Prevent Hydroplaning
True story A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totaled her car. A resident of Kilgore, Texas, she was traveling between Gladewater &Kilgore. It was raining, though not excessive, when her car suddenly began to hydroplane and literally flew through the air. She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence! When she explained to the highway patrolman what had happened he told her something that every driver should know
-NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON.
She had thought she was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe consistent speed in the rain. But the highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on and your car begins to hydroplane -- when your tires loose contact with the pavement your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed and you take off like an airplane. She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred.
We all know you have little or no control over a car when it begins to hydroplane. You are at the mercy of the Good Lord. The highway patrol estimated her car was actually traveling through the air at 10 to 15 miles per hour faster than the speed set on the cruise control. The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the drivers seat sun-visor - NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR ICY, along with the airbag warning.
We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control and drive a safe speed-but we don't tell them to use the cruise control only when the pavement is dry. The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the patrolman), was a man who had had a similar accident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries.
Sunday, May 29
Saturday, May 21
You must know that this validates my love affair with all things delicious!
THE BEST REVENGE
By DAVID BROOKS
New York Times News ServiceWednesday, April 27, 2005 -
The release of a report in The Journal of the American Medical Association indicating that overweight people actually live longer than normal-weight people represents an important moment in the history of world civilization. It is the moment when we realize that Mother Nature - unlike Ivy League admissions committees - doesn't like suck-ups.
It turns out she doesn't like those body-worshiping, multi-abbed marvels who've spent so much time at the bench press machine they look as if they have thighs growing out of either side of their necks. She doesn't like those health-conscious rice cake addicts you see at Manhattan restaurants ordering a skinned olive for lunch and sitting there looking trim and fit in their tapered blouses while their buns of steel leave permanent dents in the upholstery.
Mother Nature, we now know, is a saucy wench, who likes to play cosmic tricks on humanity. If the report from researchers at the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is correct then it seems that Mother Nature has built a little Laffer curve into the fabric of reality: Health-conscious people can hit a point of negative returns, so the more fit they are, the quicker they kick the bucket. People who work out, eat responsibly and deserve to live are more likely to be culled by the Thin Reaper.
I can't tell you how happy this makes me. Since I read about this report a few days ago, I haven't been able to stop grinning.
I've been happy because as a member of the community of low-center-of-gravity Americans, I find that a lifetime of irresponsible behavior has been unjustly rewarded. If this study is correct, I'll be ordering second helpings on into my 90s while all those salad-munching health nuts who have been feeling so superior in their spandex pants and cutoff T-shirts will be dying of midriff pneumonia and other condescension-related diseases.
Mostly, I'm happy on an existential level. I like to be reminded that the universe is basically crooked. This is what the zero-tolerance brigades and all the better living gurus never quite get.
In reality, life is perverse and human beings don't get what they deserve. The people with the worst grades start the most successful businesses. The shallowest people end up blissfully happy and they are so vapid they don't even realize how vapid they are because vapidity is the only trait that comes with its own impermeable obliviousness system.
Life isn't fair, logic is of limited value and, as Woody Allen observed years ago, everything your parents once thought was good for you turns out to be bad for you: sun, milk, red meat and college.
The chief moral lesson I take away from this report is that Mother Nature is happy to tolerate marginally irresponsible misbehavior.
She does want you to eat the occasional Cinnabon, so long as it isn't bigger than Delaware. She wants you to have that fourth glass of wine, and lecture the dinner table on the future of the papacy based on your extensive reading of "The Da Vinci Code." She wants a little socially productive mediocrity.
Darwin was wrong when he talked about the survival of the fittest: It's really the survival of the healthy enough to get by. As it says in the Good Book, the last shall sometimes be first, the meek shall inherit the earth, and the chubby will get extra biscuits at the breakfast buffet.
~Secretly, all Saucy Wenches knew this to be true, all along!
THE BEST REVENGE
By DAVID BROOKS
New York Times News ServiceWednesday, April 27, 2005 -
The release of a report in The Journal of the American Medical Association indicating that overweight people actually live longer than normal-weight people represents an important moment in the history of world civilization. It is the moment when we realize that Mother Nature - unlike Ivy League admissions committees - doesn't like suck-ups.
It turns out she doesn't like those body-worshiping, multi-abbed marvels who've spent so much time at the bench press machine they look as if they have thighs growing out of either side of their necks. She doesn't like those health-conscious rice cake addicts you see at Manhattan restaurants ordering a skinned olive for lunch and sitting there looking trim and fit in their tapered blouses while their buns of steel leave permanent dents in the upholstery.
