You have a choice - “The Boy Who Walked Through Rain” — A Story for the Weary and Worried

 Every afternoon, Jiro walked home from school using the same narrow path.

But one day, dark clouds gathered, and a heavy rain poured before he could reach shelter.

His clothes were soaked.

His shoes were muddy.

His heart felt just as heavy as the sky above him.

“Why does everything have to be so hard?” he whispered.

Life lately felt like this sudden rain—unpredictable, cold, and too much to bear.

As he trudged forward, an old woman sitting under a small awning called out,

“You’re brave for walking through the rain, child.”

Jiro forced a weak smile.

“I’m not brave, I just don’t have a choice.”

She shook her head gently.

“Everyone has a choice. Some people wait for the storm to pass. Others keep moving—even when it hurts and that, young man, is courage.”

Jiro stopped.

No one had ever called him courageous before.

The woman reached into her bag and handed him a small paper umbrella charm.

“It won’t stop the rain,” she said, “but keep it with you.

Not to protect you, but to remind you: storms don’t last, but strong hearts do.”

Jiro looked at the charm—simple, colorful, fragile.

But holding it made him feel less alone.

The rain continued pouring, but he kept walking—one slow step after another.

And for the first time in a long time, he felt something warm inside him:

A small spark of hope.

A quiet belief that he could make it through.

When he finally reached home, drenched but smiling softly, he whispered to himself, “I got through today. I can get through tomorrow too.”

Strength is not about avoiding storms—it's about moving through them.

Even slow steps count when you’re walking through hard days.

Hope doesn’t shout; sometimes it arrives quietly, like a tiny charm in your hand.

Storms don’t define you—your courage does.

Every day you keep going is proof that you’re stronger than you feel.

My two bit of advice for those facing tough times:

Take things one moment at a time.

Remind yourself that bad days are temporary.

Don’t be afraid to rest—pausing is not quitting.

Hold onto small symbols of hope; they matter.

Believe this: You’ve survived 100% of your hardest days so far.

Make the right choice, keep moving, better times lie ahead. 

Stay blessed forever.

Excellent 👌 Moral

The little boy came from school on Saturday and told his father, my teacher has given us home-work to Hug 10 people and tell them - "Be patient, trust life and I Love you".

The Dad said - "OK, we will go to the Mall tomorrow morning and do it".

The child woke up all spirited up in the morning, got ready. Went to his Dad and said - "lets go!!"

The father said - "there is Heavy rainfall, I fear nobody might be there".

The Child still insisted. So the Father drove in the horrible rainy weather to the Mall.

They stood in the mall for 1 hour, and the little boy hugged 9 people.

His father then said - "now lets go, its raining heavily and we shouldn't get stuck!"

Sad the son went along with his father's orders. As they where driving past, the child pointed at a random house. Said - "please dad, just 1 person is remaining, I will go to that house and complete my homework"!

The father smiled and pulled the car over.

The child went to the door and began to ring the bell and pound the door strongly with his knuckles. He kept waiting. Finally the door was opened gently.

A lady came out with a very sad look and gently asked:

"What can I do for you, son?

With radiant eyes and a bright smile the child said:

"Ma'am my teacher has told to Hug 10 people and tell them - "Be patient, trust life and I Love you".

I have hugged 9. May I hug you and pass the message to you.

The Lady embraced him, and started crying profusely.

On seeing that the Boy's father came out of the car. He went to the lady and asked - "Any problem madam?"

She composed herself, took them inside, gave them a cup of tea and then told his father -

"My husband died a while ago leaving me totally alone in this world. Today morning the loneliness took over me. Since morning I have been thinking that this is the end of the road for me.

Then I took a chair and a rope to my bedroom and decided to end my life. As I was seeing the world for one last time, I begged for forgiveness to GOD and then heard this knock. I thought to leave it. But then nobody comes to visit me.

When I opened the door, I couldn't believe what my eyes saw this little child. And when he said , "Be patient, trust life and I Love you".

I knew it was a message from God.

Suddenly I realized I don't want to die anymore, and have decided to make something productive of my life.

REMEMBER - Give positive thoughts to people.

