Life 5 Great Questions #5 Giving Blood

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to her cheeks.

Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"

Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood.

Life 5 Great Questions #4 The Obstacle in Our Path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables.

On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

Life 5 Great Questions #3 Always remember those who serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?"

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it.

"How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely. The little boy again counted the coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw.

There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - her tip.

Life 5 Great Questions #2 Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain-storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her - generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi-cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away.

Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console colour TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole

Life 5 Great Questions #1 Most Important Question

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke.

I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.

Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor.

"In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello'. "I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

5 questions to ask yourself on lifetime relationship

A relationship coach lays out his 5 golden rules for evaluating the prospects of long-term success. When it comes to making the decision about choosing a life partner, no one wants to make a mistake.

Yet, with a divorce rate of close to 50 percent, it appears that many are making serious mistakes in their approach to finding Mr./Ms. Right! If you ask most couples who are engaged why they're getting married, they'll say We're in love. I believe is the #1 mistake people make when they date. Choosing a life partner should never be based on love (alone).

Though this may sound not politically correct, there's a profound truth here. Love (alone) is not the basis for getting married. Rather, love is the result of a good marriage. When the other ingredients are right, then the love will come.

Let me say it again: You can't build a lifetime relationship on love alone. You need a lot more. Here are five questions you must ask yourself if you're serious about finding and keeping a life partner.

QUESTION #1:

Do we share a common life purpose?

Why is this so important? Let me put it this way: If you're married for 20 or 30 years, that's a long time to live with someone. What do you plan to do with each other all that time? Travel, eat and jog together?

You need to share something deeper and more meaningful. You need a common life purpose. Two things can happen in a marriage. You can grow together, or you can grow apart. 50 percent of the people out there are growing apart.

To make a marriage work, you need to know what you want out of life - bottom line - and marry someone who wants the same thing.

QUESTION #2:

Do I feel safe expressing my feelings and thoughts with this person?

This question goes to the core of the quality of your relationship.

Feeling safe means you can communicate openly with this person. The basis of having good communication is trust - i.e. trust that I won't get punished or hurt for expressing my honest thoughts and feelings. A colleague of mine defines an abusive person as someone with whom you feel afraid to express your thoughts and feelings. Be honest with yourself on this one. Make sure you feel emotionally safe with the person you plan to marry.

QUESTION #3:

Is he/she a mensch? A mensch is someone who is a refined and sensitive person.

How can you test? Here are some suggestions.

Do they work on personal growth on a regular basis?

Are they serious about improving themselves? A teacher of mine defines a good person as someone who is always striving to be good and do the right thing. So ask about your significant other: What do they do with their time?

Is this person materialistic? Usually a materialistic person is not someone whose top priority is character refinement. There are essentially two types of people in the world: People who are dedicated to personal growth and people who are dedicated to seeking comfort. Someone whose goal in life is to be comfortable will put personal comfort ahead of doing the right thing. You need to know that before walking down the aisle.

QUESTION #4:

How does he/she treat other people?

The one most important thing that makes any relationship work is the ability to give. By giving, we mean the ability to give another person pleasure.

Ask: Is this someone who enjoys giving pleasure to others or are they wrapped up in themselves and self-absorbed? To measure this, think about the following:

How do they treat people whom they do not have to be nice to, such as a waiters, bus boy, taxi driver, etc. How do they treat parents and siblings? Do they have gratitude and appreciation? Do they show respect?

If they don't have gratitude for the people who have given them everything, you cannot expect that they'll have gratitude for you-who can't do nearly as much for them! Do they gossip and speak badly about others?

Someone who gossips cannot be someone who loves others. You can be sure that someone who treats others poorly, will eventually treat you poorly as well.

QUESTION #5:

Is there anything I'm hoping to change about this person after we're married?

Too many people make the mistake of marrying someone with the intention of trying to improve them after they're married.

As a colleague of mine puts it, You can probably expect someone to change after marriage ... for the worse! If you cannot fully accept this person the way they are now, then you are not ready to marry them.

In conclusion, dating doesn't have to be difficult and treacherous.

The key is to try leading a little more with your head and less with your heart.

