the ones
you don't like
are stuck in a place
you don't want to be;
that's why
it's important
to bless them
ElsaJoy's Peace Page

"After A While" ... by Veronica Shoffstall
After a while you learn the
subtle difference
between holding a hand and
sharing a life
and you learn that love doesn't
mean possession
and company doesn't mean security
and loneliness is universal.
And you learn that kisses
aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your
defeats
with your head up and your
eyes open
with the grace of a woman
not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build your
hope on today
as the future has a way of
falling apart in mid-flight
because tomorrow's ground
can be too uncertain for plans
yet, each step taken in a new
direction creates a path
toward the promise of a
brighter dawn.
And you learn that even
sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and nourish your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that love,
true love,
always has joys and sorrows
seems ever present, yet is
never quite the same
becoming more than love and
less than love
so difficult to define.
And you learn that through it all
you really can endure
that you really are strong
that you do have value
and you learn and grow
with every goodbye
you learn.
***
"RAG DOLL" ... by Robin Williams
Lord, I come to you like a broken rag doll,
My dress is torn and stained.
My arm is half-hanging on.
My eyes aren't shining and trusting like
they once were.
And my expression isn't innocent
and transparent anymore.
I'm not the unused, brand-new rag doll
I once was.
Yes, my smile is still there,
But not as spontaneous as it once was;
It's a little more forced now;
A bit more tired.
I need to be picked up by you, Lord,
Picked up
held tightly
loved
and reassured.
Reassured that no matter how I look,
Or how dirty and scuffed up and
broken I am,
You love me just like when I was brand new.
Would you please hold me, Lord?
***
 Do you believe that God above,
 Created you for me to love?
 He picked you out from all the rest,
 because he knew I loved you best.
 I had a heart that was so true,
 but now its gone from me to you.
 Take care of it, as I have done,
 cos you have two hearts
 and I have none.
 ***
If I get to heaven
 and you're not there,
 I'll give the Angels back their wings
 their golden hearts and everything.
 And darling, just to prove my love
 I'll go to hell,
 just for you...
 with all my love.
 * suicide note by convicted killer -
 - Arcola David Young
***
 ...Goodbye is not an ending
 when you know that people care,
 for miles may come between you,
 but warm thoughts are always there...
 Goodbye is not an ending
 but a different start for you,
 A time for making brand new friends
 and seeing dreams come true.
 Goodbye is not an ending
 for you'll find along life's way,
 Within your heart you'll always have
 a part of yesterday!!!
 - Amanda Bradley -
 ***
 If I could be any star up above,
 I'd want to be a star people wish on for love
 Cause everybody needs to be loved
 And, I'm no exception...
 I was born to reject rejection
 If only for today...tell me that you want me,
 tell me that you need me,
 send a little love my way
 - from song -
 ***
APO 96225
A young man once went off to war in a far country.
When he had time, he wrote home and said, "Sure rains here a lot".
But his mother, reading between the lines, wrote, "We're quite concerned.  Tell us what it's really like."
And the young man responded, "Wow, you ought to see the funny monkeys!"
To which his mother responded, "Don't hold back, how is it?"
And the young man wrote, "The sunsets here are spectacular."
In her next letter the mother wrote, "Son, we want you to tell us everything."
So the next time he wrote, "Today I killed a man.  Yesterday I helped drop napalm on women and children.  Tomorrow we are going to use gas."
And his father wrote, "Please don't write such depressing letters, you're upsetting your mother."
So, after a while, the young man wrote, "Sure rains a lot here..."
 Larry Rottman
***
Full Moon
We were on patrol last night;
and as we moved along, we came upon one of the enemy.
Strange, in the bright moon, he did not seem an enemy at all.
He had arms and legs, a head...
...and a rifle
I shot him.
 W.D. Ehrhart
 ***
   Welcome Home

 Then...the long walk home
 climbing the stairs
 to be alone
 and maybe sleep
 or whatever
 but not to think.
Rod McKuen
***
 There are some wounds
 I never speak about.
 Some things that words
 have done to me
 that none will ever know.