Tell them you stand by them.

And even if nothing, just listen to them.

You could be the medium that saves a life.!

MOHANS WISDOM 👌

I want to share this with you all.

A young labourer came to a restaurant one evening to have a meal. The owner engaged him in a conversation and found out that he was saving to bring his family to the city so they could get a chance at a better life. He had an aged mother, a wife and two young sons who he hoped to give a good education so they could have a more decent life. He had just arrived the city and found some menial work at a scrap metal site down the road. It was going to be his only meal of the day and he could only spend a few cents.

The owner was impressed with his hardwork and diligence, and his family values. He encouraged the labourer and wrapped his meal for him. He took his order personally and told him that it would cost him 50 cents.

Several years went by and the labourer stopped at the restaurant every evening to get his one meal of the day and chat with the restaurant owner who always encouraged him and asked about his aged mother, his wife and young sons, and how his plans were going.

Finally, the labourer came by one evening with a happy smile on his face. He had bought a modest house in a good neighborhood with a good school for his boys and he had just sent for his family to join him. The restaurant owner was very happy for him and congratulated him. The labourer then told him that he was in a mood to celebrate and he would be spending an entire 5 dollars on his meal that evening. The restaurant owner told him it was well-deserved, wrapped up his meal and he went on his way home.

When the labourer got home and opened up his meal pack, he was shocked to see that it was the same type of food he had been having every day for the last 6 years. He was very disappointed because he had been looking forward to a feast to celebrate his  big achievement. He certainly deserved something better after scrimping on his meals all those years. He was mad at the restaurant owner and felt robbed of his money and his celebration. He felt he had been cheated by his very good friend.

He immediately went back to the restaurant to make his complaint. The restaurant owner had already left and he met one of the staff with whom he was quite familiar.

"Say, John, I think you guys gave me the wrong meal pack today. You see, I got this same type of meal every day for 50 cents but today I am celebrating and decided to spend 5 whole dollars at your restaurant. But I was cheated and got just the same meal as every other day!"

"Well, sir, this is our most expensive meal and it costs 5 dollars!"

It suddenly dawned on the labourer that he had not been cheated at all by his friend. In fact, the restaurant owner had been giving him their best meal which cost 5 dollar for 50 cents for 6 years! He felt very ashamed of himself for thinking that his good friend had cheated him.

"It's all a misunderstanding then," he said and turned to leave quickly to hide the tears in his eyes.

"One minute, sir," said the staff. "My boss said you were going to come back and that I was to give you this bag."

When the labourer opened the bag, he found all the 50 cents he had ever spent at this restaurant. Unable to hold back the tear now, he sat down on a bench and wept quite unashamedly.

√ He had judged too quickly

√ He'd felt entitled and a little prideful because of his sense of arrival

√ He had repaid kindness with suspicion and anger

√ He had failed to give proper thanks where it was due...

WHY?

 Because he had been unable to see or recognise the hand that was behind the scene helping him all this time! 

Friends, sometimes because we don't yet have the car and the house and the fine things, we fail to recognise the simple things that God gives us daily. And so we are ungrateful and unappreciative and even a little entitled when we go to Him to complain about the things we don't have. We are prideful of our little achievements when we have a few fine things or feel like we have arrived.

But does God condemn us? Is He mad at us? Does He take back everything because of our foolishness?

NO...

Like the restaurant owner, even though He gives us of His best and always looks out for us to encourage us, He is there to pick us up when we stumble or fall. Even when we don't see or appreciate His goodness and kindness to us, He never stops being gracious and kind to us or tires of hearing our complaining and griping. In fact, He opens His storehouse and gives us even more than we deserve when we are at our lowest. 

Today, this very moment, stop and consider God's goodness and then you might want to say a prayer like this:

 "GOD, I DON'T SEE YOUR HAND BEHIND THE SCENES BUT SINCE I'M STILL ALIVE I KNOW YOU ARE THERE HOLDING ME UP AND HELPING ME. AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THANK YOU!" 

Friend, if this message blessed you, don't keep it to yourself. Share it with someone else now so they know GOD CARES!

