Quote of the day

"Start by doing what is necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

By Francis of Assisi

The Wonderful Husband

Several men are in the locker room after playing golf when a mobile phone rings. One of the men picks up and puts it on hand-free-speaker. Of course everybody else in the room is listening...
Man: Hello.

Woman: Honey, its me. Are you at the club?
Man: Yes.
Woman: Am at the mall now. I found this beautiful leather coat and its only $1000. Is it ok if I buy it? I took your card.
Man: Sure, go ahead if you really like it.
Woman: I also stopped at the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2014 models. I saw one I really like, its $98,000.
Man: Ok, but for that price make sure it comes with all the options.
Woman: Great, I love you honey, and one more thing. That house I wanted is back in the market, they are demanding only $950,000.
Man: Well, go ahead and make an offer of $900,000, they will take it. If they don't, then go the extra $50,000.
Woman: Thanks, love you so much honey.
Man: You are worth every cent...bye darling.
The man hangs up, and the other men in the locker room are staring in astonishment, their jaws hanging. The wonderful husband turns and laughs as he asks, "Anybody knows whose phone this is?"

I Thank All Those

I thank all those who laughed at my dreams;
You have inspired my imagination.
I thank all who wanted to squeeze me into their scheme;
They have taught me the value of freedom.

I thank all who have lied to me;
You have shown me the power of truth.
I thank all those who have not believed in me;
You have expected me to move mountains.
I thank all those who have written me off;
You have aroused my courage.

I thank all those who have left me;
They gave me room to create.
I thank all those who have betrayed and abused me;
You have let me be vigilant.
I thank all those who have hurt me;
They have taught me to grow in pain.

More importantly, I thank all
Who love me as I am;
They give me the strength to live.

By Paulo Coelho

Rude Behaviour

A young woman named Jessie received a parrot as a gift many years ago. Over time the parrot developed an extremely bad attitude.
It got to the point that every word out of the bird's mouth was rude and obnoxious. Jessie tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else she could think of to 'clean up' the bird's attitude and by then 'foul language.'
Finally, Jessie was fed up and yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. Jessie lost it and shook the parrot. The parrot became uncontrollable and even more rude. Jessie, in desperation, threw up her hands, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked, kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.
Fearing that she'd hurt the parrot, Jessie quickly opened the door to the freezer.
The parrot calmly stepped out onto Jessie's outstretched arms and said, "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."
Jessie was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.
As she was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird spoke-up, very softly, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

Quote of the day

"A good turn deserves another, but a bad will follow another. Thread courageously."

By Palle Oswald

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twist and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit,
It's when things seem worse that you must not quit.

By Unknown

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
- See more at: http://www.verybestquotes.com/dont-quit-motivational-and-inspirational-poem-on-high-resolution-big-picture/#sthash.4IhvVhDJ.dpuf

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
- See more at: http://www.verybestquotes.com/dont-quit-motivational-and-inspirational-poem-on-high-resolution-big-picture/#sthash.4IhvVhDJ.dpuf

Quote of the day

"The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have."

By Vince Lombardi

Quote of the day

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant."

By Robert Louis Stevenson

Pink On Her Breath

With tired clasps that bind,
Cries- of joy after of life,
Nurse Martha: Congrats again ma,
Smell of bosom and milk in cuddle warmth.

Silence-
I smell pink on her breath,
Voicing in language colors speak;
Bleakness unending from zero to death.

Dancing- when I smell pink on her breath,
With uniforms too big, and bowls too full,
She tells me the story of the pink in her breath,
Lingering smell I forever wish.

And then colorless spills and why's?-
Lipstick and white dress and stillness and tears,
Groups that gather; people with preacher,
Latin utterances, hymns of requiem.
And tumid eyes watch cottoned nose through salty barriers.

Crescent-shaped smile as gaze land on boxed mama,
Such mixed feelings; attempted pacification,
'Rest in peace Mama' my hearty orison.
Boundless affection-

I still smell pink on her no breath.

By Howard M-B Maximus

Quote of the day

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now."