  Rod McKuen
***
 "...In the night you took your life,
 as lovers often do."
 Now I think I know
 what you tried to say to me.
 And how you suffered for your sanity
 they would not listen
 they're not listening still...
 perhaps they never will..."
    From song "Vincent"
***
We...
 We have grasped the mystery of the atom, and rejected the sermon on the mount.  The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience.
 Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.  We know more about war, then we do about peace, more about killing...
 Than we do about living.
        Unknown
***
Exist...
 Such a proper word
 for one who knows
 no love,
 nor hate.
 One who is afraid to live,
 and, yet, afraid to die.
 There is no happiness
 or hurt,
 only the emptiness.
 I am weary,
 tired...
 No will, but I go on.
   ***
  Piano Man
1. It's nine o'clock on a Saturday, the regular crowd shuffles in.  There's an old man sitting next to me, making love to his tonic and gin.
 He says,"Son can you play me a memory, I'm not really sure how it goes, but its sad and its sweet and I knew it complete, when I wore a younger man's clothes."
 Sing us a song, you're the piano man, sign us a song tonight, cos we're all in the mood for a melody, and you've got us feelin' alright.
2. Now John at the bar is a friend of mine, he gets me my drinks for free.  And he's quick with a joke or to light up my smoke, but there's someplace that he'd rather be.  He says, "Bill, I believe this is killin' me."  As a smile ran away from his face.  "Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star, if I could get out of this place."
3. Now Paul is a real estate novelist, who never had time for a wife, and he's talkin with Davy, who's still in the Navy and probably will be for life.  And the waitress is practicin' politics as the business men slowly get stoned.  Yes, they're sharing a drink called loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone.
4. It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday, and the manager gives me a smile, cos he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see, to forget about life for awhile.  And the piano sounds like a carnival and the microphone smells like a beer.  And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar, and say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"
 Song by Billy Joel
***
For No One
Your day breaks, your mind aches,
you find that all her words of kindness linger on,
when she no longer needs you.
She wakes up, she makes up,
she takes her time and doesn't feel she has to hurry,
she no longer needs you.
And in her eyes you see nothing,
no sign of love behind the tears
cried for no one.
You want her, you need her,
and yet you don't believe her,
when she says her love is dead,
you think she needs you.
And in her eyes you see nothing
no sign of love behind the tears
cried for no one,
a love that should have lasted years.
You stay home, she goes out,
she says that long ago she knew someone - but now,
he's gone, she doesn't need him.
Your day breaks, your mind aches,
there will be times when all the things she said will fill your head,
you won't forget her.
And in her eyes you see nothing,
no sign of love behind the tears
cried for no one.
A love that should have lasted years.
 song by The Beatles
***
 All It Takes Is One Hello
I took the time to say hello
To someone that I didn't know,
To someone who was walking by,
A look of sadness in her eyes.
And when she smiled back gratefully
And said a warm hello to me,
I realized then, my "little gift"
Had given both of us a lift!
You never know just whom you'll meet
Throughout your day on any street,
People just like me and you
With loneliness and problems, too,
Yet life is always better when
We take the time to be a friend
To someone we don't even know,,,
And all it takes is one hello.
 Amanda Bradley
 ***
 Not long ago
 you held our baby's bottle -
 The one you're holding now's
 a different kind.
 You sit and wait
 to be somebody's sweetheart...
 and it all depends on
 who will buy the wine...
 Jerry Lee Lewis
 ***
When the nite comes down,
and it's time to go to bed
something closes down on me
and it gets inside my head.
Well, it's out there in the distance
and it's coming down on me,
I ain't got no resistance -
ain't nothing gonna set me free.
Even a man with one eye can see,
something bad's gonna happen to me...
I can't sleep ---
 ***
 The train I went to meet
 had come and gone.
 Seems like I spend all
 my time getting off
 and getting on...
 I sold my mind
 and gave my dreams away
 and tomorrow...
 I'll start looking round
 for yesterday.
 Dr. Hook
 ***
 Close Your Eyes - Larry Evoy
I dreamed she came back home last nite,
I asked her where she'd been,
she said she'd been around the world-
and it almost did me in.
