They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from the trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Oh yeah," said the son. "So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported 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 and they have friends to protect them." With this, the boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."
Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don't have. What is one person's worthless object is another's prize possession. It is all based on one's perspective.
Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks to God for all the bounty we have been provided by Him instead of worrying about wanting more.
May God bless each and every one of you. Take joy in all that He has given us, especially our Friends. Friends lift us to our feet when our spirits forget how to fly.
Lana Burk
What do you see, nurse, what do you see, what are you thinking when you're looking at me?
A crabby old woman, not very wise, uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes. Who dribbles her food and makes no reply when you say in a loud voice, "I do wish you'd try?"
Who seems not to notice the things that you do, and forever is losing a stocking or shoe. Who, resisting or not, lets you do as you will with bathing and feeding, the long day to fill.
Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see? Then open your eyes, you're not looking at me. I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still, as I do all your bidding, and I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of ten with a father and mother brothers and sisters, who love one another.
A young girl of sixteen, with wings on her feet, dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet.
A bride soon at twenty -- my heart gives a leap, remembering the vows that I promised to keep.
At twenty-five now, I have young of my own who need me to guide, and a secure happy home.
A woman of forty, my young now grown fast, bound to each other with ties that should last.
At fifty my young sons have grown and are gone, but my man's beside me to see I don't mourn.
At sixty once more babies play round my knee, again we know children, my loved one and me
Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead; I look at the future, I shudder with dread. For my young are all rearing young of their own, and I think of the years and the love that I've known.
I'm now an old woman and nature is cruel; 'tis jest to make old age look like a fool. The body, it crumbles, grace and vigor depart, there is now a stone where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells, and now and again my battered heart swells. I remember the joys, I remember the pain, and I'm loving and living life over again.
I think of the years; all too few. Gone too fast, and accept the stark fact that nothing can last. So open your eyes, nurse, open and see,
not a crabby old woman; look closer --
see ME!!
Close your eyes...And go back...
Before the Internet or the MAC,
Before semiautomatics and crack,
Before chronic and indo,
Before SEGA or Super Nintendo...
Way back...
I'm talkin' about hide and go seek at dusk,
Sittin' on the porch,
Hot bread and butter,
Eatin' a 'super dooper sandwich' (Dagwood),
Red light, Green light,
Chocolate milk, Lunch tickets,
Penny candy in a brown paper bag,
Hopscotch, butterscotch, doubledutch,
Jacks, kickball, dodgeball, y'all!
Mother, May I?,
Hula Hoops and Sunflower Seeds,
Jaw breakers, blowpops, Mary Janes,
Running through the sprinkler,
"I can't get wet! All right, well don't wet my hair",
The smell of the sun and lickin' salty lips,
Wait . . .
Catchin' lightening bugs in a jar,
Playing sling shot and Red Rover,
When around the corner seemed far away,
And going downtown seemed like going somewhere,
Bedtime, Climbing trees,
A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers,
Cops and Robbers,
Cowboys and Indians,
Sittin on the curb,
Jumpin down the steps,
Jumpin on the bed,
Pillow fights,
Being tickled to death,
Running until you were out of breath,
Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt,
Being tired from playin' . . . Remember that?
I'm not finished just yet . . .
What about the girl that had the big bubbly hand writing??
Licking the beaters when your mother made a cake.
Remember when...
When there were two types of sneakers for girls and boys Keds & PF Flyers,
and the only time you wore them at school was for "gym."
When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there.
When nobody owned a purebred dog.
When a quarter was a decent allowance, and another quarter a huge bonus.
When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.
When girls neither dated nor kissed until late high school, if then.
When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents.
Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo."
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!"
"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly."
Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening.
It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
Being old, referred to anyone over 20.
The net on a tennis court was the perfect height to play volleyball and rules didn't matter.
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties.
It was magic when dad would "remove" his thumb.
It was unbelievable that dodgeball wasn't an Olympic event.
Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a slingshot.
Nobody was prettier than Mom.
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.
It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park.
Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare."
Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute ads for action figures.
No shopping trip was complete, unless a new toy was brought home.
"Oly-oly-oxen-free" made perfect sense.
Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
War was a card game.
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon.
Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.
Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin.
Ice cream was considered a basic food group.
Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.
If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!!!
going back to... and one who reminds her how far she has come...
...enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to...
...something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
...a youth she's content to leave behind...
...a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age...
...a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
...one friend who always makes
her laugh... and one who lets her cry...
...a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
...eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored..
...a feeling of control overn her destiny...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
...how to fall in love without losing herself...
...how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship...
...when to try harder... and when to walk away...
...that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...
...that her childhood may not have been perfect...
...but its over...
...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
...how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
...whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...
..where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
...or a charming inn in the woods...
...when her soul needs soothing...
...what she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...