It pays to be as objective as possible when you are dating, to be sure to ask questions that will help you get to the key issues. Falling in love is a great feeling, but when you wake up with a ring on your finger, you don't want to find yourself in trouble because you didn't do your homework.

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These are sound advices which I heed. In fact, it is very important to me that my husband actually likes to be around my family, relatives and friends, and he can mingle around with everyone and likewise for me with his family, relatives and friends. We have been together for six years and we have many more years to go.

If Life is Coffee...

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."

"Now, if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, but the quality of life doesn't change."

"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

Don't let the cups drives you... enjoy the coffee.

What is success?

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;
This is to have succeeded.

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Have you achieve your success? Me not yet but I believe I am on the way.

An Everyday Survival Kit

1. Toothpick
2. Rubber band
3. Band aid
4. Pencil
5. Eraser
6. Chewing gum
7. Mint
8. Candy Kiss
9. Tea Bag

Here's why:
Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others...

Rubber band - to remind you to be flexible, things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out...

Band Aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else's...

Pencil - To remind you to list your blessings everyday...

Eraser - to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay...

Chewing gum - to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything ...

Mint - to remind you that you are worth a mint to your heavenly father...

Candy Kiss - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday...

Tea Bag - to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of God's blessings...

This is my gift to you. May God richly bless you.

To the world, you may just be somebody...but to somebody, you maybe the world.

Send this to anyone who you think needs to know that they are loved by someone in their lives. Make someone's day just a little brighter today!

Letter to Dead Wife

"Today is a special day. We both woke up at 4.30am. We stayed in bed for a while and chatted. You suggested that we get up to make ourselves a drink. I asked if I could lie down for another 5 minutes, you readily agreed. Like always you agree with me. Soon we got up to sit at the patio. You went to the kitchen and brought back two cups of hot coffee.

It was still dark. You switched on the floodlights of the garden and the garden looked beautiful. I praised you for your green fingers. I know you were delighted to hear that from me. I went down to the garden and invited you to take a walk with me to admire the beauty of the garden. We walked by the pool and commented on a straggly patch of new turf you had just planted. You assured me that straggly patch will soon grow into a neat grass patch.

We went back to the patio and I continued to admire the garden. I was especially appreciative of your effort that day with the work you had done in the garden. Every pot was neatly arranged. I pointed out a pot of plant and reminded you that that spot was the direct spot, which the afternoon sun will shine on. You told me that that plant particular loved lots of sunshine and it is the perfect spot for it. It was your last lesson for me in gardening.

I know you are proud of the garden. You have taken a lot of time, love and care to manage it. That is just like you. That is how you have taken care of the family too. Especially to me, you have always been so giving and loving.

We had a simple breakfast. Soon we have spent a wonderful 3 hours together in the morning. You went back to the bedroom to rest. When I went in you were snuggly in bed. I joined you and slept until the alarm went on.

I showered and got ready for a meeting at 9am. I took up my files and told you I am leaving. Immediately you got out of bed, still in your nightdress, you sent me off to work. Every morning you would wave me goodbye at the doorway. Before the car turned out I waved to you and saw you waving to me at the doorway in your nightdress. I have experienced this scene hundreds of times. But today this was our eternal parting. That was the last time I see my darling, Hup Ee. The image of you waving to me will forever be a lasting memory in my mind. I wish that scene on that morning happened again. I am willing to give all that I have to have that scene again. I cannot believe that you have left me.

It is now already past one in the morning. I will be finishing this letter soon. You have left me for almost 13 hours. I am tired. This day has been extra long. Very often I will work late into the late like tonight. I would slip quietly back into the bedroom to find you sleeping soundly in bed. But tonight the bed is empty. When I remove the comforter, the bed is cold. Where is my darling Hup Ee? Where is my darling Hup Ee?

I will never forget the laughter and joy you brought to your friends and me. I will miss the pair of slender and gentle hands that took care of me. I fondly referred to your hands as "sparrow hands", because they are small like sparrows. Goodbye my darling Hup Ee. We will meet again."