She said, "I hope you didn't wait to long,
I have no sense of time.
I see you've written one last song -
and I realize it's mine."
I think of all the times we talked -
and sing a nursery rhyme.
Close your eyes
I'm right beside you...
Run for miles -
you know I'll find you
Cos it's all the same,
Change your lovers
Change your name
If you need a friend,
Close your eyes...
I'm back again.
She really came back home last nite.
It seemed as if she'd changed,
she said that she'd go back to school-
and try things once again.
But you know it didn't take too long,
until she lost her way,
and all the reason in the world
could see she couldn't stay.
As I helped her pack her things -
it didn't hurt to say;
Close your eyes,
I'm right beside you...
Run for miles,
you know I'll find you.
Cos it's all the same
change your lovers,
change your name - If you need a friend
Close your eyes,
I'm back again...
***
 he found out the hard way
that dreams don't always come true.
hey, mr. nowhere man,
sitting in your nowhere land
making all your nowhere plans for nobody
doesn't have a point of view
knows not where he's goin' to
isn't he a bit like you and me
from song
***
No bird soars to high
if he soars with his own wings.
***
It's so nice to be insane
no one asks you to explain...
 from song by Helen Reddy
***
 Please don't tell 'em how you found me
 give me a break.
***
Hello cowgirl in the sand,
is this place at your command?
Can I stay here for a while
Can I see your sweet, sweet smile?
Old enough now to change your name.
When so many love you
Is it the same?
 ***
 I'm so confused by the things I read,
I need the truth
But the truth is, I don't know
who to believe.
The left says yes and the right says no
I'm in between, and the more I learn,
Well, the less I know. STYX
***
 I needed the quiet so he drew me aside.
Into the shadows where we could confide.
Away from the bustle, where all day long
I hurried and worried when active and strong.
I needed the quiet tho at first I rebelled
But gently, so gently, my cross he upheld
And whispered so sweetly of spiritual things
Tho weakened in body, my spirit took wings
To heights never dreamed of when active and gay
He loved me so greatly
He drew me away
I needed the quiet,
no prison my bed
But a beautiful valley of blessings instead
A place to grow richer
In Jesus to hide
I needed the quiet
so he drew me aside.
***
let her cry
for she's a lady
let her dream
for she's a child
let the rain fall down upon her
for she's a free and gentle flower
growing wild.
be careful how you touch her
or she'll awaken
and sleep's the only
freedom that she knows
from song by the Rolling Stones
***
 Discovery
 Hold onto me
 as no one has
 while we settle
 soft and simple
 amid the city grass
 I ask that you
 stay long enough
 to help me prove
 that I have worth.
 Rod McKuen
 ***
 Through the Long Nite Billy Joel
The cold hands
The sad eyes
The dark Irish silence
It's so late
But I'll wait
Thru the long nite
with you
The warm tears
The bad dreams
The soft trembling shoulders
The old fears
But I'm here
Oh what has it cost you
I almost lost you
A long, long time ago
Oh, you should have told me
But you had to bleed to know
All your past sins
are since past
You should be sleeping
It's all right
Sleep tight
Thru the long nite
with me...
with you.
No, I didn't start it
You're broken hearted
from a long, long
time ago
Oh, the way you hold me
Is all that I need to Know
And it's so late
but I'll wait.
Billy Joel
***
The Rules
1. The female always makes the rules.
2. These rules are subject to change at any time without prior notification as the female sees fit.
3. No male can possibly know all the rules.
4. If the female suspects that the male knows all the rules, she must immediately change some or all of the rules.
5. The female is never wrong.
6. If the female is wrong it is because of a flagrant misunderstanding which was the direct result of something the male said or did wrong.
7. If rule 6 applies, the male must immediately apologize for causing the misunderstanding.
8. The female can change her mind at any time.
9. The male must never change his mind without express written consent of the female.
10. The female has every right to be angry or upset at any time.
11. The male must remain calm at all times, unless the female wants him to be angry or upset.
12. The female under no circumstances will ever let the male know if she wants him to be calm or angry and upset.
13. Any attempt to document these rules could result in bodily harm.
14. The female always gets the last word.
***
When I am an old woman
 I SHALL WEAR PURPLE,
 With a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me.