Mother Nature, we now know, is a saucy wench, who likes to play cosmic tricks on humanity. If the report from researchers at the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is correct then it seems that Mother Nature has built a little Laffer curve into the fabric of reality: Health-conscious people can hit a point of negative returns, so the more fit they are, the quicker they kick the bucket. People who work out, eat responsibly and deserve to live are more likely to be culled by the Thin Reaper.
I can't tell you how happy this makes me. Since I read about this report a few days ago, I haven't been able to stop grinning.
I've been happy because as a member of the community of low-center-of-gravity Americans, I find that a lifetime of irresponsible behavior has been unjustly rewarded. If this study is correct, I'll be ordering second helpings on into my 90s while all those salad-munching health nuts who have been feeling so superior in their spandex pants and cutoff T-shirts will be dying of midriff pneumonia and other condescension-related diseases.
Mostly, I'm happy on an existential level. I like to be reminded that the universe is basically crooked. This is what the zero-tolerance brigades and all the better living gurus never quite get.
In reality, life is perverse and human beings don't get what they deserve. The people with the worst grades start the most successful businesses. The shallowest people end up blissfully happy and they are so vapid they don't even realize how vapid they are because vapidity is the only trait that comes with its own impermeable obliviousness system.
Life isn't fair, logic is of limited value and, as Woody Allen observed years ago, everything your parents once thought was good for you turns out to be bad for you: sun, milk, red meat and college.
The chief moral lesson I take away from this report is that Mother Nature is happy to tolerate marginally irresponsible misbehavior.
She does want you to eat the occasional Cinnabon, so long as it isn't bigger than Delaware. She wants you to have that fourth glass of wine, and lecture the dinner table on the future of the papacy based on your extensive reading of "The Da Vinci Code." She wants a little socially productive mediocrity.
Darwin was wrong when he talked about the survival of the fittest: It's really the survival of the healthy enough to get by. As it says in the Good Book, the last shall sometimes be first, the meek shall inherit the earth, and the chubby will get extra biscuits at the breakfast buffet.
~Secretly, all Saucy Wenches knew this to be true, all along!
Friday, May 20
Thank you for sharing this with me, Wim!
Subject: wolves
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 "wolves" inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
Subject: wolves
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 "wolves" inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
Sunday, May 8
This is for all the mothers who didn't win Mother of the Year last year. All the runners-up and all the wannabes. The mothers too tired to enter or too busy to care.
This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on metal bleachers at soccer games Friday night instead of watching from cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see my goal?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.
This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, saying, "It's OK honey, Mommy's here."
This is for all the mothers of Kosovo who fled in the night and can't find their children. (And the mothers in Iraq whose children died in bombings).
This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the for mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.
For all the mothers of the victims of the Colorado shooting, and the mothers of the murderers. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just arrived safely home from school.
For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who don't.
What makes a good mother? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 a.m. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a school shooting, a fire, a car accident, a baby dying?
This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to but just couldn't.
This is for reading "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then reading it again, "just one more time."
This is for all the mothers who aren't perfect. Who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair and stomp their feet like a tired 2-year-old who wants ice cream before dinner.
This is for all the mothers who taught their daughters to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.
For all the mothers who bite their lips- sometimes until they bleed- when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green.
This is for all the mothers who lock themselves in the bathroom when babies keep crying and won't stop.
This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.
This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.
This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home.
This is for mothers who put pinwheels and teddy bears -and tears- on their children's graves.
This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.
This is for all the mothers who sent their sons to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.
This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation. And mature mothers learning to let go.
For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without.
This is for you all. So hang in there. The world would be a terrible place without the love of mothers everywhere. You make it a more civil, caring and safe place for the precious children in our world.
This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on metal bleachers at soccer games Friday night instead of watching from cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see my goal?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.
This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, saying, "It's OK honey, Mommy's here."
This is for all the mothers of Kosovo who fled in the night and can't find their children. (And the mothers in Iraq whose children died in bombings).
This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the for mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.
For all the mothers of the victims of the Colorado shooting, and the mothers of the murderers. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just arrived safely home from school.
For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who don't.
What makes a good mother? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 a.m. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a school shooting, a fire, a car accident, a baby dying?
This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to but just couldn't.
This is for reading "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then reading it again, "just one more time."
This is for all the mothers who aren't perfect. Who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair and stomp their feet like a tired 2-year-old who wants ice cream before dinner.
This is for all the mothers who taught their daughters to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.
For all the mothers who bite their lips- sometimes until they bleed- when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green.
