RIGHT SPEECH

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

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

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

New Year Resolutions

Making a life change is not just a matter of raw willpower. These strategics from clinical psychologist Kathleen Cox will help your stick it out.

Do you Really want it ? How much do you desire change and why : Sometimes it's of help to have short term reasons: effects on your health 30 years down the line can make uninspiring incentives, but if you want to get fit you can go skiing, this can help you focus.

Plan ahead it;s not surprising that you lapse early in March if you are impulsively decide on New Year's Day never to smoke or drink again. But if you planned your March detox at the start of December, that mental preparation time can be very helpful.

Be Flexible, Just because you slip and have a cigarette, it does'nt mean you have to give up trying to quit. Tomorrow's another day.

Get Support : It's ideal if people can share resolutions. If you want to go to the gym, arrange to go with someone else at set times. On the other hand, if you are trying to give up cigarettes, it won't help to sit next to someone who's smoking.

Are you Struggling? give yourself fresh incentive, try writing a list of pros and cons. Or build a system of rewards for good day.

Ctrl + Alt + Del

Have you ever wondered who has invented the "CTRL + ALT + DEL" key
Combination?

David Bradley

He is the one who spent 1 minute and 23 seconds writing the source code that has rescued and will continue to rescue PC users worldwide for decades.

This extraordinary IBM employee retired on Friday, January 14, 2005; after a prolonged service of 29 years. His formula forces obstinate computers to
restart when they no longer follow other commands. By 1980, Bradley was one of 12 people working on the debut. The engineers knew they had to design a
simple way to restart the computer whenever it fails to respond to the user.

Bradley wrote the code to make it work.

Bradley says -

"I did a lot of other things than Ctrl-Alt-Delete, but I'm famous for that one." His fame and success is achieved each time a PC user fails. He commented on his relationship with Bill gates by saying, "I may have invented it, but Bill gates made it famous by applying my formula when ever
any Microsoft's Windows operating system made by him CRASHES, thus I win when ever he loses."

DID GOD CREATE EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS?

The professor of a university once challenged his students with this question.

'Did GOD create everything that exists?'

A student answered bravely, 'Yes, He did'.

The professor then asked, 'If GOD created everything, then He created evil. Since evil exists (as noticed by our own actions), so GOD is evil. The student could not respond to that statement causing the professor to conclude that he had 'proved' that the belief in GOD was a fairy tale, and therefore worthless.

Another student raised his hand and asked the professor, 'May I pose a question?'

'Of course', answered the professor.

The young student stood up and asked, 'Professor does cold exist?'

The professor answered, 'What kind of question is that? Of course cold exists... haven't you ever been cold?'

The young student answered, 'In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold, is in fact the absence of heat. Anything is able to be studied as long as it transmits energy (heat). Absolute Zero is the total absence of heat, but cold does not exist. What we have done is to create a term to describe how we feel if we don't have body heat or we are not hot.'

'And, does darkness exist?', he continued. The professor answered, 'Of course'.

This time the student responded, 'Again you're wrong, sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in fact simply the absence of light. Light can be studied, darkness can not. Darkness cannot be broken down. A simple ray of light tears the darkness and illuminates the surface where the light beam finishes. Dark is a term that we humans have created to describe what happens when there's lack of light.'

Finally, the student asked the professor, 'Sir, does evil exist?'

The professor replied, 'Of course it exists, as I mentioned at the beginning, we see violations, crimes and violence anywhere in the world, and those things are evil.'

The student responded, 'Sir, evil does not exist. Just as in the previous cases, evil is a term which man has created to describe the result of the absence of GOD's presence in the hearts of man.'

After this, the professor bowed down his head, and did not answer back.

The young man's name was ALBERT EINSTEIN

A Letter To Myself

It is rather true that in life, in majority of cases, one�s expectations have come as one had desired, but if one goes through his existence, it could be noticed that; in fact, our expectations have realized but not through the means or people that one desired at first.

And, this story is about a lad whose dream was so high, but his desire was about the essentiality of life.

It was countless times that he had awaited, in the morning, standing up before the window of the living room, until he saw her leaving her home to work.