*The Salted Coffee*

He met her at a party. 

She was a gorgeous woman, so beautiful and intelligent with many men trying to woo her, and he was just an ordinary guy, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but being polite, she agreed. 

They sat in a coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she was uncomfortable, raring to leave.

Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.” Everybody stared at him, so strange! 

His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. 

She curiously inquired about the salted coffee?” 

He replied, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salted coffee. 

Now every time I have the salted coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown and my parents.

She was deeply touched and she also spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

It was a sweet conversation and also the beautiful beginning of their story. 

They continued to date. 

She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance and was kind hearted. 

He was a good person and she had almost missed him!

Thanks to his salted coffee! 

The story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married the prince, and they were living the happy life… 

And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that’s the way he liked it.

After 55 years together, he passed away, left her a note which said, “My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life’s lie. This was the only lie I said to you—the salted coffee.

Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was difficult for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the beginning of our communication! 

I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do so, as I had promised not to lie to you for anything…....

Now I’m dying, I am afraid of nothing so I have to tell you the truth, I never like the salted coffee, what a strange bad taste… But I have had salted coffee all my life! 

But since I knew you, I never felt sorry for it. Having you with me was my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, I would still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even if I have to drink the salted coffee again.”

There were tears in her eyes.

One day someone asked her, “What’s the taste of salted coffee?” 

She replied, “Sweet.”

*Actually...love is not to forget but to forgive, not to see but understand, not to hear but to listen, never let go of good friends and relationships even though sometimes we have to taste salted coffee.!*

Wish you great coffee, always

Building Your House

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.

 

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

 

When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house... My gift to you."

 

The carpenter was shocked!

 

What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

 

So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.

 

But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Build wisely!

Saying Grace in a Restaurant

_Sometimes we forget the really important things in life._

Last week, I took my grand-children to a restaurant.

My six-year-old grandson asked if he could say grace.

As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. 

Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more

if Nana gets us ice cream for dessert. 

And liberty and justice for all!  Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby,

I heard a woman remark,

"That';s what';s wrong with this country. 

Kids today don';t even know how to pray. 

Asking God for ice cream!  Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my grandson burst into tears and asked me,

"Did I do it wrong?  Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done

a terrific job, and

God was certainly not mad at him,

an elderly gentleman approached the table.

He winked at my grandson and said, "I happen

to know that God thought that was a great prayer."

"Really?" my grandson asked. 

"Cross my heart," the man replied.

Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added

(indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing),

"Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. 

A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my grandchildren ice cream

at  the end of the meal. 

My grandson stared at his for a moment,

and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. 

He picked up his sundae and, without a word,

walked over and placed it in front of the woman. 

With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. 

Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes;

and my soul is good already.

CUP OF TEA A touching story

A group of 15 soldiers led by a Major were on their way to the post in Himalayas where they would be deployed for the next 3 months.

The batch who would be relieved waited anxiously.

It was cold winter intermittent snowfall made the treacherous climb more difficult.

If someone could offer a cup of tea. .

the Major thought, knowing it was a futile wish..

They continued for an hour before they came across a dilapidated structure, which looked like a tea shop but locked. It was late in the night.

"No tea boys, bad luck", said the Major. But he suggested all take some rest there as they have been walking for 3 hours.

"Sir, this is a tea shop and we can make tea... We will have to break the lock", suggested one soldier.

The officer was in great dilemma to the unethical suggestion but the thought of a steaming cup of tea for the tired solders made him to give the permission.

They were in luck, the place had everything needed to make tea and also packets of biscuits.

The solders had tea biscuits and were ready for the remaining journey.

The major thought, they had broken open lock and had tea biscuits without the permission of the owner. They're not a band of thieves but disciplined soldiers.

He took out a Rs1000/- note from his wallet, placed it on the counter, pressed under sugar container, so that the owner can see.

The officer was now relieved of his guilt.

He ordered to put the shutter down and proceed.

Three months passed, they continued to do gallantly in their works and were lucky not to loose anyone from the group in the intense insurgency situation.

It was time for another team to replace them.

Soon they were on their way back and stopped at the same tea shop which was open and owner was present in the shop.

