reluctantly obeyed him, but her anger could be clearly heard in the careless clanking of the dishes in the sink, she turned back to her father and stared sullenly out the window.

 Usually the man used to take advantage of the uninterrupted time to spend with his children while driving them to school by teaching poetry or religious verses. However that morning there was no songs- only deathly, stubborn silence. The man dropped his daughter, mumbled a good bye and moved to office. He tried to work but couldn’t concentrate all he could see was his daughter’s scared, tear-stained face as she hesitantly climbed out of the car to face her teachers and classmates. The man began to realize that his timing had gone wrong and with the passage of the day he began to feel remorseful. So he decided to say SORRY to his daughter and couldn’t wait till suppertime to apologize. So he took permission from the school to take his daughter for lunch and was astonished to see the surprise on her face. He led her by her arm through the corridor and as the doors banged behind them, he turned towards his daughter and said, “Sonia I am sorry. I am so very sorry! It’s not that I shouldn’t have asked you to help out at home, but I had no right on it this morning without any previous warning. I upset you at a time when you most needed my love and support- just before you went to school. And I let you go without saying ‘I love you’. I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

Sonia put her arms around her father’s neck and hugged him and said “Oh, Dad, of course I forgive you. I love you too.”

The power of these restorative words, “I am Sorry!” is such that they heal relationships – between us and our friends and loved ones, and between us and God….. or whatever your belief is.

"Spend time with your Family"

 

 SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY

 A man narrating his date with his mother after 21 yrs.....

.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. Halfway through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom 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 favour,” 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.  

"Nutrition" from Pope Francis

 

Pope Francis shared this speech recently "

 

“You can have flaws, be anxious and even be angry, but just remember that your life is the world’s biggest contest.” Only you can stop it from failing. You are appreciated, admired, and loved by so many. Remember that happiness is not having a sky without storms, a road without accidents, a job without effort, a relationship without disappointments.

“Being happy means finding strength in forgiveness, hope in battles, security in fear, love in discord.” It's not only to enjoy the smile, but also to reflect on the sadness. It’s not just about celebrating success it’s about learning from failure It's not just about feeling happy with applause, it's about being happy anonymously. Being happy is not a fatality of destiny, but an achievement for those who can travel on their own.

“Being happy is to stop feeling victimized and become the author of your own destiny.” "It is to walk through deserts, but to be able to find an oasis deep in one's soul. It's thanking God every morning for the miracle of life. To be happy is not to be afraid of your feelings and to be able to talk about yourself. Have the courage to hear a "no" and trust the criticism, even when it's unwarranted. It's about hugging your kids, hugging your parents, spending poetic moments with your friends, even when they hurt us.

"To be happy is to let the creature that lives in us live, free, joyful and simple." You are mature enough to say "I made mistakes". Having the courage to say I'm sorry. It's the sense of saying "I need you". It's having the ability to say "I love you". May your life become a garden of blissful opportunities.. that in spring he is a lover of joy and in winter a lover of wisdom.

"And when you make a mistake, start over." Because only then will you be in love with life. You will find out that being happy isn't about having a perfect life. But use tears to irrigate the tolerance. Use your defeats to train your patience.

"Use your mistakes with serenity of the sculptor." Use the pain to connect to pleasure. Use obstacles to open the windows of intelligence. Never give up... Above all, never abandon the people who love you. Never stop being happy because life is an amazing show. ".

( POPE FRANCIS )

May you always be Blessed

Parenting Wisdom

 

WISDOM FOR PARENTING

1- Avoid Giving your child everything he asks for. He will grow up believing that he has the right to get everything he wants.

2-Avoid laughing when your child speaks insulting words. She will grow up thinking that disrespect is entertainment.

3-Avoid remaining insensitive to bad behaviour that he can display without scolding him for his bad behaviour. He will grow up thinking that there are no rules in society.

4- Avoid picking up anything that your child messes up. She will grow up believing that others must take responsibility for her mess.

5- Avoid letting him watch any program on TV. He will grow up thinking that there is no difference between being a child and being an adult.

6- Avoid giving your child all the money she asks for. She will grow up thinking that getting money is easy and will not hesitate to steal for it.

7- Always avoid putting yourself on his side when he is wrong against the neighbours, his teachers,  the police. He will grow up thinking that everything he does is right, it is the others who are wrong and he can always get away with everything.

8- Avoid leaving her alone at home when you go to the place of worship, otherwise she will grow up thinking that God does not exist.

May our labour over our children not be in vain

 

"The Broken Crayons"

 

 

THE BROKEN CRAYONS

 

A little boy from a wealthy family had so many old and broken crayons. At some point, he realized he didn't need them any longer. So, he told his mother.

"Mum, I want all my broken crayons discarded. They are useless and make my bedroom look very messy"

The rich mother would do everything for her kid, so she packed all the broken crayons into a box and threw them out.

The following day, she saw her son in a sulky mood. She asked him.

"What's wrong with you, son?"

The little boy responded.

"I no longer like the smell of the air fresheners and fragrance oil in my room. Can we throw them all out? They make me want to puke"

The mother didn't seem to have a problem with that. She gathered all the bottles of the fragrances and disposed of them. Later on, she bought new scents for her son.