This is for all the mothers who lock themselves in the bathroom when babies keep crying and won't stop.
This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.
This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.
This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home.
This is for mothers who put pinwheels and teddy bears -and tears- on their children's graves.
This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.
This is for all the mothers who sent their sons to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.
This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation. And mature mothers learning to let go.
For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without.
This is for you all. So hang in there. The world would be a terrible place without the love of mothers everywhere. You make it a more civil, caring and safe place for the precious children in our world.
Sunday, May 1
Bizarre Holidays in May
My dear friend Mary shared this tidbit with me, and I just had to share it with you!
May is More Than Just A Pretty Face Month, National Correct Posture Month, National Egg Month, National Good Car Keeping Month, and National Revise Your Work Schedule Month
May 1 is...Mother Goose Day
May 2 is...Sibling Appreciation Day
May 3 is...Do Dah Day
May 4 is...National Weather Observer's Day
May 5 is...Totally Chipotle Day
May 6 is...National School Nurse Day
May 8 is...No Socks Day
May 10 is...Trust Your Intuition Day
May 11 is...Eat What You Want Day
May 12 is...Limerick Day
May 14 is...National Receptionists Day
May 16 is...Biographer's Day
May 17 is...Armed Forces Day
May 18 is...Visit Your Relatives Day
May 21 is...I Need A Patch For That Day
May 23 is...Morning Radio Wise Guy Day
May 26 is...Prayer for Peace Memorial Day
May 28 is...Great American Grump Out Day
May 30 is...Hug Your Cat Day
May 31 is...What You Think Upon Grows Day
My dear friend Mary shared this tidbit with me, and I just had to share it with you!
May is More Than Just A Pretty Face Month, National Correct Posture Month, National Egg Month, National Good Car Keeping Month, and National Revise Your Work Schedule Month
May 1 is...Mother Goose Day
May 2 is...Sibling Appreciation Day
May 3 is...Do Dah Day
May 4 is...National Weather Observer's Day
May 5 is...Totally Chipotle Day
May 6 is...National School Nurse Day
May 8 is...No Socks Day
May 10 is...Trust Your Intuition Day
May 11 is...Eat What You Want Day
May 12 is...Limerick Day
May 14 is...National Receptionists Day
May 16 is...Biographer's Day
May 17 is...Armed Forces Day
May 18 is...Visit Your Relatives Day
May 21 is...I Need A Patch For That Day
May 23 is...Morning Radio Wise Guy Day
May 26 is...Prayer for Peace Memorial Day
May 28 is...Great American Grump Out Day
May 30 is...Hug Your Cat Day
May 31 is...What You Think Upon Grows Day
Saturday, April 2
What do I know about raising kids, anyway?
Nuttin', really!
But I think that I know a little something about it from a kids' point of view.
Nuttin', really!
But I think that I know a little something about it from a kids' point of view.
I know what it feels like to be supremely embarrassed by the 'telling of stories' when my mother often shared and compared with her friends my most recent antics and mishaps. The burning feeling that started in my feet and raced to the tips of my ears when I'd overhear her explain, in every little detail, how I screwed something up, or tried to lie my way out of trouble with some lame little story or excuse that no half-wit would ever believe. To my logic, this was a woman who could not be trusted with intimate details and secrets of my heart. What? Confide in her, only to be outside playing below the open kitchen window, and then hear her calmly tell her friends that she found a poopy pair of my brand new lacy panties between my mattress and box springs when I had diarrhea and chanced the tiniest of farts and lost again to lady luck, NEVER!! She just added insult to my injury, how could she reasonably expect me to tell her about my first period, my first kiss, my first . . . . . . never mind, you get the picture.
I really think my mother was supposed to have a larger family. At least two or three of us, because it really hurt my case when she would ask something like, "Who ate all my baking chocolate?" And of course, thinking I should have had siblings, I would have to say, "I didn't know." I was quite grown when it dawned on me that, being an only child, this was never a good answer. But if she knew the answer, why then would she deviously set me up to have to lie about it? A simple statement like, "I know you ate all my baking chocolate, so now you'll just have to imagine how delicious the brownies I was going to bake with it would have tasted with a nice cold glass of milk. And since you've eaten so much dark chocolate, you'll probably get a bad case of diarrhea!" Now that would have stung more than the spanking I got for the lie. I would have learned to consider the consequences of my actions, instead of consequences from my lies. So, when I might have learned, sooner, how to make my own brownies, I focused on becoming a better more creative liar, and desperately tried to find ways to blame others when I got into trouble.