The owner an old man with meager resources was very happy to greet 15 customers.

All of them had tea and biscuits.

They talked to the old man about his life and experience specially selling tea at such a remote place.

The old man had many stories to tell, replete with his faith in God.

"Oh, Baba, if God is there, why should He keep you in such poverty ?", commented one of them.

"Do not say like that Sahib ! God actually is there, I got a proof.

3 months ago."

"I was going through very tough times because my only son had been severely beaten by terrorist who wanted some information from him which he did not have.

I had closed my shop to take my son to hospital. Some medicines were to be purchased and I had no money.

No one would give

me loan for fear of the terrorists.

There was no hope, Sahib".

"And that day Sahib, I prayed to God for help. And Sahib, God walked into my shop that day."

"When I returned to my shop, I found lock broken,

I felt I was finished,

I lost whatever little I had.

But

then I saw that God had left Rs 1000/= under the sugar pot.

I can't tell you Sahib what that money was worth that day.

God exists Sahib. He does."

The faith in his eyes were unflinching.

Fifteen pairs of eyes met the eyes of the officer and read the order in his eyes clear and unambiguous, "Keep quiet".

The officer got up and paid the bill.

He hugged the old man and said, "Yes Baba, I know God does exist.

And yes,

the tea was wonderful."

The 15 pairs of eyes did not miss to notice the moisture building up in the eyes of their officer, a rare sight.

The truth is

*"YOU" can be GOD to anyone.*

(shared by a soldier friend ...a true story in Kupwara Sector- J&K)

The Water Pump

There was once a man who got lost in the desert. The water in his flask ran out two days ago, and he was on his last legs. He knew that if he didn't get some water soon, he would surely perish. The man saw a shack ahead of him. He thought it might be a mirage or hallucination, but having no other option, he moved toward it. As he got closer he realized it was quite real, so he dragged his weary body to the door with the last of his strength.

The shack was not occupied and seemed like it had been abandoned for quite some time. The man gained entrance, hoping against hope that he might find water inside.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw what was in the shack: a water pump..It had a pipe going down through the floor, perhaps tapping a source of water deep under-ground.

He began working the pump, but no water came out. He kept at it and still nothing happened. Finally he gave up from exhaustion and frustration. He threw up his hands in despair. It looked as if he was going to die after all.

Then the man noticed a bottle in one corner of the shack. It was filled with water and corked up to prevent evaporation.

He uncorked the bottle and was about to gulp down the sweet life-giving water when he noticed a piece of paper attached to it. Handwriting on the paper read: "Use this water to start the pump. Don't forget to fill the bottle when you're done."

He had a dilemma. He could follow the instruction and pour the water into the pump, or he could ignore it and just drink the water.

What to do? If he let the water go into the pump, what assurance did he have that it would work? What if the pump malfunctioned? What if the pipe had a leak? What if the underground reservoir had long dried up?

But then... maybe the instruction was correct. Should he risk it? If it turned out to be false, he would be throwing away the last water he would ever see.

Hands trembling, he poured the water into the pump. Then he closed his eyes, said a prayer, and started working the pump.

He heard a gurgling sound, and then water came gushing out, more than he could possibly use. He luxuriated in the cool and refreshing stream. He was going to live!

After drinking his fill and feeling much better, he looked around the shack. He found a pencil and a map of the region. The map showed that he was still far away from civilization, but at least now he knew where he was and which direction to go.

He filled his flask for the journey ahead. He also filled the bottle and put the cork back in. Before leaving the shack, he added his own writing below the instruction: "Believe me, it works!"

This story is all about life. It teaches us that we must give before we can receive abundantly. More importantly, it also teaches that faith plays an important role in giving. The man did not know if his action would be rewarded, but he proceeded regardless. Without knowing what to expect, he made a leap of faith.

Water in this story represents the good things in life. Something that brings a smile to your face. It can be  intangible knowledge or it can represent money, love, family, friendship, happiness, respect, or any number of other things you value. Whatever it is that you would like to get out of life, that's water.

The water pump represents the workings of the karmic mechanism. Give it some water to work with, and it will return

The Missing Goat !

