My
Son Grows Up
My hands were busy through
the day
I didn't have much time to play
The little games you asked me to.
But when you'd bring your teddy bear
And ask me please to share your fun
I'd say: "A little later, son.
I'd tuck you in all safe at night
And hear your prayers, turn out the light,
Then tiptoe softly to the door...
I wish I'd stayed a minute more.
For life is short, the years rush past...
A little boy grows up so fast.
No longer is he at your side,
His precious secrets to confide.
The teddy bears are put away,
There are no longer games to play,
No good-night kiss, no prayers to hear...
My hands, once busy, now are still.
The days are long and hard to fill,
I wish I could go back and do
The little things you asked me to.
Just
One
One song
can spark a moment
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest
One bird can herald spring
One smile begins a friendship
One handclasp lifts a soul
One star can guide a ship at sea
One word can frame the goal
One vote can change a nation
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness
One laugh will conquer gloom
One step must start each journey
One word must start a prayer
One hope will raise our spirits
One touch can show you care
One voice can speak with wisdom
One heart can know what is true
One life can make a difference
Author Unknown
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Perfection
In Brooklyn, New York, Chush is a school that
caters to learning disabled children. Some children remain in
Chush for their entire school career, while others can be
main-streamed into conventional schools. At a Chush fund-raising
dinner, the father of a Chush child delivered a speech that would
never be forgotten by all who attended.
After extolling the school and its dedicated
staff, he cried out, "Where is the perfection in my son Shaya?
Everything God does is done with perfection. But my child cannot
understand things as other children do. My child cannot remember
facts and figures as other children do. Where is God's
perfection?" The audience was shocked by the question, pained
by the father's anguish and stilled by the piercing query. "
I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a
child like this into the world, the perfection that He seeks is in
the way people react to this child."
He then told the following story about his son
Shaya: One afternoon Shaya and his father walked past a park where
some boys Shaya knew were playing baseball. Shaya asked, "Do
you think they will let me play?" Shaya's father knew that
his son was not at all athletic and that most boys would not want
him on their team. But Shaya's father understood that if his son
was chosen to play it would give him a comfortable sense of
belonging. Shaya's father approached one of the boys in the field
and asked if Shaya could play. The boy looked around for guidance
from his team-mates. Getting none, he took matters into his own
hands and said "We are losing by six runs and the game is in
the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to
put him up to bat in the ninth inning." Shaya's father was
ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly. Shaya was told to put on a glove
and go out to play short center field.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya's team
scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the bottom of
the ninth inning, Shaya's team scored again and now with two outs
and the bases loaded with the potential winning run on base, Shaya
was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Shaya bat at
this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shaya was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was
all but impossible because Shaya didn't even know how to hold the
bat properly, let alone hit with it. However as Shaya stepped up
to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in
softly so Shaya should at least be able to make contact.
The first
pitch came in and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya's
team-mates came up to Shaya and together the held the bat and
faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again
took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shaya. As
the pitch came in, Shaya and his team-mate swung at the bat and
together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shaya
would have been out and that would have ended the game. Instead,
the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right
field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started
yelling, "Shaya, run to first. Run to first." Never in
his life had Shaya run to first. He scampered down the baseline
wide-eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base, the
right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the
second baseman who would tag out Shaya, who was still running. But
the right fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions were,
so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head.
Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second." Shaya
ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously
circled the bases towards home. As Shaya reached second base, the
opposing short stop ran to him, turned him in the direction of
third base and shouted, "Run to third." As Shaya rounded
third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming, "Shaya
run home." Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18
boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero, as he
had just hit a "grand slam" and won the game for his
team.
"That day," said the father softly
with tears now rolling down his face, "those 18 boys reached
their level of God's perfection."
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I
Am Thankful For...
- The
mess to clean after a party because it means I have been
surrounded by friends.
- The taxes I pay because it means that I'm employed.
- The clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I
have enough to eat.
- My shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in
the sunshine.
- A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and
gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
- All the complaining I hear about our government because it
means we have freedom of speech.