 And I shall spend my pension on brandy and
 summer gloves. And satin sandals, and say we've
 no money for butter.  I shall sit down on the pavement
 when I'm tired. And gobble up samples in shops and
 press alarm bells. And run my stick along public
 railings. And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
 I shall go out in my slippers in the rain. And pick
 flowers in other people's gardens. And learn to
 spit...
 But, maybe I ought to practice a little now? So
 people who know me are not too shocked or surprised
 when suddenly I am old and start to wear
 purple.
***
I want to be an
outrageous woman
who never gets called
"old lady"
I want to get
leaner and meaner,
sharp-edged
and earth colored until
I fade away
from pure joy!
***
Ann Landers - January 1, 1997
Let this coming year be better than all the others.  Vow to do some of the things you've always wanted to do but couldn't find the time for.
Call up a forgotten friend.  Drop an old grudge and replace it with some pleasant memories.  Share a funny story with someone whose spirits are dragging.  A good laugh can be very good medicine.
Vow not to make a promise you don't think you can keep.  Pay a debt.  Give a soft answer.  Free yourself of envy and malice.  Encourage some youth to do his or her best.  Share your experience and offer support.  Young people need role models.
Make a genuine effort to stay in closer touch with family and friends.  Stop magnifying small problems and shooting from the lip.  Words that you have to eat can be hard to digest.
Find the time to be kind and thoughtful.  All of us have the same allotment: 24 hours a day.  Give a compliment.  It might give someone a badly needed lift.
Think things through.  Forgive an injustice.  Listen more.  Be kind.
Apologize when you realize you are wrong.  An apology never diminishes a person.  It elevates him.  Don't blow your own horn.  If you've done something praiseworthy, someone will notice eventually.
Try to understand a point of view that differs from yours.  Little is all one way or another.  Examine demands you make on others.
Lighten up.  When you feel like blowing your top, ask yourself, "Will it matter a week from today?"  Laugh the loudest when the joke is on you.  The sure way to have a friend is to be one.  We are all connected by your humanity, and we need each other.  Avoid malcontents and pessimists.  They drag you down and contribute nothing.
Don't discourage a beginner from trying something risky.  Nothing ventured means nothing gained.  Be optimistic.  The can-do spirit is the fuel that makes things go.
Go to war against animosity and complacency.  Express your gratitude.  Give credit when it's due - and even when it isn't.  It will make you look good.
Read something uplifting.  Deep-six the trash.  You wouldn't eat garbage, why put it in your head?  Don't abandon your old-fashioned principles.  They never go out of style.  When courage is needed, ask yourself, "If not me, who? If not now, when?"
Take better care of yourself.  Remember, you're all you've got.  Pass up that second helping.  You really don't need it.  Vow to eat more sensibly.  You'll feel better and look better, too.
Don't put up with secondhand smoke.  Nobody has the right to pollute your air or give you cancer.  If someone says, "This is a free country," remind him or her that the country may be free but no person is free if he has a habit he can't control.
Return those books you borrowed.  Reschedule that missed dental appointment.  Clean out your closet.  Take those photos out of the drawer and put them in an album.  If you see litter on the sidewalk, pick it up.  Give yourself a reality check.  Phoniness is transparent and tiresome.  Take pleasure in the beauty and the wonders of nature.
Walk tall and smile more.  You'll look 10 years younger.  Don't be afraid to say "I love you".  Say it again.  They are the sweetest words in the world.  If you have love in your life, it can be the best year ever.
***
Dear Abby - January 1, 1997
Just for today, I will live through this day only, and not set far-reaching goals to try to overcome all my problems at once.  I know I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I thought I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
Just for today, I will be happy.  Abraham Lincoln said "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."  He was right.  I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me.  I will chase them out of my mind and replace them with happy thoughts.
Just for today, I will adjust myself to what is.  I will face reality.  I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.
Just for today, I will improve my mind.  I will not be a mental loafer.  I will force myself to read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.