It all started one lazy Sunday afternoon in a small town near Toronto in Canada.  Two school-going friends had a crazy idea.  They rounded up three goats from the neighborhood and painted the number 1, 2 and 4 on their sides.  That night they let the goats loose inside their school building.

The next morning, when the authorities entered the school, they could smell something was wrong.  They soon saw goat droppings on the stairs and near the entrance and realized that some goats had entered the building.  A search was immediately launched and very soon, the three goats were found.  But the authorities were worried, where was goat No. 3?  They spent the rest of the day looking for goat No.3. There was panic and frustration. The school declared a holiday for the students.  The teachers, helpers and the canteen boy were all busy looking for the goat No. 3, which, of course, was never found.   Simply because it did not exist.

We are all like those folks in the school – we may have our own goats, but are obviously looking for the elusive, missing, non-existent goat No.3.  So instead of making the most of what we have and focusing on our strengths, we worry about the missing piece – our shortcomings.

Our mind is so programmed to see the things to completion, a continuity and a carry forwardness. If this is denied then the program gets messed up. An absence of something is always larger than presence of something.

Do the best you can with what you have and be grateful for what you get. Success and happiness will come your way. 

Stop worrying about goat No. 3!

This is Indian wisdom.... can't question mom's logic!

Things were going exactly as Srinivasan had feared, his Mother would come in from India and crush his American way of life under her strong South Indian influence. For a genetic scientist like Vasu, as Srinivasan was called by his friends, the only kind of order was disorder. So consumed he was by his research that the world and it's affairs mattered little to him. When his last girlfriend walked out on him, "Find a girl on planet Srinivasan," she had screamed as she stomped out.

Now Vasu's Mother had taken over the administration of the planet. It irritated him, this milk at night and chywanprash every morning. "Have you been wearing the same pair of Jeans for the past three days?" Mother was beginning her morning interrogation.

Vasu stared at the hot idlis in front of him, the chywanprash to follow and the wardrobe interrogation that had begun. Something snapped in his mind. "Mom I love you and I love that you come all the way from India to take care of me but plesse don't fuss over me! It irritates me!  And then I cannot work!"

His Mother did not really care if Vasu was upset, "The idlis are getting cold," was her matter of fact response.

"You don't really care, do you Mom?"

"I care about you Vasu. The work you do is alright. If you don't do it, someone else will do it."

"Mom, I am genetic scientist. I am working on the evolution of man. Theory of evolution, Charles Darwin, have you heard of him? " Vasu was exasperated with her unwillingness to understand. His Mother sat down next to him and smiled, "I know Darwin, Vasu. I also know that what you think he discovered was old news in India."

" Yeah sure Mom!" Vasu said with sarcasm.

"Well if you are too smart then listen to this, " his Mother countered." Have you heard of Dashavatar? The ten avatars of Vishnu?" Vasu nodded. "Then let me tell you what you and Mr. Darwin don't know. The first avatar was the Matsya avatar, it means the fish. That is because life began in the water. Is that not right?" Vasu began to listen with a little more attention.

"Then came the Kurma Avatar, which means the tortoise, cause life moved from the water to the land. The amphibian. So the Tortoise denoted the evolution from sea to land. Third was the Varaha, the wild boar, which meant the wild animals with not much intellect, you call them the Dinosaurs, correct? " Vasu nodded wide eyed.

"The fourth avatar was the Narasimha avatar, half man and half animal, the evolution from wild animals to intelligent beings. Fifth the Waman avatar, the midget or dwarf, who could grow really tall. Do you know why that is? Cause there were two kinds of humans, Homo Erectus and the Homo Sapiens and Homo Sapiens won that battle." Vasu could see that his Mother was in full flow and he was stupefied.

"The Sixth avatar was Parshuram, the man who wielded the axe, the man who was a cave and forest dweller. Angry, and not social but the seventh avatar  was Ram, the first thinking social being, who laid out the laws of society and the basis of all relationships. The eight avatar was Krishna, the statesman, the politician, the lover who played the game of society and taught how to live and thrive in the social structure. The Ninth avatar, the Buddha, the man who rose from Narasimha and found man's true nature. The nature of Buddha, he identified man's final quest of enlightenment. And finally, my boy, will come Kalki, the man you are working on. The man who will be genetically supreme."

