Today, I am going to share a story that touches my heart . . .
A friend of mine opened his wife’s underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package: “This” he said: “isn’t any ordinary package.”
He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box. “She got this the first time we went to New York about 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on. Was saving it for a special occasion.”
“Well, I guess this is it.” He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothings he was taking to the funeral house. His wife had just died.
He turned to me and said: “Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion.”
I still think of those words that had changed my life. Now I read more and clean less. I sit on the settee without worrying about anything and just relax. I spend more time with my family and friends and less at work.
Money is to be spent not saved. I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.
I no longer keep anything. I use crystal glasses every day. I will wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it. I don’t save my special perfume for special occasions. I use it whenever I want to. I go out with my friends whenever I want to rather than thinking I don’t have the spare money or time.
The words ‘Someday…’ and ‘ One Day…’ are fading away from my dictionary. If it’s worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now…
I don’t know what my friend’s wife would have done if she knew she wouldn’t be there the next morning. This nobody can tell. I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends. She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. She might have told everyone how much she loved them.
I would like to think she would go out for her favourite Chinese food. It’s these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come..
Each day, each hour, each minute, is special. Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no one.
So parents, treasure each day with your loved ones.
Today, would like to share a note to those borne in the 50s, 60s and early 70s . . .
First, we survived with mothers who had no maids. They cooked and cleaned while taking care of us at the same time.
They took aspirin, candy floss, fizzy drinks, shaved ice with syrups and diabetes were rare. Salt added to Pepsi or Coke was remedy for fever. We drank water from the tap and NOT from a bottle.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets.
As children, we would ride with our parents on bicycles or motorcycles for 2 or 3. Richer ones get in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a private taxi was a special treat.
We would spend hours on the fields under bright sunlight flying our kites, without worrying about the UV ray which never seem to affect us. We went to the jungle to catch spiders without worries of Aedes mosquitoes.
With mere 5 pebbles (stones) would be an endless game. With a ball (tennis ball best) we boys would run like crazy for hours. We caught guppies in drains or canals and when it rained, we swam there.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually worried about being unhygienic. We ate salty, very sweet and oily food, candies, bread and real butter. We also drank very sweet soft drinks, sweet coffee or tea, eat ice kacang but we weren’t overweight because……. WE WERE OFTEN OUT PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, till street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. WE DID NOT HAVE HANDPHONE S TO BUG US. We were O.K. AND WE WERE SAFE.
We would spend hours repairing our old bicycles and wooden scooters out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem .
We did not have Playstations, X-boxes, Nintendo’s, multiple channels on cable TV, DVD movies, no surround sound, no phones, no personal computers, no Internet. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and we still continued the stunts. We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and just yelled for them!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
We never had birthdays parties till we were 21. Yet this generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 40 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned . . . HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
To all these baby boomers, YOU are one of them and CONGRATULATIONS!
So parents, share this note with your kids so they will know how adventurous brave their parents were.
Today, would like to start year 2011 with a REALITY GAME.
Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest:
Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for your use. However, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules.
Everything that you didn’t spend during each day would be taken away from you. You may not simply transfer money into some other account. You may only spend it. Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.
The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say: “Its over, the game is over!” It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.
What would you personally do?You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right? Not only for yourself, but for all people you love, right?
Even for people you don’t know, because you couldn’t possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every penny, and use it all, right?
ACTUALLY, this GAME is REALITY!
Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank. We just can’t seem to see it. The MAGICAL BANK is TIME!
Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.
What we haven’t lived up that day is forever lost.
Yesterday is forever gone.
Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time….WITHOUT WARNING.
SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?
Aren’t they worth so much more than the same amount in pounds?
Think about that, and always think of this: Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.
So parents, take care of yourself, be Happy, Love Deeply and Enjoy Life!
Today, will share with you a story of appreciation . . .
A young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.He passed the first interview. The director did the last interview and made the last decision.
The director discovered from the CV that the youth’s academic result was excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research. Never was there a year he did not score.The director then asked, “Did you obtain any scholarship in school?” and the youth answered “none”.
The director asked, “Did your father pay for your school fees?” The youth answered: “My father passed away when I was one year old. It was my mother who paid for my school fees.”
The director asked, “Where did your mother work?” The youth answered: “My mother worked as a clothes washer.”
The director requested the youth to show his hand and saw a pair of hands that is smooth and perfect to his.The director then asked, “Did you ever help your mother washed the clothes before?” The youth answered: “Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, she can wash clothes faster than me.”