Just for today, I will do something positive to improve my health.  If I'm a smoker, I'll make an honest effort to quit.  If I'm overweight, I'll eat nothing I know to be fattening.  And I will force myself to exercise, even it if's only walking around the block or using the stairs instead of the elevator.
Just for today, I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable.  I will look as good as I can, dress becomingly, talk softly, act courteously and not interrupt when someone else is talking.  Just for today, I will not try to improve anybody except myself.
Just for today, I will take good care of my body so I can celebrate many more happy new years.
Just for today, I will have a program.  I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it, thereby saving myself from two pests: hurry and indecision.
Just for today, I will gather the courage to do what is right and take the responsibility for my own actions.
***
The best mind-altering drug is the TRUTH...Lily Tomlin
***
If there be any favor left in God's grace, let it fall on children such as these.   John Fowler
***
I was lucky in that people gave me reasons to hang on until the day I chose to save myself.  Cecilia
***
Maybe now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel - and this time it's not an oncoming train.  B. Miller
***
Surviving well is your finest revenge.  Morgan Nite
***
My Child * by Patricia J. Hacker-Harber
I cannot choose the path
That you will venture to...
Let your heart take the lead
In whatever you pursue.
You are my child, my treasure
It's difficult to let go...
Although your journey will be long
I must let you grow.
If the journey weakens you
Because of its demands...
I'll be walking by your side-
Reach out and take my hand.
If you ask, I'll promise
To walk with you to the end...
But my love will be steadfast
As you round the bend.
***
 Broken Toys
 As children bring their broken toys,
 With tears for us to mend;
 I brought my broken dreams to God
 Because he was my friend.
 But then instead of leaving him in peace to work alone,
 I hung around and tried to help, with ways that were my own.
 At last I snatched them back and cried
 "How could you be so slow?"
 "My child," He said, "What could I do?
 You never did let go..."
 author unknown
***
Acceptance by my Higher Power
My child, I love you,
I love you unconditionally
I love you good or bad with no strings attached.
I love you like this because I know all about you.
I have known you ever since you were a child.
I know what I can do for you and I know what I want to do for you.
My child, I accept you.
I accept you just as you are
You don't need to change yourself.
I'll do the changing when you are ready.
I love you just as you are.
Believe this, for I assure you it is true.
My child, I care about you.
I care about every big and little thing which happens to you.
I care enough to do something about it.
Remember this,
I will help you when you need me. Ask me.
I love you, I accept you, I care about you.
My child, I forgive you.
I forgive you and my forgiveness is complete.
It is not like that of humans who forgive but cannot forget.
I love you and my arms are open with love that asks
please come here! Come here to me.
I forgive you
Do not carry your guilt another moment.
I carried it all for you.
Believe this. It is true.
***
DEATH OF AN INNOCENT
I went to a party, Mom, I remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink, Mom, so I drank soda instead.
I really felt proud inside, Mom, the way you said I would.
I didn't drink and drive, Mom, even though the others said I should.
I know I did the right thing, Mom, I know you are always right.
Now the party is finally ending, Mom, as everyone is driving out of sight.
As I got into my car, Mom, I knew I'd get home in one piece. Because of the
way you raised me, so responsible and sweet.
I started to drive away, Mom, but as I pulled out into the road, the other
car didn't see me, Mom, and hit me like a load.
As I lay there on the pavement, Mom, I hear the policeman say, the other
guy is drunk, Mom, and now I'm the one who will pay.
I'm lying here dying, Mom. I wish you'd get here soon.
How could this happen to me, Mom? My life just burst like a balloon. There
is blood all around me, Mom, and most of it is mine.
I hear the medic say, Mom, I'll die in a short time.
I just wanted to tell you, Mom, I swear I didn't drink. It was the others,
Mom. The others didn't think.
He was probably at the same party as I.
The only difference is, he drank and I will die.
Why do people drink, Mom? It can ruin your whole life. I'm feeling sharp
pains now. Pains just like a knife.
The guy who hit me is walking, Mom, and I don't think it's fair. I'm lying
here dying and all he can do is stare.