Vasu looked at his Mother speechless. "This is amazing Mom, how did you.. This makes sense!"

"Yes it does Vasu! Now have your chywanprash! "

A pencil story..Worth a read

Once upon a time...
A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter.
As one point, he asked, “Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me??”
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson, “I am writing about you...actually,
But more important than the words is the pencil I’m using.
I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.”
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
“But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!”, he said.
“That depends on how you look at things”, the grandmother replied.

“This pencil has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.

First quality: You are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps.
We call that hand..God, and He always guides us according to His will.

Second quality: Now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper.
So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

Third quality: The pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes.
This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.

Fourth quality: What really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside.
So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.

Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: It always leaves a mark.
In jus the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action."

MARIA'S NEW HAT 🎩!!!

Maria lived with her mother in a small apartment  in NYC.

She wasn't too young or too old..
not too short or too tall..
not particularly beautiful nor ugly..
She was just an average woman .

She worked as a secretary at a large company, and her life was pretty much boring and mundane.

No one at work paid any attention to her..
Those that did considered her to be as boring as her life was.

One morning, on her way to work,  Maria saw a new hat   shop that opened down the street.

In a spur of curiosity she walked  in!

In the shop was a little girl and her mother ,  who came to pick the girl a hat,  and another customer who was trying on hats...

Maria also tried on a few  hats,  until she found one she liked .

She put it on and
It looked nice!

First to notice was the little girl : "Mommy, look how pretty that woman looks with the hat on!"

The mother said:
"Ma'am, I must say, this hat just looks wonderful on you!"
The second buyer also came to look:
"Ma'am, you look lovely with that hat on!"

Maria went to the mirror ..
She looked at herself..
And for the first time in her adult life..
She liked what she saw.

Smiling , she went to the counter and bought the hat.

As she walked outside a new world  revealed itself to her.

She never before noticed the colors of the flowers ..
or the scent of the fresh air..

The sound of the cars  and the people ..
sounded like an harmonious melody..

She walked  as if drifting on a cloud..
with a song in her heart ..

When she passed by the coffee shop she walked  by every morning,
one of the young handsome men called out to her:
"Hey darling..looking good!
Are you new here?
Can I buy you a cup  of coffee? "

She smiled shyly and kept walking ..
Floating on her cloud...

When she got to the office building,
the doorman opened the door and wished her good morning..
Never before had he even noticed her!

The people in the elevator asked her the floor she
needed and pressed the button for her.

The people at the office, as if seen her for the first time
Flattered her on how lovely she looked today.

The manager asked her out to lunch to talk about how she felt at work!

When this magical workday was over she decided
tools take a cab  home instead of the bus .
As soon as she put her hand up 2 taxis stopped!

She took the first one and sat in the back seat..
Thinking about the miraculous day she had and
how her life changed thanks to the new hat!

When she got home , her mom opened the door.
The sight of Maria took her breath away!
"Maria" she said surprised
"How beautiful you look!
Your eyes  are all lit up like when you were a little girl! "

"Yes, mother" Said Maria
"It's all thanks to my new hat ,
I had the most marvelous day!"

"Maria"
said her mother
"What hat??"

Maria panicked.

She touched her head and saw that the hat that changed her life was not there..
She didn't remember taking it off in the cab ..
Or at lunch ..
Or at the office..

She thought back to the store where she had bought it..
How she noticed it for the first time..
She put it on..
Paying  for it at the cashier's...

And she remembered painfully now..
How she put it on the counter..
To get her purse  out to pay.. And how she forgot the hat right there.. On the counter...

Then she walked out to the street.. Hat-less yet glowing!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
It wasn't the hat  that freed Maria,
it was the quality of her thoughts! 

Our thoughts can enslave us into a horrible bondage or liberate us towards sweet freedom: to be, do, or have anything we wish for!!!

Don't place your mistakes on your head , their weight may crush you.

Instead, place them under your feet  and use them as a platform to raise your vision.

