Give time to our family

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.”

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. “What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked.

My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. “I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.” She thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I would like that very much.”

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel’s. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed, “she said, as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation – nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.

“How was your dinner date?” asked my wife when I got home. “Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates – one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.”

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: “I LOVE YOU” and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till “some other time.”

http://academictips.org/blogs/give-time-to-our-family/

The important things in life

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter – like your job, your house, your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

http://academictips.org/blogs/moral-tale-the-important-things-in-life/ 

A Glass of Milk

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.

She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"
"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."

He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the nameof the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval.

He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill.

She read these words.....

"Paid in full with one glass of milk"
(Signed)
Dr. Howard Kelly


Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."

http://www.great-inspirational-quotes.com/a-glass-of-milk.html

A Box of Kisses

The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy." He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty.
He yelled at her, "Don't you know that when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside it?"

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said,"Oh, Daddy, it is not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.
It is told that the man kept that gold box by his bed for years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us as humans have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, friends, family and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

http://www.great-inspirational-quotes.com/a-box-of-kisses.html

Email Anak SMP

Cerita ini berawal ketika seorang pemuda melamar menjadi cleaning service di sebuah perusahaan. Perawakannya yang kecil sangat mirip dengan anak SMP walaupun usianya sudah dua puluh tahun. Tetapi bukan hanya penampilannya, pemuda itu benar-benar cuma lulusan SMP. Makanya, dia memilih melamar jadi cleaning service saja. Hari itu adalah hari yang teramat berat bagi mantan anak SMP itu. Pertama-tama ia harus menjalani tes wawancara, kemudian tes penggunaan alat-alat pembersih modern yang tidak ia mengerti, belum lagi tatapan mata para pengawas yang terlihat seperti sangat meremehkan perawakannya yang mirip anak SMP.

Akhirnya tes hari itu pun berakhir, seorang pegawai personalia menemuinya lalu berkata, “Oke, cukup untuk hari ini, tolong isi formulir ini. Jangan lupa untuk mengisi email, karena kami akan mengumumkan hasil tes ini lewat email.”

” Pak, maaf, saya tidak punya email.” Jawab pemuda itu.

“Ya sudah, maaf juga, berarti Anda belum layak untuk bekerja di perusahaan Teknologi Informasi ini.” Kata pegawai personalia itu.

Dengan kecewa, mantan anak SMP itu pulang ke rumahnya. Sampai di rumah, tiba-tiba tetangganya menemuinya. Tetangga itu bercerita bahwa ia punya sebuah pohon mangga yang berbuah lebat, tetangga itu meminta tolong pemuda itu untuk menjualkannya di pasar. “Nanti hasilnya 60 persen buat kamu, 40 persen buat aku. Gak banyak kok, paling-paling cuma sekitar 10 kg.”

Pemuda itu pun menyetujuinya dan segera membawa mangga-mangga itu ke pasar lalu menjualnya. Setelah semuanya terjual, pemuda itu menemui tetangganya lagi dan mengambil 60% bagiannya. Dia malah dapat ide, dia menemui tetangga yang lain yang masih punya pohon mangga lalu membelanjakan semua uangnya untuk membeli mangga tersebut dan menjualnya lagi ke pasar. Dia sangat senang ketika melihat uang di tangannya menjadi berlipat ganda.

Hal ini akhirnya rutin ia lakukan. Bukan hanya mangga, mantan anak SMP itu mulai mencari alternatif lain. Rambutan dan buah-buahan lain juga turut masuk daftar dagangnya. Lambat laun, ia memiliki gerobak untuk membawa buah-buah itu. Kemudian ia bisa membeli mobil pickup pada tahun berikutnya. Lama-lama, bisnis dagangnya tumbuh besar. Ia akhirnya menjadi seorang distributor buah yang paling kaya.

Pada suatu hari seorang sales website menemuinya dan berkata tentang kumpulan cerita tentang keuntungan jika membuat website. Di akhir perbincangannya, sales itu bertanya dengan sopan, “Kalau boleh tau, apa email bapak?”
“Saya tidak punya email.” Jawab pemuda mantan anak SMP itu.
“Wah, seharusnya pedagang sebesar bapak sudah punya email. apakah bapak tahu manfaat email?” tanya sales dengan sopan.
Jawab pemuda lulusan SMP itu, “Setahu saya, jika saya punya email, mungkin saat ini saya hanya menjadi seorang cleaning service di kantor Anda.”