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(Written by Mr Peter Chen, Senior Minister of State for Education for his beloved wife Chen Hup Ee, who past away in an accident on the 17 Dec 1998.)

This letter was read out during the funeral on Monday morning, by Peter Chen himself. He cried and was very emotional yet he continued to read the letter because he wanted to share his feelings with his friends and colleagues and family.

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I have this through my email from a friend and I find it so touching that I can't bear to delete just like that. So I saved a copy and now I'm putting on my blog that more people can read it and remember it.

Just A Bowl of Noodle

That night, Sue had a quarrel with her mum and without bringing anything with her, she ran out of the house. While she was walking on the street, she discovered that she did not have any money on her, not even a cent to make a phone call. As she was walking along the street, she spotted a noodle stall, it smells so nice, how she longs for a bowl. But, she has no money.

After awhile, the boss seeing Sue standing in front of his stall for quite a long time, asked: 'Hey Miss, do you want a bowl of noodle?'

'But...but...I didn't bring any money with me...' she answered shyly.

'It's alright, I'll give you a treat.' The boss said, 'Come have a seat, I'll cook you a bowl of noodle.'

Not long after, the owner served Sue with a bowl of noodle and a plate of vegetables. Sue ate a few mouthfuls and she started to tear. 'What happened, Miss?' the owner asked. 'Nothing, I'm just touched!' Sue said while drying her tears. 'Even a stranger I met on the street would offer to cook a bowl of noodle and treat me! But... my own mother, after a quarrel chased me out of the house and asked me not to go back again. You as a complete stranger could show me care and concern while my own mother...she's so cruel.' She said to the owner.

The boss after hearing what Sue had said, replied with a sigh: 'Miss, how can you think that way? Ponder over this, I just cooked a bowl of noodle for you and you are so touched. Your mother had been cooking noodles and rice for you since you are young till now, why aren't you grateful to her? And you even quarrel with her?'

Sue was stunned upon hearing that. 'Why didn't I think of that? A bowl of noodle from a stranger and I'm so grateful but yet my own mother had been cooking for me for so many years and I'm not even showing the least concern about her. And because of a trivial matter, I quarreled with her.' She finishes her noodle swiftly and braces herself up and march towards the direction of home.

As she was walking home, she thought to herself what she wants to tell her mum right now... 'Mum, I'm sorry, I know I'm at fault, please forgive me.'

Once she reached the doorstep, she saw her tired and anxious mother, searching everywhere for her. When she spotted Sue, the first sentence which came out of her mouth is: 'Sue, come into the house quickly, I've the dinner ready and it'll be cold if you are not eating it now.'

Right at that moment, Sue was unable to hold her tears anymore and she started weeping in front of her mum.

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At times, we may be very grateful to other people around us for a little gesture they showed us, but to our close ones, especially our parents, it's a lifetime of gratefulness we have to remember. We should never forget what our parents had done for us but often we treat that as a natural process for them to sacrifice for us.

However, parent's love and care are the most valuable gift given to us since we were born. They don't expect any repayment from us for raising us but think about it... Did we treasure the unconditional sacrifice from our parents?

How to Dance in the Rain

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.

He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him.

I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.'

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'

True love is neither physical, nor romantic.
True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

With all the jokes and fun that are in e-mails, sometimes there is one that comes along that has an important message. This one I thought I could share with you:
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; They just make the best of everything they have.

'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain'

The Frog Story

There's a story about some frogs that taught a valuable lesson about life.

The story goes:

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, saying that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed of what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did not you hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

*******
An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through difficult times. A destructive word to someone who is down, can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.

Words are so powerful, its sometime hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Keep this in mind, and always be careful and think about what you have to say.

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Yeah i think so too, i used to love to draw but ever since my primary 6 Art teacher told me off on what I deemed to be my best drawings, I lost all interests. Although I dun recall how she looked like, I still hold a tinge of resentment for her.

Quote of the Day

"If we are to be a really great people, we must strive in good faith to play a great part in the world. We cannot avoid meeting great
issues. All that we can determine for ourselves is whether we shall meet them well or ill."

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919)
26th president of the United States

So what have you choose for yourselves today - to face it or hide from it? I choose to face up to my problem and deal with it. Cheers ;p

Work Work Work

A long time ago, there was an Emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered.

Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much area as possible.

Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, "Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself."

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The above story is similar with the journey of our Life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to gain power and recognition. We neglect our health, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and the hobbies we love.

One day when we look back, we will realize that we don't really need that much, but then we cannot turn back time for what we have missed.

Life is not about making money, acquiring power or recognition. Life is definitely not about work! Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life. Life is a balance of Work and Play, Family and Personal time. You have to decide how you want to balance your Life. Define your priorities, realize what you are able to compromise but always let some of your decisions be based on your instincts. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of Life, the whole aim of human existence.

So, take it easy, do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile, Life is short. Do not take Life for granted. Live a balanced lifestyle and enjoy Life!

Watch your thoughts ; they become words.
Watch your words ; they become actions.
Watch your actions ; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Food for Thoughts

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: 'I am blind, please help.' There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, 'Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?'

The man said, 'I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.'

What he had written was: 'Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.'

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.

Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.

Great men say, 'Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness.... In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience.'

The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling... And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!!!

Food As Medicine

HEADACHE? EAT FISH!
Eat plenty of fish -- fish oil helps prevent headaches. So does ginger, which reduces inflammation and pain.

HAY FEVER? EAT YOGURT! Eat lots of yogurt before pollen season. Also-eat honey from your area (local region) daily.

TO PREVENT STROKE DRINK TEA! Prevent buildup of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of tea. (actually, tea suppresses my appetite and keeps the pounds from invading....Green tea is great for our immune system)!

INSOMNIA (CAN'T SLEEP?) HONEY! Use honey as a tranquilizer and sedative.

ASTHMA? EAT ONIONS!!!! Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes. (when I was young, my mother would make onion packs to place on our chest, helped the respiratory ailments and actually made us breathe better).

ARTHRITIS? EAT FISH, TOO!! Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines actually prevent arthritis. (fish has omega oils, good for our immune system)

UPSET STOMACH? BANANAS - GINGER!!!!! Bananas will settle an upset stomach. Ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.

BLADDER INFECTION? DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE!!!! High-acid cranberry juice controls harmful bacteria.

BONE PROBLEMS? EAT PINEAPPLE!!! Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple.

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME? EAT CORNFLAKES!!!! Women can ward off the effects of PMS with cornflakes, which help reduce depression, anxiety and fatigue.

MEMORY PROBLEMS? EAT OYSTERS! Oysters help improve your mental functioning by supplying much-needed zinc.

COLDS? EAT GARLIC! Clear up that stuffy head with garlic. (remember, garlic lowers cholesterol, too.)

COUGHING? USE RED PEPPERS!! A substance similar to that found in the cough syrups is found in hot red pepper. Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution-it can irritate your tummy.

BREAST CANCER? EAT Wheat, bran and cabbage Helps to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.

LUNG CANCER? EAT DARK GREEN AND ORANGE AND VEGGIES!!! A good antidote is beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A found in dark green and orange vegetables

ULCERS? EAT CABBAGE ALSO!!! Cabbage contains chemicals that help heal both gastric and duodenal ulcers.

DIARRHEA? EAT APPLES! Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition. (Bananas are good for this ailment)

CLOGGED ARTERIES? EAT AVOCADO! Mono unsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? EAT CELERY AND OLIVE OIL!!! Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure. Celery contains a chemical that lowers pressure too.

BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE? EAT BROCCOLI AND PEANUTS!!! The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.

Kiwi: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E & fiber. It's Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

Apple: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

Strawberry: Protective fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protects the body from cancer causing, blood vessels clogging free radicals. (Actually, any berry is good for you..they're high in anti-oxidants and they actually keep us young........blueberries are the best and very versatile in the health field........they get rid of all the free-radicals that invade our bodies)

Orange: Sweetest medicine. Taking 2 - 4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.

Watermelon: Coolest Thirst Quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are Vitamin C & Potassium. (watermelon also has natural substances [natural SPF sources] that keep our skin healthy, protecting our skin from those darn suv rays)

Guava & Papaya: Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, this is good for your eyes. (also good for gas and indigestion)

Tomatoes are very good as a preventative measure for men, keeps those prostrate problems from invading their bodies.