- Chinese Proverb

The Things Mothers Taught Us

Mothers taught us LOGIC… "If you fall off that tree and break your neck, you can't go to the market with me."
Mothers taught us MEDICINE… "If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way."
Mothers taught us TO THINK AHEAD… "If you don’t pass your exams, you'll never get a good job!"
Mothers taught us TO MEET A CHALLENGE… "What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you… Don't talk back to me!"
Mothers taught us HUMOR… "When that cutlass cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
Mothers taught us how to BECOME AN ADULT… "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
Mothers taught us about GENETICS… "You are just like your father!"
Mothers taught us about our ROOTS… "Do you think you were born in a palace?"
Mothers taught us about the WISDOM of AGE… "When you get to be my age, you will understand."
Mothers taught us about ANTICIPATION… "Just wait until your father gets home."
Mothers taught us about CAUTION… "If you swallow that orange seed, an orange tree will grow on your head."
Mothers taught us about CAUSE and EFFECT... "If I slap you, you'll forget your last name."
And the all time favorite thing: JUSTICE… "One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you… then you’ll see what it's like."

The Bumblebee

According to scientists, the bumblebee's body is too heavy and its wing span too small. Aerodynamically, the bumblebee can not fly. But the bumblebee doesn't know that and it keeps flying.
When we don't know our limitations, we can only go out and surprise the world. And sometimes we often wonder if there had truly been any restraint. For when its all said and done, the chains that keep us from becoming the best of ourselves are the ones we accept.

Quote of the day

"We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough."

By Helen Keller

The Tyger

Tyger, Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant depths or skies,
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand, and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?

Tyger, Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

By William Blake

Quote of the day

"Do not love because you expect to be loved in return with equal measure. There is only pain in that bargain, for there will always be love greater or smaller than your own. Love because it sets you free."

By Palle Oswald

Quote of the day

"The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion."

By Paulo Coelho

Be Yourself

A visitor was walking through the gardens of an insane asylum when he met a young man reading a philosophy book. For his manners and the health he portrayed, he didn’t quite match with the patients there. The visitor sat beside him and asked, "What are you doing here?"

The patient looked at him surprised. But as he saw that the visitor wasn’t one of the doctors, he answered, "That’s very simple. My father, a brilliant lawyer, wanted me to be like him. My uncle, owner of a large commercial warehouse, wanted me to follow his example. My mother wanted me to become the image of her beloved father. My sister always cited her husband as the example of a well succeeded man. My brother tried to train me to become an excellent athlete like him.

And the same happened with my teachers at school, the piano teacher, the English tutor: all of them were convinced and resolute; they were the best examples to be followed. No one looked at me like someone should look to a man — but as if they looked into a mirror."

"That way, I decided to admit myself into this asylum."

"Why?"

"Here at least, I can be myself."

Quote of the day

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them."

By Henry David Thoreau

The Wisdom of Childhood

A first grade teacher had twenty-five students in her Clarkston, MI class. She presented each child in her class the first half of a well known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are just 6-year-olds, because the last one is classic... although sad to see it said!

1. Don't change horses........................... until they stop.
2. Strike while the.................................. bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before................... Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of..... termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but....... how?
6. Don't bite the hand that..................... looks dirty.
7. No news is.......................................... impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a......................... Mister.
9. You can't teach an old dog new.......... math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll........ stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust.................................... me.
12. The pen is mightier than the............. pigs.
13. An idle mind is.................................. the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's............ pollution.
15. Happy the bride who.........................gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is............................... not much.
17. Two's company, three's..................... the Musketeers
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what....... you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and............................. you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as................ Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not....... spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed............... get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you......................................... see in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind lead the blind........... get out of the way.
And the WINNER is... the last one...
25. Better late than................................ pregnant.

Quote of the day

"If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."

By Frank A. Clark

The Tale Of Two Frogs

During their seasonal migration, an army of frogs had to travel through the territory of a snake. As they hopped through the bushes, two of them fell into a hole. When the rest saw how deep the hole was, they told their friends that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the remarks and tried to jump out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, saying they would never make it out of the hole.
Finally, one of the frogs, burdened by exhaustion and daunted by the declaration of his friends, fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd told him he could not make it out, shouting now. Instead he jumped even harder until he hopped out of the hole.