The director said: “I have a request.When you go back today, go help clean your mother’s hand and then see me tomorrow morning.”
The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high.When he went home, he happily wanted to clean his mother’s hand. His mother felt strange, happy but mixed with fear. She showed her hands to her son.
While cleaning his mother’s hand slowly, the youngster’s tears dropped down as he did that. It was first time he found his mother’s hands so wrinkled and there were so many bruises. Some bruises incited pain so strong that shivered her mother’s body when cleansed with water.
This was the first time the youth realized and experienced that it was that pair of hands that earned him the school fees. The bruises in his mother’s hand were the price that a mother paid for his graduation and academic excellence and probably his future.
After cleaning his mother’s hands, the youth quietly washed all remaining clothes for his mother.That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.
Next morning, the youth went to the director’s office.The director noticed the tear in the youth’s eye, asked: “Can you tell me what have you done and learnt yesterday in your house?”The youth answered, “I cleaned my mother’s hands and also finished washing all the remaining clothes.”
The director asked, “Please tell me your feeling.”
The youth said: “No. 1, I knew what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. No. 2, I knew how to work together with my mother, only then I know how difficult and tough it is to get something done. No. 3, I knew the importance and value of family relationship.
The director said, “This is what I am asking. I wanted to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who know the suffering of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life to be my manager. You are hired.
Later on, this young person worked very hard and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee works diligently and as a team, the company’s results improved tremendously.
A child who has been protected and habitually given whatever he has, develops “entitlement mentality” and always put himself first. He is ignorant of his parent’s effort. When he starts work, he assumes every one must listen to him. When he becomes a manager, he will never know the suffering of his employees and always blame others. For this kind of people, he may have good results, may be successful for a while but eventually will not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and fill with hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parent, did we love our children or did we destroy them?
You can let your child live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them washed their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid but because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow grey, same as the mother of that youngster. The most important thing is your children learn how to appreciate the effort of others.Also experience their difficulty and learn the ability to work with others to get things done.
So parents, do share this touching story with your children and family members.
Today, would like to share with you the following story:
After reading, you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.
The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. ‘We must do something about father,’ said the son. ‘I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.’
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.
When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, ‘What are you making?’ Just as sweetly, the boy responded, ‘Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. ‘ The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, Neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
On a positive note, I’ve learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:
A rainy day
The elderly
Lost luggage
Tangled Christmas tree lights
I’ve learned that:
making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as making a ‘life..’
life sometimes gives you a second chance.
you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands.
You need to be able to throw something back sometimes.
if you pursue happiness, it will elude you but if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.
every day, you should reach out and touch someone.
people love that human touch — holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I still have a lot to learn
So parents, do share with your loved ones and family members the moral of this story . . .
Today, would like to share with you the following story:
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He heldup a sign which said: “I am blind, please help.” There were only a few coinsin the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped theminto the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words.He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to theblind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see howthings were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the onewho changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”
The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.”
I wrote: “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”
Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simplysaid the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so luckythat they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign wasmore effective?
Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have.. Be creative. Beinnovative. Think differently and positively.
When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000reasons to smile Face your past without regret. Handle your present withconfidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop thefear.
The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling…
And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!!!
So parents, share the above story with your family and friends. Enjoy your day with a heart of gratitude.
Time flies – here’s a new beginning of another year and a new decade 2010.
May you a wonderful new month and a happy new year.
Don’t work too hard but work smart. May your boss appreciate you and say !
Take care of yourself. Pamper yourself and buy some beautiful.
Don’t worry because will come from above. May you also purchase or change a house and a car.
May the days ahead be busy but easy working, relax and go holiday around the world. It’s important to have good health, therefore at more and less carbos,
Do remember to exercise at least once a week. Don’t fight with your sweetheart, and be generous to say : “I you.”
Today, would like to share some words of wisdom with you:
Walk for 10 – 30 minutes every day, while smiling.
Sit quietly for at least 10 minutes every day, in isolation, if necessary.
Upon arising in the morning, one must immediately say: “My goal today is . . . . . . . ”
Listen to quality music every day. This is real nourishment for the soul.
Live with the 3 Es – ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM and EMPATHY.
Play more games than last year.
Read more books than last year.
Look at the sky at least once a day, appreciating the majesty of the world that surrounds us.
Dream more while awake.
Eat more food that come from trees and plants. Eat less manufactured food.
Eat berries and nuts. Drink green tea, plenty of water and a glass of wine each day; toast something beautiful in life and if possible, in the company of a loved one.