The 3 Doors of Wisdoms

A King had, as only son, a young Prince, brave, skillful and intelligent. To perfect his knowledge of Life, he sent him by the side of an Old Wise Man.

"Bring Light to my Path of Life", the Prince asked.

"My words will faint away like the prints of your steps in the sand", the Wise Man answered. However, I want to give you some indications. On your Path, you will find 3 doors. Read the rules written on each of them.

An irresistible need will urge you to follow them. Don't try and get away from them, because you would be condemned to live again, ceaselessly, what you have avoided. I may tell you no more.

You have to feel all this deep in your heart and in your flesh. Go, now. Follow this path, right in front of you. "

The Old Wise Man disappeared and the Prince entered the Path of Life.

He was soon in front of a big door, on which one could read: "CHANGE THE WORLD".

"It was my intention indeed", the Prince thought, "because if some things please me in this world, others greatly displease me."

And he began his first fight. His ideal, his ardour and his power urged him to confront himself to the world, to undertake, to conquer, to model reality according to his desires.

He found there the pleasure and the dizzyness of the conqueror, but no peace in his heart. He managed to change some things but many others resisted to him. Many years passed.

One day, he met the Old Wise Man who asked him:

"What have you learnt on your path?"

"I have learnt," the Prince answered, "how to discern what is within my power and what is without, what depends on me and what does not depend on me".

"That's good!", the Old Man said. "Use your strength to act on what is within your power. Forget what's beyond your power." And he disappeared.

A bit later, the Prince was in front of a second door. He could read on it: "CHANGE THE OTHERS".

"It was my intention indeed", he thought. "The others are a source of pleasure, enjoyment and satisfaction, but also, of pain, bitterness and frustration."

And he rebelled against everything that could disturb him or displease him in his fellow men. He tried to bend their characters and to extirpate their defects.

It was there his second fight.

Many years passed.

One day, as he was meditating on the utility of the attempts to change the others, he met the Old Wise Man who asked him: "What have you learnt on your path?"

"I have learnt", the Prince answered, "that the others are not the cause or the source of my joys and my punishments, my satisfactions and my setbacks. They are only opportunities for all of them to be revealed. It is in myself that all these things have their roots."

"You are right," the Wise Man said. "According to what they wake up in you, the others reveal you to yourself. Be grateful to those who make your enjoyment and pleasure vibrate.

But be also grateful to those who create in you suffering or frustration, because, through them, life teaches you what is left in you to learn and the path that you still have to walk."

And the Old Man disappeared.

A bit further, the Prince arrived in front of a door, on which these words were written: "CHANGE YOURSELF".

"If I am myself the cause of my problems, it is indeed what's left in me to work on", he said to himself.

And he began his 3rd fight. He tried to bend his character, to fight his imperfections, to abolish his defects, to change everything that did not please him in himself, everything that did not correspond to his ideal.

After many years of this fight, in which he met some success, but also, some failures and some resistances, the Prince met the Wise Man who asked him: "What have you learnt on your path?"

"I have learnt", the Prince answered, "that there are things that we can improve, others that resist to us and that we can't manage to break."

"That's good!" the Wise Man said.

"Yes", the Prince went on, "but I am beginning to be tired of fighting against everything, against everybody, against myself. Won't there be an end to it one day? When shall I find a rest? I want to stop fighting, to give up, to abandon everything, I want to let go !"

"It is precisely your next lesson", the Old Wise Man said. "But before going any further, turn round and behold the path covered."

And he disappeared.

On looking back, the Prince saw in the distance the 3rd door, and noticed that it was carrying a text on its back, saying : "ACCEPT YOURSELF."

The Prince was surprised not to have seen this writing when he went through the door, the other way.

"When one fights, one becomes blind", he said to himself. He also saw, lying on the ground, scattered around him, everything he had thrown away and fought against in him: his defects, his shadows, his fears, his limits, all his old worries. He had learnt then how to recognize them, to accept them, to love them. He had learnt how to love himself without comparing himself to the others any more, without judging himself, without reprimanding himself.