You see, this frog was deaf. All the time he had thought they were encouraging him, cheering him on. Though a discouraging word could be all it takes to worsen your situation, just remember sometimes it seems impossible until you are doing it.

Quote of the day

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore, Dream, Discover."

By Mark Twain

Quote of the day

"Healing doesn't mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls your life."

By Akshay Dubey

I See You Seeing Me

I see you seeing me, in my Imperfection, I see you judging me for my misdirection,
Watching from beyond my reach,  stricken with shock , as you ponder my differences, my short comings,
My lack of realistic earnings,
Scrutinizing this surface, this shell I built to hide from you,
To stop you seeing me, so I never see you , considering my inequities,
Yet, I see you seeing me,

I see you seeing me, the creation that I am, born from a mother , that is the environment you have built around me,
Dragged out of self, and molded into various shapes, as I let the clay of my very soul, be reconfigured, over and over,
Hoping to see a difference , in the way I see you seeing me, still all you see is me the incomplete, taking delight In the way you see me seeing you, yes,
I see you too, not to be you, but just to be with you,

I see you seeing me, you revel in seeing me cry, writhing in pain as my insides die,
Yes I die on the inside, poisoned by unseen rage, mutilated ego, bruised by your condescending, unappreciated hero, unapplauded  glories, under-looked victories, as I swing my sword of struggle, hoping but for a smile, a reward so humble,  yet, upon your horse, you highly sit,  though you see me, never do our gazes meet,
Stare me down as plague, as curse, and as I move forward, all I meet is defeat,

So to hide this unchangeable illness that I am, I will reach out, grab and drown the sun, in the water of my tears, till the surrounding darkness hides all my fears,
But we have been told better than to conjure the blindness of the night,
Told instead to reach deep into our own hearts, and pull out the golden light that we are,
So I bow my head, to reach into me, and bring forth the best of me, the bright shining fire I truly am, and as I raise it to find you, I realize you are gone,

Now I don't see you seeing me, in my imperfection,
Nor do I see you judging me, for my hopeless misdirection,
For in this brightness I now find myself, you no longer are there,
And will never see me seeing you, for the perfect imperfection that you also are...

By Juwon Simmons

Life and Loss and Life again

I remember her smile, that smile on her face
The twinkle in her eyes, her signature in space

I am a young man with the world at my feet
A heart filled with longing, a lover to meet
And if wishes were sand grains, the world was my desert
For I tended the hard times in thoughts of my sweetheart

I am a young lover with a bride of my own
And she is the garden of every dream I had ever sown
I remember her smile, that smile on her face
Like sunshine in spring, each ray in its place

I am a young husband, as happy as I claim
Youth is our temple and she is my dame
I hand over my being, to love and to tame
For my heart leaps when she murmurs my name
 
I am a young father, fingerprints of baby powder in my hair
There are new voices at home and laughter in the air
But the children grow up to learn of life and a happily ever after
And my young leave me to find their dreams in horizons afar

My heart aches, I think of the loss and mourn
The house feels robbed, for the laughter is gone
But my beloved pinches my cheeks and with words unspoken
I realise I have lost nothing, here stands a vow unbroken

I am a grand father, I watch with watery eyes as children gather to play
I treasure the days and delay the moments, I know it won't stay
The seconds are fleeting and life doesn't always bend to our will
For the pit of memory is bottomless, and not enough time to fill

I am a widower, my heart is heavy with grief
I am numb with the pain of a life spent so brief
I have seen heaven and I know when it's hell
There are a thousand pieces were my love use to dwell

I am an old man, my spark in the rain
But what if I'm given another chance, to lose and to gain?
Then I remember her smile, the joy of my pain
Oh I will get back in line and do it all over again

Now my chest grows still, my heart loses its pace
Do you know this smile, this smile on my face?

