Toothpick Can Kill

It was a Sunday morning.

After the church service, we went shopping in a big supermarket.

I put my wife and daughter down and looked for a parking space. Surprisingly I could find one easily, probably because of the nature of the parking space, which was narrow and rather difficult to park properly.

I went into the supermarket and scouted around for the things I needed while looking for my wife and daughter. While turning a corner, I saw a middle aged man with two active children. The children were rather naughty. The man looked rather impatient with the children. Then I saw him taking out a round and hard toothpick from a shirt pocket and began to poke the children on the hands and feet. I saw the children weeping in pain and began to protest. More poking with the toothpick and then he pinched their ears hard. Then the children begged. Surprisingly there was no screaming and crying aloud from the children.

My heart was cut; I could feel the sharp pains that the children took. Poking children with a round and hard toothpick with very sharp ends! It was hair rising and I had a shiver on my neck and back.

I presumed the man was the father or uncle. I just couldn’t comprehend why he did that.

Look at the innocent children, 3-4 years old… what kind of scars will they bear at such a young age? Is that a good example to follow?

Where was the mother? Would she tolerate it in silence?

I lost my appetite for shopping and wandered off in anger.

It took me quite a while to cool down.

I related the incident to my wife. We shook our heads; it was terrible!

What if he had poked the children on the vital parts of the body?

Did he know that toothpick can kill?

The Leaking Roof

There is a leak in the tile roof; water is dripping down fast every time when the strong wind brings in the rain.

We had placed a rusty tin directly underneath to receive the drips; it has been there for almost a year now.

Several attempts had been made to climb up the roof to search for the source of the leak.

The house is now 10 years old and the roof is stained with algae, lichens, and fungus, and some grasses brought by the birds.

We discovered that there are some broken and displaced tiles.

A few attempts had been made to rectify the problem but none of them successful.

It is becoming increasingly stressful to behold the problem.

There is a passing suggestion that we change all the roof tiles.

But that will cost too much and doesn’t guarantee to solve the problem.

Sometimes some problems will just live with us for a very long time; it is just impossible to do away with. The only thing to do is to wait until the problem disappears or when situation continues to worsen. But it is just not easy to bear the circumstances.

Anyway, the water leaking problem only happens when there is torrential rainfall, and this seldom happens except during the rainy season, I console and amuse myself.

But the fact that it is there when I am enjoying watching the rain in the front porch often give me some uneasiness.

Just have to be patient, I told myself and sighed.

Heartfelt Photos With Meanings

I received this from an e-mail:

Here are some heartfelt photos that truly do describe the words and their real meanings.

Loyalty...

Sorrow...

Innocence...

Departure...

Pain...

Respect...

Compassion...

Friendship...

Patience...

Rescued...

Divine...

Be kinder than necessary,
Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.

Daring The Rain

It was raining heavily this morning.

The wind was strong, sending a cold shiver shooting through me.

But the sky was clear and there was a beautiful rainbow.

A clear weather after the rain was expected.

And that is what I like to start my day.

I was gazing at my two pots of bunga kertas (bougainvillea) while waiting for my youngest daughter to get ready for school.

The two pots of flowers have been sitting there in the middle of the front gate for many years. One is pink in color and the other is white. But now they are all mixed, giving many shades of pink and white. And they look very elegant, cheerful, and charming in the rain.

Many flowers and leaves have dried and dropped every day.

The stalks and stems have become hardened, withstanding different weather conditions.

I love the thrill of dancing in the rain, I smiled.

It is not easy to stay strong, optimistic, lively, and ever ready when condition worsened.

But there it is, a living example standing in front of me.

Life is full of its examples to help us enjoy, face and challenge the uncertainties in life.

There is no use grumbling and groaning habitually.

It is better to treat each new day as a fresh challenge.

Come anytime, I am ready.

How To Dance In The Rain

I received this story from an email.

I believe you should know.

*******

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived at the hospital to have stitches removed from his thumb.

He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

The nurse took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him.

I saw him looking at his watch and decided since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.

On examination, it was well healed. So I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.

The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.

I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"

He smiled.

Then he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me. But I still know who she is...."

I had to hold back tears as he left.

I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."

*******

True love is neither physical nor romantic.

True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Life isn't about how to survive the storm.

It is about how to dance in the rain........