Try to make a least 3 people laugh every day.
Eliminate clutter in the home, the car and the office. Let a new energy enter your life.
Do not spend your precious time immersed in rumours, things from the past, negative thoughts or things beyond your control. It is better to invest your energy in the positive present.
Life is a school and we are here to learn. Problems are lessons that come and go; what we learn from them will serve us for the rest of our lives.
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
Smile and laugh more often.
Do not let an opportunity pass to hug a friend.
Life is too short to waste time hating someone.
Do not take yourself so seriously. Nobody else does.
It is not necessary to win every argument. One must accept that the other person is not in agreement and learn from his position.
Make peace with your past so as not to ruin your present.
Do not compare your life with others. You have no idea of the highways they have travelled during their lives.
Nobody is responsible for your happiness, except yourself.
Remember well that we have no control over what happens to us but only what we do.
Learn something new every day.
What others think of us is not completely under our control.
Appreciate your body and its marvels.
Whether the situation is good or bad, it will change.
Work will not take care of us when we are sick. Our friends will. Stay in contact with them.
Reject everything that is not useful, amusing or beautiful.
Do not lose time. We already have all the things we need.
The best is yet to come.
Nothing is as important as sitting, standing, getting dressed and helping others.
Have fantastic sex, always in harmony with the other person.
Phone your family regularly and tell them “Hi, I was thinking of you.”
Each day, before going to sleep, say: “I am thankful for _____________. Today, I succeeded in _____________.”
Remember that we have too much that is good to be stressed.
Enjoy the voyage. There is only one chance to be successful.
Life is beautiful. You must appreciate it as much as possible.
(Author unknown)
Singapore parents, have a wonderful journey through these words of wisdom.
Today, would like to share with you an extract about “Thoughts for this moment . . .”
Do not take away someone’s hope, it may be all they have to hold on to.
Do not make decisions when you are angry, take cause of your physical body.
Do not pay for a job until it is finished.
Be careful of those who have nothing to lose.
Learn to say NO but do so with kindness and caring
Do not expect life to be fair.
Do not worry about losing a battle if this helps you win the war.
Do not put things off.Do what is needed to be done in the moment.
Do not be afraid of saying “I don’t know” or “I am sorry”.
Contemplate the dawn hours at least once a year.
Look into the eyes of people.
Loveliness is a state of mind.You do not need other people to love yourself.
There is nothing good or bad in life. it is all about choices so choose wisely.
Treat everyone as you would like to be treated.
Live in the moment. Do not rush ahead . . .
There is much to taste life in the “now”.
Do not be hard on yourself.You have come to this life to learn al about who you are so enjoy the experience.
Always tell the truth.
Do not believe al that you hear and do not say al that you think.
Much of your growth as a person will come through hardships and challenges.
Enhance those and know you will be better, stronger and wiser because of them.
Learn to listen, it is an ART.
Life is all about energy.Try to feel it around you, through you and in you.
Distinguish the positive from the negative.
Enjoy the beauty of this Earth all around you.
Do not get out of control at any time, breathe deeply.
There are no coincidence and no accidents in life.Everything big or small is for a reason.Pay careful attention.
Meditate at least 30 minutes a day.
Enjoy times of rest.
Nurture and maintain your friendships.
Live more in your heart and less in your head.
Get rid of hatred and bitterness, they do more harm.
There are those things in life that can never be recaptured: the spoken word, time passed and opportunities.
Do one thing at a time and do it well.
There are 2 dominant energies in life – LOVE and FEAR
LOVE overcomes all.Stay our of FEAR.
There is nothing to fear, it only brings chaos.
Love your body.It knows what you think, from your emotions spring health or illness.Send yourself positive thoughts al the time.One day, you will look back over all that you did in this life and you will die with laughter . . .
Surround yourself with LIGHT everyday!
(Author unknown)
So parents, something to ponder on this weekend . . .
Hi Singapore parents Today, would like to share a story with you.
One day, a donkey fell into a dried well.The poor donkey cried for several hours to no avail.The desperate farmer tried in vain to have it rescued.Finally, the farmer decided the donkey was old, the well ought to be covered, so it was not worth the while to save the donkey.
The farmer then gathered all the neighbours to help him cover the well.Everyone took the hoe and started filling up the well.
The donkey immediately realized what was happening.Initially, it continued to wail.However, shortly, it quiet down.After a while, the farmers could not bare their curiosity and decided to take a look.What they saw was a shocking sight.
