Goodbye Mom

This brought a tear to my eye!
Hope this touches you the way it touched me!

GOODBYE MOM


A young man shopping in a supermarket noticed a little old lady following him around. If he stopped, she stopped. Furthermore she kept staring at him.

She finally overtook him at the checkout, and she turned to him and said,

"I hope I haven't made you feel ill at ease;

it's just that you look so much like my late son."

He answered, "That's okay."

"I know it's silly, but if you'd call out "Good bye, Mom" as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy."

She then went through the checkout, and as she was on her way out of the store, the man called out, "Goodbye, Mom."

The little old lady waved, and smiled back at him.

Pleased that he had brought a little sunshine into someone's day, he went to pay for his groceries.

"That comes to $121.85," said the clerk.

"How come so much ... I only bought 5 items.."

The clerk replied, "Yeah, but your Mother said
you'd be paying for her things, too."

Don't trust little Old Ladies!!!

The Best Time Of My Life

Author Unknown

It was June 15, and in two daysI would be turning thirty. I was insecure about entering a new decadeof my life and feared that my best years were now behind me.

My daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work.

Every morning I would see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He was seventy-nine years old and in terrific shape.

As I greeted Nicholas on this particular day, he noticed I wasn't full of my usual vitality and asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious about turning thirty. I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached Nicholas's age, so I asked him, "What was the best time of your life?"

Without hesitation, Nicholas replied, "Well, Joe, this is my philosophical answer to your philosophical question:

"When I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me and I was nurtured by my parents, that was the best time of my life.

"When I was going to school and learning the things I know today, that was the best time of my life.

"When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my efforts, that was the best time of my life.

"When I met my wife and fell in love, that was the best time of my life.

"The Second World War came, and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America, that was the best time of my life.

"When we came to Canada and started a family, that was the best time of my life.

"When I was a young father, watching my children grow up, that was the best time of my life.

"And now, Joe, I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health, I feel good and I am in love with my wife just as I was when we first met. This is the best time of my life."

FOR 2009:

HEALTH

• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
  
• Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants
• Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
  
• Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer.
  
• Play more games.
• Read more books than you did in 2008.
• Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
• Sleep for 7 hours.
• Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
  

PERSONALITY

• Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  
• Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
• Don't over do. Keep your limits.
• Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
  
• Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
• Dream more while you are awake.
• Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
  
• Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
  
• Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
  
• No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
• Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
• Smile and laugh more.
• You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
  

SOCIETY

• Call your family often.
• Each day give something good to others.
• Forgive everyone for everything.
• Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
  
• Try to make at least three people smile each day.
• What other people think of you is none of your business.
  
• Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

LIFE

• Do the right thing!
• Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
• GOD heals everything.
• However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
  
• The best is yet to come.
• When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
  
• Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

THE POWER OF BREAKING FREE

by Michael T. Smith

When my son, Justin, was four, he found a caterpillar and put it in a jar.

Each day he fed it fresh grass and leaves. In a few weeks the caterpillar was fat and ready to sleep. One morning we discovered the caterpillar wrapped in a cocoon. It hung from the top of the jar, an example of one of nature's wonders.

Justin was excited. To him, it was like Christmas. He knew a moth or butterfly was about to be born, but he didn't know what kind. He was curious to know what gift nature was about to give him.

"Dad!" he ran to me one day. "Something's happening. Come see!"

He led me to his room. The cocoon had become translucent. We could clearly see the wings of the unborn. A few days later, a beautiful black moth broke free from its silky cage and began to lay eggs on the blades of grass in the jar, completing the life cycle of the little caterpillar.

The next day, I convinced my young son it was time to set the moth free. He took it outside, opened the jar, and the little moth flew out. It circled the yard twice, came back, and landed on Justin's arm. He picked up, tossed it in the air, and the moth repeated its flight pattern. He tried over and over to set it free, but each time it would return to his arm.

Justin gave up. He returned his little pet to the jar. The next day he attempted to set it free again, and after a few return flights to his arm, the moth finally flew off into the tall grass.

Like a person, I believe the moth was afraid to leave what was comfortable. It wanted to stay with something familiar, scared to move on and experience new things.

I was once that little moth. My cocoon was my mother's love. I was comfortable wrapped in it. Like the moth, I didn't want to fly too far from it. My first job required me to move to a new city. I resisted. I was afraid. What would I find there? I liked where I was.

Many times in my life, I have faced a move and resisted. Humans are creatures of habit. We resist change. However, if I hadn't moved, I would not have experienced many new and wonderful things. I also would not have met many of my friends.

The moves have been between cites, provinces, states, and even countries. Each move gave me the opportunity to learn and experience, but best of all, I met friends. I hated leaving my old friends behind, but when I think about it, I didn't lose them.

They're still my friends. I talk to them regularly. However, I have even more friends now.

I'm glad I found my wings, because I met you, my friend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael T. Smith lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey, with his lovely wife Ginny and his son. Ginny is the light of his life and the inspiration for many of his stories. Michael writes for a hobby. You may recognize him as one of our MDI contributing authors. If you would like to contact Michael or read more of his writings you can find him at http://heartsandhumor.com/blog/

I've learned....

I've learned....That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.


I've learned....That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.


I've learned....That money doesn't buy class.


I've learned...That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.


I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.


I've learned....That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?


I've learned....That to ignore the facts does
not change the facts.


I've learned....That the less time I have to work, the more things I get done.

THE DAYS IN BETWEEN

By Bob Perks © 2007

Sometimes I need to see my life differently. Like stepping outside it and seeing it from a different angle. Maybe walking around it, underneath it or climbing on top.

Better yet, through the eyes of a child. There is nothing complex about what I am about to share with you. In fact, the beauty of it lies in the simplicity.

I was talking to a friend about all the things I've been going through lately. We were sitting at a table in an open coffee shop located in the center of a mall.

I love coffee and I love conversation.

Just as we began speaking a woman with two teenage girls took the table just behind us. They were rowdy and unsettled as they were talking about all the shopping they were doing. Mom reminded them to sit quietly while she placed their order at the counter.

Remarkably, they quieted down immediately.

"All I want to do is to get through it," I said as we continued our chat.

"I know what you mean," my friend replied.

Then I said, "When I look back over my life all I see is me dealing with a problem and sooner or later another one pops up."

Without hesitation I heard, "What about all the days in between?"

I looked at my friend and he shook his head as he said, "I didn't say that."

"I did!" a young voice replied.

Then from behind him one of the girls turned around, smiled, and repeated, "What about all the days in between?"

I smiled. I thought it wonderful that she felt she had something to offer us.

"Explain." I said.

"Well, this is just my opinion, but people always think about their problems. What about all those days in between? Those days we throw away worrying about what happened and what might happen," she said.

"Those days are good days, probably more of those than the bad ones!" the other girl added.

Just then the woman returned. "Are they bothering you?" she asked.

"No, they helped me see my life differently," I said. "Now I see the days in between."

"More of those than the bad ones!" my friend added.

What do you see?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob's signature story, "I Wish You Enough," has circled the globe via the Internet. His inspiring true stories are based on the people he meets in his travels. In the mall, the airport, the park, or sitting in a restaurant, a simple word or phrase will often catch his attention; hook onto his heart-and from it a story blooms. Bob's unique perspective on life makes him "the philosopher of everyday moments."

http://www.IWishYouEnough.com

perksblog@hotmail.com