The cockroach theory for self development👍

A beautiful speech by Sundar Pichai - an IIT-MIT Alumnus and Global Head Google Chrome:

    
At a restaurant, a cockroach suddenly flew from somewhere and  sat on a lady.

She started screaming out of fear.

With a panic stricken face and trembling voice,she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach.

Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group also got panicky.

The lady finally managed to push the cockroach away but ...it landed on another lady in the group.

Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama.

The waiter rushed forward to their rescue.

In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter.

The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt.

When he was confident enough, he grabbed it with his fingers and threw it out of the restaurant.

Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, the antenna of my mind picked up a few thoughts and started wondering, was the cockroach
responsible for their histrionic behavior?

If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed?

He handled it near to perfection, without any chaos.

It is not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed the ladies.

I realized that, it is not the shouting of my father or my boss or my wife that disturbs me, but it's my inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturbs me.

It's not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs me, but my inability to handle the disturbance caused by the traffic jam that disturbs me.

More than the problem, it's my reaction to the problem that creates chaos in my life.

Lessons learnt from the story:

I understood, I should not react in life.

I should always respond.

The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded.

Reactions are always instinctive whereas responses are always well thought of.
A beautiful way to understand.......
LIFE.
Person who is HAPPY is not because Everything is RIGHT in his Life..

He is HAPPY because his Attitude towards Everything in his Life is Right..!!

Scars of Love..

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.
Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.

From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.
That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved. The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter,
"But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too.
No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let you go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

The Scripture teaches that God loves you.
You are a child of God.
He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way.

But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril, and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack.
That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful.
He did not and will not ever let you go.

PIANO LESSONS

This is a true story and it will give you the chills.

This is a beautiful and touching story of love and perseverance. Well worth the read.
At the prodding of my friends I am writing this story.
My name is Mildred Honor and I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines , Iowa ..
I have always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons - something I have done
for over 30 years. During those years I found that children have many levels of musical  ability, and even though I have never had the pleasure of having a prodigy, I have taught some very talented students.
However, I have also had my share of what I call 'musically challenged' pupils - one such pupil being Robby..
Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby.
But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him as a student.
Well, Robby began his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor.
As much as Robby tried,he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel.
But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary piano pieces that I require all my students to learn. Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him.
At the end of each weekly lesson he would always say 'My mom's going to hear me play someday'. But to me, it seemed hopeless, he just did not have any inborn ability.
I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled, but never dropped in.
Then one day Robby stopped coming for his lessons. I thought about calling him, but assumed that because of his lack of ability he had decided to pursue something else.
I was also glad that he had stopped coming  he was a bad advertisement for my teaching!
Several weeks later I mailed a flyer recital to the students' homes.
To my surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital.
I told him that the recital was for current pupils and that because he had dropped out, he really did not qualify.
He told me that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to his piano lessons,
but that he had been practicing.
'Please Miss Honor, I've just got to play' he insisted.
I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital - perhaps it was his insistence or maybe something inside of me saying that it would be all right.
The night of the recital came and the high school gymnasium was packed with parents, relatives and friends. I put Robby last in the program, just before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece.
I thought that any damage he might do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my 'curtain closer'.
Well, the recital went off without a hitch, the students had been practicing and it showed.
Then Robby came up on the stage.His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked as though he had run an egg beater through it.'Why wasn't he dressed up like the other students?' I thought. 'Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?'
Robby pulled out the piano bench, and I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen to play Mozart's Concerto No. 21 in C Major.I was not prepared for what I heard next.His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo,
from allegro to virtuoso;his suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent!
Never had I heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age.
After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo, and everyone was on their feet in wild applause!
Overcome and in tears, I ran up onstage and put my arms around Robby in joy. 'I have never heard you play like that Robby, how did you do it?
'Through the microphone Robby explained: 'Well, Miss Honor .... remember I told you that my mom was sick? Well, she actually had cancer and passed away this morning.
And well ...... she was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she had ever heard me play,
and I wanted to make it special.'
There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening.
As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care,
 I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy.
I thought to myself then how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil.
No, I have never had a prodigy, but that night I became a prodigy ....... of Robby.
He was the teacher and I was the pupil, for he had taught me the meaning of perseverance and love, of respect and believing in yourself, and may be even taking a chance on someone and you didn't know why.
Robby was killed years later in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P.  Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April, 1995.
So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice
Do we act with compassion or do we pass up that opportunity and leave the world a bit colder in the process?