All kidding aside, I think that when some adults interact with a child, it's instinctive to imagine that the child is inferior or less than a regular person because they are small and not very wise, so the usual respect that is saved for those occasions when one communicates with another 'regular' person is forsaken. When a child is treated with respect and and the expectation of equality, I think they are very happy and willing to 'step up' to that and enjoy being given the opportunity to be a 'regular' person. By all means, kids should be allowed to be kids for as long as they are kids, however, when it is time for them to do so, it will be easier to put aside childish things, if they know how it is to be treated with respect and treat others as they would like to be treated.
Wistfully,
~Whurlie
Thursday, December 16
"I subscribe to a daily newsletter called "Everyday Cheapskate" and I frequently find little gems of advice that are worth keeping and treasuring. This has to be the motherlode of advice for the Holiday Season, and I'm happy to pass it on to you. I want to thank Mary Hunt, the author, for this timely advice, I hope it helps you! "
"If your spending habits are nudging you into holiday debt, you don't have to give in. You can experience a joyful season without mortgaging your future in order to feel good. It's all a matter of attitude -- something over which you have tremendous control. While you can't change many things related to this holiday season, you can choose the way you respond to them.
"It may seem completely ridiculous to think that just by changing your attitude you can change your circumstances, but it's often true. Disadvantages can be turned into advantages simply by the way you look at them. The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything.
"Don't be pressured into spending more at this time of year because you think it's the right thing to do. While you may have done this in the past, now is the time to make your holiday merry without taking all of Madison Avenue's suggestions.
"Here's a life principle that will help you understand and make meaningful attitude changes: It's easier to act your way into a feeling than to feel your way into an action. If you change your attitudes not because you feel like it but because you know what you're doing is the right thing, your feelings will follow. On the other hand, if you wait until you do it just because it feels good, you can wind up in massive debt.
"Everything about the holiday season stimulates our feelings. The music moves our spirits and tenderizes our souls. The displays of grandeur take our breath away. The grand decorations, the blessed sentiments; the gifts, the giving, the children and the loved ones; the snow, the parties and the pageants; the holly and mistletoe -- all of these things encourage us to act compulsively without thoughts of the consequences.
"Yet it's difficult to ignore the fear of not doing everything well enough; the guilt of not measuring up, giving the right gift or spending enough to even the score.
"Christmas can be one overwhelming feeling after another. If we allow our spending to be controlled by the feeling we happen to be having at the moment, we're in for some kind of a roller-coaster ride that carries a heavy price tag.
"I'm not suggesting that you should shut down your emotions during the month of December so you can stop feeling. Not at all! I'm only suggesting you not let your feelings direct your life. That's the job for your values, ethics and morals.
"Rather than allowing your attitudes about Christmas and debt to be shaped by your ever-changing feelings brought on by sights, sounds, smells, shopping malls, magazines, neighbors, friends, family or any other person, place or thing, you can choose to shape your attitudes in a reasoned and logical manner. This is the way to take control of your holiday spending. "
"If your spending habits are nudging you into holiday debt, you don't have to give in. You can experience a joyful season without mortgaging your future in order to feel good. It's all a matter of attitude -- something over which you have tremendous control. While you can't change many things related to this holiday season, you can choose the way you respond to them.
"It may seem completely ridiculous to think that just by changing your attitude you can change your circumstances, but it's often true. Disadvantages can be turned into advantages simply by the way you look at them. The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything.
"Don't be pressured into spending more at this time of year because you think it's the right thing to do. While you may have done this in the past, now is the time to make your holiday merry without taking all of Madison Avenue's suggestions.
"Here's a life principle that will help you understand and make meaningful attitude changes: It's easier to act your way into a feeling than to feel your way into an action. If you change your attitudes not because you feel like it but because you know what you're doing is the right thing, your feelings will follow. On the other hand, if you wait until you do it just because it feels good, you can wind up in massive debt.
"Everything about the holiday season stimulates our feelings. The music moves our spirits and tenderizes our souls. The displays of grandeur take our breath away. The grand decorations, the blessed sentiments; the gifts, the giving, the children and the loved ones; the snow, the parties and the pageants; the holly and mistletoe -- all of these things encourage us to act compulsively without thoughts of the consequences.
"Yet it's difficult to ignore the fear of not doing everything well enough; the guilt of not measuring up, giving the right gift or spending enough to even the score.
"Christmas can be one overwhelming feeling after another. If we allow our spending to be controlled by the feeling we happen to be having at the moment, we're in for some kind of a roller-coaster ride that carries a heavy price tag.