He met the Old Wise Man who asked him: "What have you learnt on your path?"

"I have learnt", the Prince answered," that hating or refusing a part of myself, it is to condemn myself never to be in agreement with myself. I learnt how to accept myself, totally, unconditionally."

"That's good!", the Old Man said, it is the first rule in Wisdom. Now you can go back through the 3rd door."

He had no sooner reached the other side, that the Prince perceived far away the back side of the second door, on which he could read: "ACCEPT THE OTHERS".

All around him, he could recognize the persons he had been with all his life through; those he had loved as well as those he had hated. Those he had supported and those he had fought.

But the biggest surprise of all for him was that now, he was absolutely unable to see their imperfections, their defects, what formerly had embarrassed him so much, and against which he had fought.

He met the Old Wise Man again.

"What have you learnt on your path?" he asked him.

"I have learnt", the Prince answered, "that by being in agreement with myself, I had no more anything to blame in the others, no more anything to be afraid of in them. I have learnt how to accept and to love the others, totally, unconditionally."

"That's good!", the Old Wise Man said. "It is the second rule in Wisdom. You can go back through the second door."

On reaching the other side of the second door, the Prince perceived in the distance the back side of the first door, on which he could read: "ACCEPT THE WORLD".

"Strangely enough", he said to himself, "that I did not see these words on the first time". He looked all around him and recognized this world which he had tried to conquer, to transform, to change. He was struck by the brightness and the beauty of every thing. By their perfection.

Nevertheless, it was the same world as before. Was it the world which had changed or the glance he had on it?

He met the Old Wise Man who asked him: "What have you learnt on your path?"

"I have learnt", the Prince said, that the world is a mirror for my soul. That my soul can't see the world, it sees itself in the world. When my soul is cheerful, the world seems cheerful to it.

When it is overcome, the world seems sad to it. The world itself is neither sad nor cheerful. It IS there; it exists; it is everything. It was not the world that disturbed me, but the idea that I had of it. I have learnt to accept it without judging it, to accept it totally, unconditionally. "

"It is 3rd rule of Wisdom", the Old Man said. "You are here now in agreement with yourself, with the others and with the World."

A profound feeling of peace, serenity, plenitude, filled the Prince. Silence was in him.

"Now, you are ready to go past the last Threshold", the Old Wise Man said, "the one that goes from the silence of Plenitude to the Plenitude of Silence ".

And the Old Man disappeared.

(Text proposed by Françoise Laurent)

Lord Buddha said. . . . . . .

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.

What we think, we become.

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.

An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.

Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds.

To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true
and kind, they can change our world.

Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten.

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.

Use and train your mind to get what you want. Instead of letting your mind to use you to get what mind wants.

Hope this will give you the same enlightenment like I have.

I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart

I think this is my second time reading this article sent by a friend via email and every time I read it I always feel so touched. There are times when I feel that my husband is spending too much time on his work or he would also make me mad with his attitudes, but then I would also remember all the sweets things he have done for me... rubbing my feet when I feel pain; cook me supper when I'm hungry; replenish my shampoo when I run out of it... and many many more.

So I remind myself, it's okay he dun send me flowers or gifts on anniversaries but at least he remembers them; it's okay he dun spend as much time with me as I want him to but at least I know he's busy working to provide for the family.

*********************************************

To All Married Couples and Singles Who Intend to Get Married (Worth reading this)

====================================
When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man!

That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; I had lost my heart to a lovely girl called Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, 30% shares of mycompany and the car. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life withme had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly.

Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible… Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage…

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she was going crazy.

Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully. My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset.

I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office. On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest... I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning... This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me; she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart.

Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished. Then she touched my forehead. "Do you have a fever?" She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death does us apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up.. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote: 'I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart'

The small details of our lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, the property, the bank balance that matters. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

Relationships are made not to exploit, not to be broken.

We teach some by what we say
We teach some more by what we do
But we teach most by what we are
- Unknown

You don't get to choose how you are going to die, or when, but, you can decide how you are going to live, here and now.

Remember:
People will forget what you said...
People will forget what you did...
But people will never forget how you made them feel....