She was so beautiful for him that eclipsed any beauty or thing important around, but there was no hope for him.

He was just an adolescence who was in love with a mature woman, or at least, older than him, who, perhaps, dreamed about a family and was searching of a husband. And he was just a lad in high school. So he was just able to daydream.

One day as he was writing a composition an idea came to his mind - according to a line that he had read somewhere, if one wrote his desire on a paper this would come true. So he planned to write a love letter to himself believing that it came from her.

And he did so. A letter of sweet words that knocked him out of his feet, with kisses on the bottom, and a despairing declaration of love for him.

He had posted that letter to himself.

The following morning, as usual, he had done the same routine, but with one thing different, he waited for a letter.

A lovely girl had crossed the window until his door, but before she slid the letter through the slot, he had opened the door, and had seen a lovely girl of blonde hair and blue eyes that came to deliver his letter. She was pretty but not so gorgeous as his beloved and dreamt girlfriend.

So, the writing of the letter and the girl who handed it to him were things added to the routine of waiting to see that beautiful woman.

It was uncountable times that the lovely girl walked up to his door with a letter that almost a friendship had sprouted between them. But without a hope for the post girl who thought that he should be mad about that girl whom wrote to him almost every day.

On those fleeting few minutes - when she was under his frame door, they shared laughter, sadness and a sort of rare feeling. She had planted the seed of curiosity for her inside him.

He had begun to focus himself on the delivering of the letter that he forgot to be attentive to the beautiful woman.

One Sunday, he was sad and lonely at a coffee shop in the town, when the post girl had run into him where he was seated. He had invited her to have a seat at the counter, and she had asked about his sadness that his eyes conveyed. And shyly, he had told her about the letter and his love for that woman that lived over the road, who was about to marry somebody.

For that pretty girl every word that he uttered was so sweet that it was not a delirium every single line that he wrote to draw the unreachable woman�s love to him.

After that day, there was a sort of complicity to see each other, their friendship had turned out into love, and he had forgotten that beautiful woman who drove him mad.

Years later, he had become a famous writer of love stories, and by his side, it was that pretty girl who helped him to find love.

Christmas tree

Why do we always feel very happy to see a Christmas tree?

The answer is:
It contains all the five elements

Water in the pot

Wood in the tree

Fire in the lights

Earth holding the tree

Metal in the color of decorations

Five Elements together

create

Harmony, Balance and Peace..

We wish you Happiness during Christmas

and harmony, balance, peace, prosperity and good health

in 2011…

Charlie Chaplin's 3 Heart touching Statements

Nothing is permanent in this world, not even our troubles. . . . !

The most wasted day in life, the day in which, we have not laughed.

I like walking in the rain, becoz nobody can see my tears.


Charlie Chaplin's 3 Heart touching Statements

The Most Important Question

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz.. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank..

Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello'."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy..

The Real Meaning of Peace

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

"Because," explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

Stone Soup

Many years ago three soldiers, hungry and weary of battle, came upon a small village. The villagers, suffering a meager harvest and the many years of war, quickly hid what little they had to eat and met the three at the village square, wringing their hands and bemoaning the lack of anything to eat. The soldiers spoke quietly among themselves and the first soldier then turned to the village elders. "Your tired fields have left you nothing to share, so we will share what little we have: the secret of how to make soup from stones."

Naturally the villagers were intrigued and soon a fire was put to the town's greatest kettle as the soldiers dropped in three smooth stones. "Now this will be a fine soup", said the second soldier; "but a pinch of salt and some parsley would make it wonderful!" Up jumped a villager, crying "What luck! I've just remembered where some's been left!" And off she ran, returning with an apronful of parsley and a turnip.

As the kettle boiled on, the memory of the village improved: soon barley, carrots, beef and cream had found their way into the great pot.

They ate and danced and sang well into the night, refreshed by the feast and their new-found friends.

In the morning the three soldiers awoke to find the entire village standing before them. At their feet lay a satchel of the village's best breads and cheese. "You have given us the greatest of gifts: the secret of how to make soup from stones", said an elder, "and we shall never forget." The third soldier turned to the crowd, and said: "There is no secret, but this is certain: it is only by sharing that we may make a feast". And off the soldiers wandered, down the road.