Tell my brother not to cry, Mom. Tell Daddy to be brave. And when I go to
heaven, Mom, put "Daddy's Girl" on my grave Someone should have told him,
Mom, not to drink and drive. If only they had told him, Mom, I would still
be alive.
My breath is getting shorter, Mom. I'm becoming very scared.
Please don't cry for me, Mom. When I needed you, you were always there. I
have one last question, Mom, before I say good bye.
I didn't drink and drive, so why am I the one to die?
***
Dear God,
So far today I've done all right. I haven't gossiped and haven't lost my temper. I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over-indulgent. I'm really glad about that.
But in a few moments I'm going to get out of bed and from then on I'm probably going to need a lot more help. Amen.
***
I
I walk down the street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in
I am lost...I am helpless
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
II
I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it
I fall in again
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
III
I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in...it's a habit.
My eyes are open
I know where I am
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
IV
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
V
I walk down another street.
Portia Nelson
***
My mind wanted to kill me, but it needed me for transportation!
***
The truth will set you free - but first it will tick you off!
***
When somebody dies, a cloud turns into
an angel, and flies up to tell God
to put another flower on a pillow.
A bird gives the message back to
the world, and sings a silent prayer
that makes the rain cry. People disappear,
but they never really go away.
The spirits up there put the sun to
bed, wake up the grass, and spin the
earth in dizzy circles. Sometimes you
can see them dancing in a cloud during
the day-time, when they're supposed
to be sleeping. They paint the rainbows
and also the sunsets and make
waves splash and tug at the tide.
They toss shooting stars and listen to
wishes. And when they sing windsongs,
they whisper to us, don't
miss me too much. The view is nice
and I'm doing just fine.
- Ashley
***
The following was purported around the 'net to have been delivered to the 1997 MIT graduating class by Kurt Vonnegut - later found to have been a hoax.  It's still awfully cute:
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.  The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.  The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good.  Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund.  Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen!
***
I asked God to take away my pride,
And God said, "No."
He said it was not for Him to take away,
But for me to give up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole,
And God said, "No."
He said her spirit is whole.
Her body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience,
And God said, "No."
He said patience is a by-product of tribulation.
It isn't granted, it is earned.
I asked God to give me happiness,
And God said, "No."
He said He gives blessings,
Happiness is up to me.
I asked God to spare me pain,
And God said, "No."
He said, "Suffering draws you apart from
Worldly cares and brings you closer to Me."
I asked God to make my spirit grow,
And God said, "No."
He said I must grow on my own,
But he will prune me to make it fruitful.
I asked God if He loved me,
And God said, "Yes."
He gave me His only son, who died for me.
And I will be in Heaven someday
Because... I believe.
I asked God to help me love others
As much as He loves me,
And God said,
"Ah finally, you have the idea."
By Claudia Minden Welsz
***
"How you live your life and what you do with it shapes not only your own future but that of the world"
***
The Star Thrower
 There was a man who was walking along a sandy beach where thousands of starfish had been washed up on the shore. He noticed a boy picking the starfish one by one and throwing them back into the ocean. The man observed the boy for a few minutes and then asked what he was doing. The boy replied that he was returning the starfish to the sea, otherwise they would die.
The man asked how saving a few, when so many were doomed, would make any difference whatsoever? The boy picked up a starfish and threw it back into the ocean and said "Made a difference to that one..."
The man left the boy and went home, deep in thought of what the boy had said.  He soon returned to the beach and spent the rest of the day helping the boy throw starfish in to the sea....
Loren Eiseley
***
...Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events..... It is from numberless acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped.  Robert F. Kennedy
***
Small Wooden People
The Wemmicks were small wooden people. Each of the wooden people was carved by a woodworker named Eli. His workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village.
Every Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes.  Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the village.
All day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing: They
gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen sticking stars or dots on one another.
The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars.  But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots.
The talented ones got stars, too.. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs. Everyone gave them stars.
Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got
another star.
Others though, could do little.  They got dots.
Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots.
Sometimes when he fell, it would scar his wood, so the people
would give him more dots.
He would try to explain why he fell and say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots.