Thank you for reading this.
May God Bless you today, tomorrow and always.
If God didn't have a purpose for us, we wouldn't be here!

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Be truthful.
Be thankful.
Respect others.
Leave the rest to God.

Law of the Garbage Truck

This has to be one of the best messages I have received because  when you sit and think about it.... It is so true!  

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took  off for the airport. We were driving in the  right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in  front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded  and missed the other car by just  inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started  yelling at us.  My taxi driver just smiled and waved at  the guy. I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do  that? This guy could almost ruin your car  and sent us to the hospital!'

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'Law of the Garbage  Truck'  

He explained that many people are like  garbage trucks. They run around full of  garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointments. As and when  their  garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move  on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to  other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their  day.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, So ... Love the people who treat you  right. Pray for the ones who don't.

Life is 10  %  what you make it.

AND

90 %  how you take it!

Have a garbage-free Life !!

Be Grateful

A famous writer was in his study room. He picked up his pen and started writing:

**Last year, I had a surgery and my gall bladder was removed. I had to stay stuck to the bed due to this surgery for a long time.

**The same year I reached the age of 60 years and had to give up my favourite job. I had spent 30 years of my life in this publishing company.

**The same year I experienced the sorrow of the death of my father.

**And in the same year my son failed in his medical exam because he had a car accident. He had to stay in bed at hospital with the cast on for several days. The destruction of car was another loss.
At the end he wrote: Alas! It was such bad year!!

When the writer's wife entered the room, she found her husband looking sad lost in his thoughts.

From behind his back she read what was written on the paper. She left the room silently and came back with another paper and placed it on side of her husband's writing.
When the writer saw this paper, he found this written on it:

**Last year I finally got rid of my gall bladder due to which I had spent years in pain.

**I turned 60 with sound health and got retired from my job. Now I can utilize my time to write something better with more focus and peace.

**The same year my father, at the age of 95, without depending on anyone or without any critical condition met his Creator.

**The same year, God blessed my son with a new life. My car was destroyed but my son stayed alive without getting any disability.

At the end she wrote:
This year was an immense blessing of God and it passed well!!

See!!
The same incidents but different viewpoints. If we ponder with this viewpoint that what could have happened more, we would truly become thankful to the Almighty.

Moral : In daily lives we must see that its not happiness that makes us grateful but gratefulness that makes us happy.

There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.
Stay Blessed 😃

LUNCH WITH GOD!

A little boy wanted to meet God! He packed his suitcase with two sets of his dress and some packets of cakes! He started his journey, he walked a long distance and found a park! He was feeling tired, so, he decided to sit in the park and take some refreshment! He opened a packet of cake to eat!

He noticed an old woman sitting nearby, sad with hunger, so he offered her a piece of cake!

She gratefully accepted it with a wide look and smiled at him! Her smile was so pretty that the boy longed to see it again! After sometime he offered her another piece of cake! Again, she accepted it and smiled at him! The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but never said a word! While it grew dark, the boy was frightened and he got up to leave but before he had gone more than a few steps, he ran back and gave the woman a hug and she kissed him with her prettiest smile!

Back home, when the boy knocked the door, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face!

She asked him, "What did you do today that makes you look so happy?"

He replied, "I had lunch with God!"

Before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen in my life!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home! Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and asked, "Mom, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

She replied, "I ate cakes in the park with God!"

Before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected!"

Too often we underestimate the power of;
a touch,
a smile,
a kind word,
a listening ear,
an honest compliment,
or
the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential to turn a life around!

Remember, nobody knows how God will look like! People come into our lives for a reason, for a season or for a lifetime!

Accept all of them equally.. .. ..

.. .. ..LET THEM SEE GOD IN YOU..!!