The Barber Who Didn't Believe

A man went to a barber shop to have his hair and his beard cut as always. He started to have a good conversation with the barber who attended him. They talked about so many things and various subjects. Suddenly, they touched the subject of God. The barber said: "Look man, I don't believe that God exists as you say so."

"Why do you say that?" asked the client. "Well, it's so easy, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God does not exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God exists, there would be no suffering nor pain. I can't think of a God who permits all of these things."

The client stopped for a moment thinking but he didn't want to respond so as to prevent an argument. The barber finished his job and the client went out of the shop. Just after he left the barber shop he saw a man in the street with a long hair and beard (it seems that it had been a long time since he had his hair cut and he looked so untidy).

Then the client again entered the barber shop and he said to the barber:

"know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How come they don't exist?"-asked the barber. "Well I am here and I am a barber."

"No!" the client exclaimed. "They don't exist because if they did there would be no people with long hair and beards like that man who walks in the street."

"Ah, barbers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to us."

"Exactly!"- affirmed the client. "That's the point. God does exist, what happens is people don't go to Him and do not look for Him that's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

Boy And The Nuts

A little boy once found a jar of nuts on the table.

"I would like some of these nuts," he thought. "I'm sure Mother will give them to me if she were here. I'll take a big handful." So he reached into the jar and grabbed as many as he could hold.

But when he tried to pull his hand out, he found the neck of the jar was too small. His hand was held fast, but he did not want to drop any of the nuts.

He tried again and again, but he couldn't get the whole handful out. At last he began to cry.

Just then his mother came into the room. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"I can't take this handful of nuts out of the jar," sobbed the boy.

"Well, don't be so greedy," his mother replied. "Just take two or three, and you'll have no trouble getting your hand out."

"How easy that was," said the boy as he left the table. "I might have thought of that myself."

The Evil Snake

There was an old banyan tree in a forest. A crow-couple had made their nest in the tree. There was a hollow in the lower part of the trunk of the tree. A snake had come from somewhere and made it its home.

After a few days, the mother crow laid eggs. In due course of time, birdies hatches out of the eggs.
One day the parent-crows left their nest in the morning in the search of food. In their absence, the snake entered their nest and devoured the birdies.

When the parent-crows returned, they felt very grieved to see their nest empty. They enquired from other birds living in the tree about the birdies but none could tell them anything. They bewailed helplessly and at last had to be silent.

After some time, the mother-crow again laid eggs and birdies hatched out them. The couple decided not to leave the birdies alone. One day the mother-crow was sleeping in the nest. The crow was away looking for food and the birdies were playing. The wicked snake crawl silently towards the nest.

When the birdies saw the snake, they raised a hue and cry. Their noise disturbed their mother's sleep and she woke up. Seeing the cruel snake advancing towards the birdies, she raised an alarm-"caw caw caw."

Suddenly a kite appeared on the scene. Seeing his enemy just at hand, the snake crawled back into his hollow quickly.

In the evening, when the crow returned the mother-crow told him all that had happened. He felt shocked. Then the mother-crow said, "It is not safe to live here now. Let us make our nest in some other tree far off from here.
"What do you say, dear? Have you ever heard of anybody leaving his or her home out of fear?" retorted the crow.
"How will, then, we save our birdies from the cruel snake?" asked the mother-crow.

The crow felt worried to hear this. But he said, "Dear! Let me go to Miss Fox who lives just near by. I am sure, she must suggest a way out."

The crow narrated the tale of woe to the fox. Thinking over the problem, the fox said, "You need not leave your home. I have a plan to have the snake killed."
The fox said, "Tomorrow morning, the princess of nearby kingdom will come to the river for a bath with her maid and body-guards. She will take off her clothes and ornaments before going into the water. You must be present there before hand. Dodging the guards, you should pick up the necklace of the princess and fly slowly to the snake's hollow. The royal bodyguards will follow you to the end. You should throw the necklace into the hollow in their presence. They will dig the hollow and kill the snake."