"I'm not suggesting that you should shut down your emotions during the month of December so you can stop feeling. Not at all! I'm only suggesting you not let your feelings direct your life. That's the job for your values, ethics and morals.
"Rather than allowing your attitudes about Christmas and debt to be shaped by your ever-changing feelings brought on by sights, sounds, smells, shopping malls, magazines, neighbors, friends, family or any other person, place or thing, you can choose to shape your attitudes in a reasoned and logical manner. This is the way to take control of your holiday spending. "
Sunday, December 12
The best gift of all~
"Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.
"Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.
"Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.
"Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.
"Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love."
~Thanks Harold!
"Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.
"Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.
"Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.
"Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.
"Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love."
~Thanks Harold!
Saturday, November 20
What Love Means to a Child
Adults should take lessons from some of these kids! A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds.
"What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.
1. When my grandma got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toe nails anymore. So my grandpa does it for her now all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love. Rebecca - age 8
2. When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouths. Billy - age 4
3. Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other. Kari - age 5
4. Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your french fries without making them give you any of theirs. Chrissy - age 6
5. Love is what makes you smile when you're tired. Terri - age 4
6. Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK. Danny - age 7
7. Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and my daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss. Emily - age 8
8. Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. Bobby - age 7
9. If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate. Nikki - age 6
10. Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day. Noelle - age 7
11. Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well. Tommy - age 6
12. During my piano recital, I was on stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore. Cindy - age 8
13. My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night. Clare - age 6
14. Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken. Elaine - age 5
15. Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford. Chris - age 7
16. Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day. Mary Ann - age 4
17. When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you. Karen - age 7
18. Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and doesn't think it's gross. Mark - age 6
19. You really shouldn't say "I LOVE YOU" unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget. Jessica - age 8
And the winner was a 4 year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly man who had just lost his wife. When the child saw the man cry, the little boy went over into the man's yard and climbed on top of the man's lap and just sat there. When the boy's mother asked him what he'd said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."
~out of the email bag, Thanks Harold!
Adults should take lessons from some of these kids! A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds.
"What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.
1. When my grandma got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toe nails anymore. So my grandpa does it for her now all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love. Rebecca - age 8
2. When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouths. Billy - age 4
3. Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other. Kari - age 5
4. Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your french fries without making them give you any of theirs. Chrissy - age 6
5. Love is what makes you smile when you're tired. Terri - age 4
6. Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK. Danny - age 7
7. Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and my daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss. Emily - age 8
8. Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. Bobby - age 7
9. If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate. Nikki - age 6
10. Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day. Noelle - age 7
11. Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well. Tommy - age 6
12. During my piano recital, I was on stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore. Cindy - age 8
13. My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night. Clare - age 6
14. Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken. Elaine - age 5
15. Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford. Chris - age 7
16. Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day. Mary Ann - age 4
17. When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you. Karen - age 7
18. Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and doesn't think it's gross. Mark - age 6
19. You really shouldn't say "I LOVE YOU" unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget. Jessica - age 8
And the winner was a 4 year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly man who had just lost his wife. When the child saw the man cry, the little boy went over into the man's yard and climbed on top of the man's lap and just sat there. When the boy's mother asked him what he'd said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."
~out of the email bag, Thanks Harold!
Sunday, November 14
You make the choice. Don't look for a punch line. There isn't one. Read it anyway.
At a fundraising 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 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. Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and, getting none, he took matters into his own hands 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."
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 outfield. 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, would 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 'cause 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 moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to 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 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 took the ball and turned and threw the ball on a high arc to right field, far beyond the reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" By the time Shay rounded first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases toward home. Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming, "Shay, run home!" Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the "grand 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."
AND, NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY:
We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people think twice about sharing. The crude and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools
and workplaces.
If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people on your address list that aren't the "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message.
Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the "natural order of things."
So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:
Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up that opportunity, and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
You now have two choices:
1. Delete this.
2. Forward it to the people you care about.
Friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.
At a fundraising 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 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. Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and, getting none, he took matters into his own hands 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."
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 outfield. 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, would 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 'cause 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 moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to 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 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 took the ball and turned and threw the ball on a high arc to right field, far beyond the reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" By the time Shay rounded first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases toward home. Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming, "Shay, run home!" Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the "grand 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."
AND, NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY:
We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people think twice about sharing. The crude and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools
and workplaces.
If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people on your address list that aren't the "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message.
Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the "natural order of things."
So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:
Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up that opportunity, and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
You now have two choices:
1. Delete this.
2. Forward it to the people you care about.
Friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.
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