What A Wonderful World

Perspective

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

 

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

 

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

 

"It was great, Dad."

 

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

 

"Oh yeah," said the son.

 

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

 

The son answered:

"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool and they have a creek that has no end.

We have lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

 

The boy's father was speechless.

 

Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

 

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing?

 

Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

 

Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

 

"Life is too short and friends are too few."

 

~~ @@ ~~

The Sacred Red Rose of Friendship

Sometimes in life, you find a special friend;

Someone who changes your life just by being part of it.

Someone who makes you laugh until you can't stop;

Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world.

Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door just waiting for you to open it.

This is Forever Friendship.

This is the sacred Red Rose.

शिप्व्रेच्केद इन साउथ कैरोलाइना

Friendship With Oneself

Friendship with oneself is very important
because without it one cannot be friends
with anyone else in the world
Eleanor Roosevelt

शिप्व्रेच्केद इन साउथ कैरोलाइना

Buddy Check

Think about this for a minute . . .

If I happened to show up on your door step crying,
Would you Care?

If I called you and asked you to pick me up because something Happened,
Would you come?

If I had one day left, to live my life;
Would you be part of That last day?

If I needed a shoulder to cry on,
Would you give me Yours?

Do you know what the relationship is between your two eyes?

They blink together,

they move together,

they cry together,
They see things together and

they sleep together,
BUT THEY NEVER SEE EACH OTHER . . .

that's what friendship is.

Life is lonely without FRIENDS.

It's 'world best friends week'.

Who is your best friend?

Save the Earth... it's the only planet with chocolate!!!!

A Keeper

Their marriage was good, their dreams focused.
Their best friends lived barely a wave away.
I can see them now, Dad in trousers, work shirt and a hat; and Mom in a house dress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish-towel in the other.
It was the time for fixing things: a curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress.
Things we keep.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy.
All that re-fixing, re-heating leftovers, renewing; I wanted just once to be wasteful.
Waste meant affluence.
Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.

But when my mother died, and I was standing in that clear morning light in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more.

Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away . . . never to return.
So while we have it, it's best we love it . . .
And care for it . . .
And fix it when it's broken . . .
And heal it when it's sick.

This is true:
For marriage . . .
And old cars . . .
And children with bad report cards . . .
Dogs and cats with bad hips . . .
And aging parents . . .
And grandparents.
We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.
Some things we keep, like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with.

There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special . . . And so, we keep them close!



Good friends are like stars . . . You don't always see them, but you know they are always there!

The Art of Receiving

Receiving is an art.
It means allowing the other to become part of our lives.
It means daring to become dependent on the other.
It asks for the inner freedom to say: "Without you I wouldn't be who I am."
Receiving with the heart is therefore a gesture of humility and love.
So many people have been deeply hurt because their gifts were not well received.
Let us be good receivers.

Henri Nouwen

T-Bone Steaks, Yellow Roses, And Friendship

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. I wasn't hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 57 years was still too raw. And this grocery store held so many sweet memories.

He often came with me and almost every time he'd pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to. I'd always spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow roses in his hands.

He knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since he had passed on.

Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two.
Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and remembered how he had loved his steak.

Suddenly a woman came beside me. She was blonde, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large package of T-bones, dropped them in her basket.. hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks.

She saw me watching her and she smiled. "My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don't know."

I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes.
"My husband passed away eight days ago," I told her. Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice. "Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you have together."

She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she placed the package in her basket and wheeled away.


I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the store to the dairy products. There I stood, trying to decide which size milk I should buy. A Quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream. If nothing else, I could always fix myself an ice cream cone.

I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward the front. I saw first the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady coming towards me. In her arms she carried a package.

On her face was the brightest smile! I had ever seen. I would swear a soft halo encircled her blonde hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes holding mine.
As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes.

"These are for you," she said and placed three beautiful long stemmed yellow roses in my arms. "When you go through the line, they will know these are paid for." She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again.

I wanted to tell her what she'd done, what the roses meant, but still unable to speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my vision.

I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue wrapping and found it almost unreal.

How did she know?

Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn't alone.

Oh, you haven't forgotten me, have you? I whispered, with tears in my eyes. He was still with me, and she was his angel.

Every day be thankful for what you have and who you are.

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings.
Thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible.
Thank you, Lord , that I can see.
Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising.
Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short, and my children are so loud.
Thank you, Lord, for my family.
There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the picture in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced.
Thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job often is monotonous.
Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest.
Thank you, Lord, for life.

Universal Solidarity

On the Journey Towards Universal Solidarity

written by CLARA FRASCHETTI

I recently spent a week in a small rural village called Sega, in Ghana, West Africa.
My purpose was to establish a partnership with the local school where my organization, Intercordia Canada, hopes to place student volunteers.
One day I met with about 50 parents, some of who would be asked to host our students for three months this summer.
Mister Godwin, the head of the school, introduced me and asked me to say a few words about Intercordia.
When I was done, Mister Godwin asked if any parents had questions.
A small, older gentleman stood up, his back hunched, his skin wrinkled by the hot sun, and he asked in Dambe, "What are your first impressions of our community?"
Mister Godwin translated as I described my time in Sega.
I told them about my first morning and how the children had immediately taken my hand and led me through the village.
As we passed people on the road, they recognized right away that I was new in town and most nodded or said "You are welcome!"
Some enthusiastically took my face in their hands and said something in Dambe and then repeated "You are welcome! You are welcome!"
I looked at the man standing there amongst the other parents and told him that if a stranger came to my neighbourhood, with different coloured skin, who dressed differently, no one would offer a greeting.
In fact people might look at that person with suspicion and turn away.
The old man looked at me with concerned eyes and said, "But, that is no way to treat a stranger".
I humbly agreed with him.
Then he said with conviction, "Then you must send your students, so that we can help to develop your community".

- CLARA FRASCHETTI lives in Newmarket, Ontario with her husband, Tim, 4 preschool children and 2 cats. She is a member of the L'Arche Daybreak community where she facilitates youth retreats and works part-time for Intercordia Canada as a Campus Representative.

A World Born

Each friend represents a world in us,
a world possibly not born until they arrive.
--Anais Nin

My individual character is growing, changing, maturing.
My understanding of others and my experiences deepens with each unfolding event.
The world is ever changing.
By design, not coincidence, I will befriend those people who need me, just as I need them.

A True Friend

A good friend will come bail you out of jail. . . .

But a true friend will be sitting next to you saying . . .

"WE screwed up, but we had fun! "