One evening, the mother was driving her son home from the grocery store. As they drove along the road, the boy looked through the car window and saw something very astounding. He saw a poor boy selling some very colourful candles which he called 'the heavenly candles'. One of the candles was burning very brightly and emitting pleasant scents that filled the air. A lot of people gathered to admire and price the expensive and unique candles sold by a poor boy.

At that moment, the rich kid stopped his mother.

"Mum, look! The candles are very nice and lovely. They would make my bedroom look and smell very exceptional. Please buy for me"

The mother wanted to make her son happy. But as they alighted from the car and approached the candle boy, he said.

"I'm sorry ma'am, there are no more left"

All the candles had been sold out already. The rich boy's face fell in disappointed. When his mother noticed his sad expression, she asked the candle boy.

"Where did you buy those special candles? I would like to buy for my son?"

The candle boy replied humbly.

"I didn't buy them. I made them all by myself"

She was very surprised and she inquired.

"But how were you able to make such wonderful candles all by yourself? What materials did you use?"

The boy paused for a moment and said.

"I once saw a woman throw away a box of broken crayons. I was happy and I took them all. Then the next day, I found some bottles of fragrances in the same waste bin the woman discarded the crayons. I took them home as well. I melted all the broken crayons and mixed the wax with some fragrances. It was with the mixture that I created those heavenly candles".

 

Don't be upset when people reject or look down on you like the broken crayons. In actual fact, they just can't see your hidden potential. Stay focused and positive, and allow time change everything about you. Just like the abandoned broken crayons which later on, turned out to become very amazing candles admired by everyone including the one who rejected them. However, he didn't get another chance to own them. Always have hope for a better tomorrow.

Author:    Chima Dickson

 

 

Turn on the Lights you switched off

 

 

Turn on the Lights you switched off

 

Yesterday I visited a friend of mine, who is blind. And because it was night he did something that taught me a lesson.

Upon entering the house, he switched on the light.

And I asked him "why did you put on the light yet you can't see?"

He laughed for a long time, switched off the light and went to the kitchen.

After a short while he came with a pot of tea and eggs, placed them perfectly well on the table and switched on the light again.

What he said made me shed tears because he said to me, Mr. G ..... “I did not put on the light for my own sake or because I needed it, I did it for you because you needed it since you are not blind like me".”

Then he asked me, Mr. G,

How many times have you switched off the light for other people and denied them an opportunity to see light just because you yourself do not need it ?

I thought about that so deeply, and now I am asking you the same question today.

How many times have you put off your lights and denied others an opportunity to see the light while they are in darkness?

 

Why would you let your accounts grow to millions and even billions while your brother's child is going barefooted?

Why would you put clothes you don't wear in the bin while someone out there is almost going naked?

Why would food rot in your house while there is someone out there sleeping hungry?

Why will you see a business opportunity and hide it without sharing with your friends when you know you won’t use it?

Why will you be in a position to help someone get a promotion or a new job and you keep it because the person is not from your family, tribe or religion?

Why will you defame your brother or sister just because you don't want someone to help them?

 

Each of the questions above is equivalent to switching “Off The Light”

These are the things we should be mindful of as human beings.

This is true religion, helping the needy and being there for those who do not have a voice.

Please turn on the lights you switched Off !

 

" the War " by Rachel Akkoç

 

The War    by Rachel Akkoç

A sea of purple there before my eyes

The sun sets low on Letterkenny skies

Five thousand candles light a pathway in the night

We gather on the grass in love and cheer

We celebrate the ones no longer here

No matter what it takes, we won’t give up the fight, the fight

And maybe, someday we’ll find a way to beat this

And in the night when you feel hopeless

I’ll be your warrior of light

A beacon, to all who hear the words unspoken

Our bodies battered, bruised, and broken

We won’t give in, though we are sore

We may not win the battle, but today we win the war

We greet the morning with a hopeful heart

We walk together from the very start

Each step reminds us of the ones we lost at home

And if you feel too weak to carry on

Fearing the future, and tomorrow’s dawn

I’m right beside you, know that you are not alone, alone

And maybe, someday we’ll find a way to beat this

And in the night when you feel hopeless

I’ll be your warrior of light

A beacon, to all who hear the words unspoken

Our bodies battered, bruised, and broken

We won’t give in, though we are sore

We may not win the battle, but today we win the war

With you beside me, there is nothing I can’t do

Don’t lose the faith, some time we’re gonna find a cure

Until that day, you’ve got to spread your wings and fly, fly high

And some day, we’ll overcome and we’ll get through this

We’ll light a candle in the darkness

A guiding light will see us through

And maybe, someday we’ll find a way to beat this (Maybe there’s a way)

And in the night when you feel hopeless (Don’t lose hope and pray)

 

I’ll be your warrior of light (I will be your guide)

A beacon, to all who hear the words unspoken (Look towards the light)

Our bodies battered, bruised, and broken (Don’t give up the fight)

We won’t give in, though we are sore (You are not alone)

We may not win every battle, but today we win the war

No, we can’t win every battle, but some day we’ll win the war

The War by Rachel Akkoç