Kindness

Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

James Barrie

A Letter to a Friend

I just had to write to tell you how much I love you and care for you.
Yesterday, I watched you walking and laughing with your friends;
I had hoped that soon you'd want me to walk with you, too.
So I painted you a sunset to close your day,
and whispered a cool breeze to refresh you.
I waited - you never called - I just kept on loving you.

As I watched you fall asleep last night, I wanted so much to touch you.
I spilled moonlight onto your face - trickling down your cheeks as so many tears have.
You didn't even think of me;
I wanted so much to comfort you.

The next day I exploded a bright sunrise into a glorious morning for you.
But you woke up late and rushed off to work - you didn't even notice.
My sky became cloudy and my tears were the rain.

I love you. Oh, if you'd only listen ... I really love you.
I try to say it in the quiet of the green meadow, and on the blue sky.
The wind whispers my love throughout the treetops,
and spills it into the vibrant colours of all the flowers.
I shout it to you in the thunder of the great waterfalls,
and compose love songs for birds to sing for you.
I warm you with the clothing of my sunshine and perfume the air with nature's sweet scent.
My love for you is deeper than any ocean, and greater than any need in your heart.
If you'd only realise how I care.

My Dad sends His love.
I want you to meet Him - He cares, too.
Fathers are just that way.
So, please call on me soon. No matter how long it takes.
I'll wait - because I love you.

Your friend,
Jesus

Forgiveness

To forgive is not to forget.
To forgive is really to remember that nobody is perfect.
That each of us stumbles when we want so much to stay upright;
That each of us says things, we wish we had never said.
That we can all forget that love is more important than being right.
To forgive is really to remember that we are so much more than our mistakes;
That we are often more kind and caring,
That accepting another's flaws can help us accept our own.
To forgive is to remember that the odds are pretty good
that we might soon need to be forgiven ourselves.
That life sometimes gives us more than we can handle gracefully.
To forgive is to remember that we have room in our hearts
to begin again, and again, and again.

Self-patience

Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfection but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.

St. Francis de Sales

The Necklace

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five.
Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five.. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself.. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite."

"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well.. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed
Indian style..

As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it,
there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy; this is
for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime
store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet
case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny....

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could
give her the genuine treasure.

So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures.

God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

If I had my life to live over

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle..

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later... Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love you's, more 'I'm sorry's.'

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute; look at it and really see it; live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!

Erma Bombeck (written after she found out she was dying from cancer)

Accepting imperfections

I turn to God not so much for forgiveness but for the power to accept humbly the reality about my imperfect self. I turn to him for the grace to give myself the forgiveness which he gives freely.

From "Happy Catholic"

Forgiveness frees

Hate kills. Forgiveness frees the soul.

Maggy Barankitse

Wrapped in God

Everywhere we go, we are immersed in God, wrapped in his healing and loving presence. In God we breathe, in God we weep, in God we rejoice, in God we mourn. We possess true life only if we are in God.

From "Taste the Joy of Easter", by Anselm Grün