Life Positive and More

The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before. "No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president.. Now go away." The woman's smile became even broader. "Leave me alone," he growled... To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. "Are you hungry?" she asked. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. "What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone." Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked. "No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?" Th...

I Have Learned That I've Learned... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. I've Learned... That when you're in love, it shows. I've Learned... That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day. I've Learned... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. I've Learned... That being kind is more important than being right. I've Learned... That you should never say no to a gift from a child. I've Learned... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way. I've Learned... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with. I've Learned... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand. I've Learned... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders fo...

One day, the sage gave the disciple an empty sack and a basket of potatoes. "Think of all the people who have done or said something against you in the recent past, especially those you cannot forgive. For each of them, inscribe the name on a potato and put it in the sack." The disciple came up quite a few names, and soon his sack was heavy with potatoes. "Carry the sack with you wherever you go for a week," said the sage. "We'll talk after that." At first, the disciple thought nothing of it. Carrying the sack was not particularly difficult. But after a while, it became more of a burden. It sometimes got in the way, and it seemed to require more effort to carry as time went on, even though its weight remained the same. After a few days, the sack began to smell. The carved potatoes gave off a ripe odor. Not only were they increasingly inconvenient to carry around, they were also becoming rather unpleasant. Finally, the week was over. The sage summoned t...