After a while he had so many dots that he didn't want to go outside. He was afriad he would do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him another dot.  In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and give him one without reason.
"He deserves lots of dots," the wooden people would agree with one another. "He's not a good wooden person."
After a while Punchinello believed them. "I'm not a good Wemmick," he would say.
The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks
who had a lot of dots. He felt better around them.
One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met.  She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lulia.
It wasn't that people didn't try to give her stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick. Some admired Lulia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn't stay either.
'That's the way I want to be,' thought Punchinello. 'I don't want
anyone's marks.' So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did
it.
"It's easy," Lulia replied, "everyday I go to see Eli."
"Eli?"
"Yes, Eli. The woodcarver. I sit in the workshop with him."
"Why?"
"Why don't you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He's
there."  And with that the Wemmick with no marks turned and skipped away.
"But he won't want to see me!" Punchinello cried out. Lulia didn't hear.  So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots. "It's not right," he muttered to himself. And he resolved to go see Eli.
He walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the big shop. His wooden eyes widened at the size of everything.  The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tiptoes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm.  Punchinello swallowed hard. "I'm not staying here!" and he turned to leave.
Then he heard his name.
"Punchinello?" The voice was deep and strong.
Punchinello stopped.
"Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you."
Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman. "You know my name?" the little Wemmick asked.
"Of course I do. I made you."
Eli stooped down and picked him up and set him on the bench.
"Hmm," the maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the gray circles.  "Looks like you've been given some bad marks."
"I didn't mean to, Eli. I really tried hard."
"Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me, child. I don't care what the other Wemmicks think."
"You don't?"
"No, and you shouldn't either. Who are they to give stars or dots?
They're Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn't matter,
Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you
are pretty special."
Punchinello laughed. "Me, special? Why? I can't walk fast. I can't jump.  My paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?"
Eli looked at Punchinello, put his hands on those small wooden shoulders, and spoke very slowly. "Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me."
Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this--much
less his maker. He didn't know what to say.
"Every day I've been hoping you'd come," Eli explained.
"I came because I met someone who had no marks."
"I know. She told me about you."
"Why don't the stickers stay on her?"
"Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them."
"What?"
"The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about the stickers."
"I'm not sure I understand."
"You will, but it will take time. You've got a lot of marks.
For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care."
Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground.
"Remember," Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door. "You are special because I made you.  And I don't make mistakes."
Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, "I think he really means it."
And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.
by Max Lucado
From the book "Tell Me The Secrets"
***
A man once stood before God, his heart breaking from the pain and injustice in the world.
"Dear God," he cried out, "look at all the suffering, the anguish and distress in your world.  Why don't you send help?"
God responded, "I did send help.  I sent you."
When we tell our children this story, we must tell them that each one of them was sent to help repair the broken world - and that it is not the task of an instant or of a year, but of a lifetime.
                    From 'Teaching Your Children About God' (Henry Holt)
***
All the Good Things

       Do not undermine your worth
       by comparing yourself with others.
       It is because we are different
       that each of us is special.

       Do not set your goals
       by what other people deem important.
       Only you know
       what is best for you.

       Do not take for granted
       the things closest to your heart.
       Cling to them as you would your life,
       for without them,
       life is meaningless.

       Do not let your life
       slip through your fingers
       by living in the past
       nor for the future.
       By living your life one day at a time,
       you live all the days of your life.

       Do not give up
       when you still have something to give.
       Nothing is really over
       until the moment you stop trying.

       It is a fragile thread
       that binds us to each other.

       Do not be afraid to encounter risks.
       It is by taking chances
       that we learn how to be brave.

       Do not shut love out of your life
       by saying it is impossible to find.
 ***
The quickest way to receive love
is to give love;
The fastest way to lose love
is too hold it too tightly;
In addition,
the best way to keep love
is to give it wings.
Do not dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams
   is to be without hope;
   To be without hope
is to be without purpose.
Do not run through life
  so fast that you forget
not only where you have been,
but also where you are going.
Life is not a race,
but a journey
to be savored
each step of the way.
***
Open Up to Who You Are

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