The crow liked the plan and decided to act upon it. Returning home, he told the mother-crow what the plan was. Next day the crow went to the riverbank. After some time, the princess reached there with her clothes and ornaments before going into the water.

The crow was already in wait. He at once pounced on the necklace and picking it in his beak, flew away slowly. Seeing the crow taking away her necklace, the princess raised an alarm, "Look! The crow has taken away my necklace. Follow him at once. At the princess's order, the bodyguards ran after the crow. Flying to the snake's hollow, the crow sat near it with the necklace.

After some time, the bodyguards also reached there. Now the crow threw the necklace into the snake's hollow. The bodyguards started digging the hollow in order to get the necklace of it. At this, the snake came out and stood before them hissing angrily.
The bodyguards killed the snake there and then. Taking the necklace out of the hollow, they returned to where the princess was bathing. The crow-couple felt overjoyed to see their enemy killed. They went to Miss Fox and thanked her.

Moral - A person who harms others always meets with tragic end.

Pots Of Gold

Hari was the royal barber and earned a handsome salary. He was a cheerful man whom everyone liked.

One night when he was returning home through the forest he heard a voice. Worried that he might be chased by ghosts, Hari ran. The voice assured him that it only wanted to thank Hari for the kindness he showed to trees. Hari was too scared to pay any attention to the spirit.

To his amazement he found seven pots of gold at home. The first six were filled with gold while the seventh was only half-full. Hari and his wife decided to fill the seventh pot to the brim with gold.

From the next day, he began to drop all his earnings into the pot. Even after several days, the pot wouldn't full up. The couple began to go hungry hoping to save more money. By the end of the month Hari was losing sleep over the seventh pot of gold.

Hari's wife suggested that he should ask the king for a raise. That way could drop all the extra income into the pot. Surely by the end of the second month the pot was bound to fill up. Hari approached the king with a request for a raise. The king noticed that Hari was depressed and appeared worried. The king raised his salary. Despite all their efforts the couple could not fill the seventh pot.

Hari decided to ask the king for another raise. The king thought for a moment. It was unlike Hari to be so depressed. Beside he was being paid handsomely. Then the king asked, "Have you been given seven pots of gold by the forest spirit?"

Hari gaped at him and nodded his headed. The king then said, "The forest spirit once gave me six and a half pots of gold. I could have easily used the six pots. Instead, I spend all my time filling up the seventh pot. Return the pots to the forest. You will regain your peace of mind". Hari heeded the king's advice. He threw the pots away and lived happily.

Trees That Wood

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

NO POINTING FINGERS

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

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


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

If we forgive the others, others will ignore our mistakes too.

The Mouse Trap

A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package; what food might it contain?

He was aghast to discover that it was a mousetrap!

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning, "There is a mouse trap in the house, there is a mouse trap in the house."

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell you this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me; I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mouse trap in the house."

"I am so very sorry Mr. Mouse," sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do about it but pray; be assured that you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow, who replied, "Like wow, Mr. Mouse, a mouse trap; am I in grave danger, Duh?"

So the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected to face the farmer's mousetrap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught.

In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital.

She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

His wife's sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well, in fact, she died, and so many people came for her funeral the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.

So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when the least of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

working hard to solve

One fine day, a bus driver went to the bus garage, started his bus, and drove off along the route.

No problems for the first few stops, a few people got on, a few got off, and things went generally well.

At the next stop, however, a big hulk of a guy got on. Six feet eight, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground.

He glared at the driver and said, "Big John doesn't pay!" and sat down at the back.

The driver was five feet three, thin, and basically meek... Naturally, he didn't argue with Big John, but he wasn't happy about it.

The next day the same thing happened -Big John got on again, said "Big John doesn't pay!" and sat down.

And the next day, and the one after that, and so forth.

This irritated the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way Big John was taking advantage of his size.

Finally he could stand it no longer. He signed up for body building program, karate, judo and all that good stuff.

By the end of the summer, he had become quite strong; So on the next Monday, when Big John got on the bus and said, "Big John doesn't pay!" the driver stood up, glared back and screamed, "And why not?"

With a surprised look on his face, Big John replied, "Big John has a Bus pass."