- The spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it
means I am capable of walking.
- My huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
- The lady behind me in church who sings off key because it
means that I can hear.
- The piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved
ones are nearby.
- Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it
means I have been productive.
- The alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it
means that I'm alive.
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God's
Boxes
I have in my hands two boxes which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black,
And all your joys in the gold."
I
heeded His words, and in the two boxes,
Both my joys and sorrows I stored.
But though the gold became heavier each day
The black was as light as before
With curiosity, I opened the black.
I wanted to find out why
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole
Which my sorrows had fallen out by
I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be."
He
smiled a gentle smile at me.
"My child, they're all here with me."
I asked, "God, why give me the boxes,
Why the gold, and the black with the hole?"
"My
child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is for you to let go."
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Puppies
for Sale
A store
owner was tacking a sign above his door that read "Puppies
For Sale."
Signs
like that have a way of attracting small children and sure enough,
a little boy appeared under the store owner's sign.
"How
much are you going to sell the puppies for?" he asked.
The store
owner replied, "Anywhere from $30 to $50."
The
little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change.
"I have $2.37," he said. "Can I please look at
them?"
The store
owner smiled and whistled and out of the kennel came Lady, who ran
down the aisle of his store followed by five teeny, tiny balls of
fur. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the
little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said,
"What's wrong with that little dog?"
The store
owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little
puppy and had discovered it didn't have a hip socket. It would
always limp. It would always be lame.
The
little boy became excited. "That is the little puppy that I
want to buy."
The store
owner said, "No, you don't want to buy that little dog. If
you really want him, I'll just give him to you."
The
little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store
owner's eyes, pointing his finger, and said, "I don't want
you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much
as all the other dogs and I'll pay full price. In fact, I'll give
you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid
for."
The store
owner countered, "You really don't want to buy this little
dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with
you like the other puppies."
To this,
the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a
badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace.
He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, "Well, I
don't run so well myself, and the little puppy will need....
someone who understands!"
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The
View
Two men,
both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was
allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help
drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's
only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his
back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives
and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the
military service, even where they had been on vacation.
And every
afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he
would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things
he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to
live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened
and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans
played on the water while children sailed their model boats.
Young
lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the
rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of
the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the
window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the
other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the
picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window
described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't
hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman
by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days and
weeks passed in similar fashion. On morning, the day nurse arrived
to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of
the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She
was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body
away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he
could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the
switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him
alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to
take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have
the joy of seeing it for himself.
He
strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It
faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have
compelled his deceased roommate to describe such wonderful things
outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind
and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just
wanted to encourage you."
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Resignation
(For
those days when things are just a little too much:)
I am
hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult. I have
decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8
year-old again.
I want to
go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant.
I want to
sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk with
rocks.
I want to
think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them.
I want to
lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends
on a hot summer's day.
I want to
return to a time when life was simple; When all you knew were
colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't
bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you
didn't care.
All you
knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all
the things that should make you worried or upset.
I want to
think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good.
I want to
believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the
complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things
again.
I want to
live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of computer
crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive
more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor
bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.
I want to
believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice,
peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the
snow.
So . . .
here's my checkbook and my car-keys, my credit card bills and my
401K statements. I am officially resigning from adulthood.
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The Little Boy
A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and he handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his Mom dried her hands on an apron she read it, & this is what it said:
For cutting the grass:
$5.00
For cleaning up my room this week:
$1.00
For going to the store for you:
.50
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping:
.25
Taking out the garbage:
$1.00
For getting a good report card:
$5.00
For cleaning up and raking the yard:
$2.00
---------
Total owed: $14.75
Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote:
For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me:
No Charge.
For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you:
No Charge.
For all the trying times, and all the tears that you've caused through the years:
No Charge.
For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead:
No Charge.
For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose:
No Charge, Son.
When you add it up, the cost of my love is:
No Charge.
When the boy finished reading what his Mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight up at his mother and said, "Mom, I sure do love you."
And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote: "PAID IN FULL ".
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