By Palle E.K.Oswald

Quote of the Day

"Between what is said and not meant, and what is meant and not said, most of love is lost."
- Khalil Gibran

I Want To Know You

I want to know you
To recognise your voice across a noisy street
Know the whisper of the wind under your gliding feet
Feel the security as you pick me up with delicate might
Experience the warmth on my forehead when you kiss me goodnight

I want to know you
To be familiar with your perfume when you come around a corner
Sense the mirrored smile with every pamper
Learn the bliss in requited love as you lift me closer
Then the softness of your breast in a hold so tender

I want to know you
To be familiar with the rhythm of your heart
Believe there is no love greater than that
Feel the tingle when you brush the tip of my nose with a finger
Sense a change in the air, the gasp of breath, just for a heartbeat,
then your joy when I first word "mama"

 By Palle E.K.Oswald

Narcissus and the Lake

The Alchemist picked up a book that someone in the caravan had brought. Leafing through the pages, he found a story about Narcissus.
The Alchemist knew the legend of Narcissus, a youth who daily knelt beside a lake to contemplate his own beauty. He was so fascinated by himself that, one morning, he fell into the lake and drowned. At the spot where he fell, a flower was born, which was called the narcissus. But this was not how the author of the book ended the story. He said that when Narcissus died, the Goddesses of the Forest appeared and found the lake, which had been fresh water, transformed into a lake of salty tears.
“Why do you weep?” the Goddesses asked.
“I weep for Narcissus,” the lake replied.
“Ah, it is no surprise that you weep for Narcissus,” they said, “for though we always pursued him in the forest, you alone could contemplate his beauty close at hand.”
“But….. was Narcissus beautiful?” the lake asked.
“Who better than you to know that?” the Goddesses said in wonder, “After all, it was by your banks that he knelt each day to contemplate himself!”
The lake was silent for some time. Finally it said:
“I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected.”
“What a lovely story,” the Alchemist thought.

By Paulo Coehlo

The Elephant

A class teacher asks her pupils to name an animal that begins with the letter "E". A number of hands are raised but one tiny hand shoots up above the rest.
"Yes," the teacher says, pointing to the excited pupil.
"Elephant,” came the reply.
"Very good, Nelson." Then the teacher asks for an animal that begins with a "T". The same boy jumps up, whipping his hand in the air.
Already impressed, the teacher chooses him again. "Yes, Nelson."
"Two elephants," the boy said, half smiling.
"No, that is wrong," the teacher says and the boy sits down, bowing his head in shame. She then asks for an animal that begins with an “M”.
With the hands that go up, little Nelson is still among, though not as anxious. However, the teacher feels sorry for him and wants him to redeem himself.
"Yes, Nelson," she says. "Name an animal that begins with the letter 'M'."
"Maybe an elephant."

Growing old

A legend tells of a man who used to carry water every day to his village, using two large pitchers tied on either end of a piece of wood, which he placed across his shoulders. One of the pitchers was older than the other and was full of small cracks so that every time the man came back along the path to his house, half of the water was lost.

For two years, the man made the same journey. The younger pitcher was always very proud of the way it did its work and was sure that it was up to the task for which it had been created, while the other pitcher was mortally ashamed that it could carry out only half its task, even though it knew that the cracks were the result of long years of work.
So ashamed was the old pitcher that, one day, while the man was preparing to fill it up with water from the well, it decided to speak to him.
“I wish to apologize because, due to my age, you only manage to take home half the water you fill me with, and thus quench only half the thirst awaiting you in your house.”
The man smiled and said:
“When we go back, be sure to take a careful look at the path.”

The pitcher did as the man asked and noticed many flowers and plants growing along one side of the path.
“Do you see how much more beautiful nature is on your side of the road?” the man remarked. “I knew you had cracks, but I decided to take advantage of them. I sowed vegetables and flowers there, and you always watered them. I’ve picked dozens of roses to decorate my house, and my children have had lettuce, cabbage and onions to eat. If you were not the way you are, I could never have done this. We all, at some point, grow old and acquire other qualities, and these can always be turned to good advantage.”

Be With Love

Be with love that makes you bold
Don't shelter in a heart that lives in the cold
And with every beat, you instead wither
If life is a tree, your roots could be deeper

Be with love that helps you grow
Don't sow where your heart tells you "no"
Avoid those whose every word is a blow
Even if the hour is dark, a sunrise must surely follow

The heavens fashioned you for a life of mellow
And your heart yearns for a better tomorrow
The tree puts out fresh roots to turn green the leaves that were yellow
Why are you so content with a love that keeps you yellow?


By Palle E.K.Oswald