For every scoop of soil ploughed onto the donkey’s back, it shook them off and fiercely stamped them on the ground.
With that, the donkey was able to elevate itself out of the well in no time.It jumped out of the well and sped off.Everyone was amazed by this act.
Morale of the story – actually life is just so.For all difficulties and setbacks, it will fall on our back. To get out of this suffering well and move towards success and glory, there is only one way. That is, shake them off and heavily stomped them onto the ground. Because, for life’s difficulties and failures, it is actually the stepping stone in one’s journey.
I read with interest 2 articles in today’s Straits Times – Mind and Body section:
Retire, but keep working on Page 2 and
Working retirees in better health on Page 5
I cannot agree more. After retirement, one must continue to work in some ways to stay active. That way, you will also be in better health.
3 years ago, I opted for early retirement with my company of more than 30 years. I remembered my HR Manager telling me: “June, you are still young. Why do you want to retire?” My answer was: “I have given 30 years of my life with this company. I want to try new things and do things that I like.”
Well, I must say the last 3 years have been very fulfilling for me. I have been working part-time to get things going as I still have 3 school going children. During this time, I also learn many new things and made many new friends.
What I would like to share is you have a choice. Be it wealth, career, health, family, knowledge and social aspects, you decide what you want. For me, my concentration is on health, family and knowledge.
For healthy living, I practise Reiki and watch my diet. Reiki has helped my physical being to look younger and rid me of many ailments. As for diet, have been dishing out salads and simple delicious meals which my family enjoys.
For family, I am glad that I am able to spend more time with my mum who is catching up life in her 70s. For my children, I am pleased to see them growing up to be confident and mature kids.
For knowledge, this is a never ending journey. New found interest was acting with Theatre For Seniors with The Necessary Stage since March 2008. We will be staging another public performance in March 2010.
So Singapore parents who are thinking of retirement, do plan and stay active. That’s the way to go . . .
Yesterday, I was at 8Q, Singapore Art Museum and did an art piece using some of my past articles and photographs. The invitation was by Felicia Low who was tasked to do visual arts from people relating what they want to do with their lives.
I shared on My 100 successes, Reflections for Year 2008, Half A Century Old and Remembering My Dad.
At this point of time, I want to live life to the fullest, enjoy what I do and follow my heart.The 3 things I want to focus on are:
vTo do more training – with my NPL certification, I would like to help willing parties improve their lives;
vTo write more articles on health and parenting topics which I am passionate to share with other parents;
vTo continue to use my ‘magic’ hands and apply Reiki to those in need.
So parents, do make a trip down to 8Q, 8 Queens Street Level 3, Felicia Low’s My Space and see my ‘master’ piece.The exhibition is on until Dec 2009.
I have heard this story many times. Whenever I am down, I would recall the lesson drawn from it.
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man couldn’t hear the band – he could see it. In his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.
It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”
Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy.
So parents, do share the story with your loved ones.
George Carlin is 102 years old and below are his views on ageing:
Do you realise that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about ageing that you think in fractions.
‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m four and a half!’ You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key
You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m gonna be 16!’ You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life …. . You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There’s no fun now, you’re Just a sour-dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn’t think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You’ve built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it’s a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80′s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn’t end there Into the 90s, you start going backwards; ‘I Was JUST 92.’
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. ‘I’m 100 and a half!’
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay ‘them’
2.. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5.. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen.. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
So Singapore parents, hope you find the above tips useful and enlightening.
Today, would like to share a story about Shay . . .
At a fund-raising dinner for a school that serves learning disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: “When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. “I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”
Then he told the following story:
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, “We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.”
Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted.. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, “Shay, run to first! Run to first!” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, “Run to second, run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball … the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, “Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay”
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, “Run to third! Shay, run to third!”
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, “Shay, run home! Run home!” Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grandslam slam and won the game for his team.
“That day,” said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.”
Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
So parents, would you have made the same choice??? A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate amongst them.
This is what Andy Rooney thinks about women over 40: “As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why”:
A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, ‘What are you thinking?’ She doesn’t care what you think. If a woman over 40 doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it’s usually more interesting.
Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.
Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it’s like to be unappreciated. Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
Older women are forthright and honest. They’ll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one. You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her. Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.
For all those men who say, ‘Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?’, here’s an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire bull just to get a little sausage!
To all the women above 40, treasure yourself as you advance each year!
Today, would like to share the story below:When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.”
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions -and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else – the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked.”
The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there is always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”
So parents, recognise which are your golf balls and allocate time for coffee.