Moral of the story: First be sure is there a problem before working hard to solve one

Friendship Quotes

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." --Walter Winchell

“Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait to hear the answer” -- Unknown Author

If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I would not follow, I would be at the bottom to catch them when they fall. -- Unknown Author

A simple friend thinks the friendship over when you have an argument. A real friend knows that it's not a friendship until after you've had a fight. - -Unknown Author

One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives. -- Euripides.

"A friend in Need is a Friend Indeed" -- English Proverb

True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost. - -Charles Caleb Colton

If you have one true friend, you have more than your share. --Thomas Fuller

Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends. -- Czech. Proverb

Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends. -- Cindy Lew

"To be depressed is to be lonely; to have a friend is to be happy..." -- Guido

"A true friend is someone who knows there's something wrong even when you have the biggest smile on your face." -- Unknown Author

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend. -- Unknown Author

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friendship is the golden thread that ties all hearts together. -- Unknown Author

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked. -- Bernard Meltzer

"Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you." -- Elbert Hubbard

The language of friendship is not words but meanings. -- Henry David Thoreau

The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend. --Abraham Lincoln

"Friendship is one mind in two bodies." -- Mencius

The Box Of Kisses

The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper.

Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."

The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.

Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

The Boy and the Apple Tree

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, and took a nap under the shadow. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by, the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day.
One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.
"Come and play with me", the tree asked the boy.
"I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees any more" the boy replied.
"I want toys. I need money to buy them."
"Sorry, but I do not have money, but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money."
The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was excited.

"Come and play with me" the tree said.

"I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?"

"Sorry, but I do not have any house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house". So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted.

"Come and play with me!" the tree said.

"I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?" said the man.

"Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy."

So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the man returned after many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you", the tree said.

"No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite" the man replied.

"No more trunk for you to climb on".

"I am too old for that now" the man said.

"I really cannot give you anything, the only thing left is my dying roots," the tree said with tears.

"I do not need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years," the man replied.

"Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest, come sit down with me and rest." The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears.

No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could just to make you happy.

You may think the boy is cruel to the tree, but that is how all of us treat our parents. We take them for granted; we don't appreciate all they do for us, until it's too late.

THE 4 WIVES

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.

The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !"

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives

a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.

b. Our 3rd wife ? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.

c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.

Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament.

Salary Increase

One day an employee sends a letter to his boss to increase his salary!!!
Dear Bo$$

In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding of the need$ of u$ worker$ who have given $o much $upport including $weat and $ervice to your company.

I am $ure you will gue$$ what I mean and re$pond $oon

Your$ $incerely,
Norman $oh

The next day, the employee received this letter of reply:

Dear NOrman,

I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet.

NOw the newspaper are saying the world`s leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United States may go into aNOther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad.

I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean.

Yours truly,
Manager

BUS 54

A blonde was visiting Washington, DC for the first time. She wanted to see the Capitol building. Unfortunately, she couldn't find it, so she asked a police officer for directions.

"Excuse me, officer, how do I get to the Capitol building?"

The officer replied, "Wait here at this bus stop for the number 54 bus. It'll take you right there." She thanked the officer and he drives off.

Three hours later the police officer returned to the same area and, sure enough, the blonde is still waiting at the same bus stop. The officer got out of his car and said, "Excuse me, but to get to the Capitol building, I said to wait here for the number 54 bus. That was three hours ago. Why are you still waiting?"

The blonde replied, "Don't worry, officer, it won't be long now. The 45th bus just went by!"

kindness

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.

She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."

He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval.

He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill.

She read these words.....

"Paid in full with one glass of milk"

Hospital Windows – inspiring and touching story

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. And 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 color 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 color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, 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 world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.

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."

Story of The Emperor and The Seed

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!"

Smart Thinking

My dad gave me one dollar bill
'Cause I'm his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
'Cause two is more then one!

And then I took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes-- I guess he didn't know
That three is more than two!

Just then, along came old blind Bates
And just 'cause he can't see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three!

And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the seed-feed store,
And the fool gave me five pennies for them,
And five is more than four!

And I went and showed my dad,
And he got red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head--
Too proud of me to speak!