Sunday, October 28, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Selfless love
My wife called, 'How long will you be poring over that newspaper?
Will you come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?'
I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene.
My only daughter Sindu looked frightened. Tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of her was a bowl filled to its brim with Curd Rice.
Sindu is a nice child, quite intelligent for her age. She has just turned eight.
She particularly detested Curd Rice. My mother and my wife are orthodox, and believe firmly in the 'coolingeffects' of Curd Rice! I cleared my throat, and picked up the bowl. 'Sindu, darling, why don't you take a few mouthful of this Curd Rice?Just for Dad's sake, dear. And, if you don't, your Mom will shout at me'I could sense my wife's scowl behind my back.
Sindu softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her hands.
'OK, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this.
But, you should...' Sindu hesitated.
'Dad, if I eat this entire curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?'
'Oh sure, darling'.
'Promise?'
'Promise'.
I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, and clinched the deal. 'Ask Mom also to give a similar promise', my daughter insisted. My wife slapped her hand on Sindu's, muttering 'Promise', without any emotion.
Now I became a bit anxious. 'Sindu dear, you shouldn’t insist on getting a computer or any such expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive’.
Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity.
I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child eat something that she detested. After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes wide with expectation. All our attention was on her.
'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.
'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved off?
Impossible!'
'Never in our family!' my mother rasped.
'She has been watching too much of television.
Our culture is getting totally spoiled with these TV programs!'
'Sindu darling, why don't you ask for something else?
We will be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything else', Sindu said with finality.
'Please, Sindu, why don’t you try to understand our feelings?' I tried to plead with her.
'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'. Sindu was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for. Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra, and its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?'
It was time for me to call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.'
'Are you out your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.
'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor her own.
Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'
With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and her eyes looked big and beautiful.
On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school.
It was a sight to watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom.
She turned around and waved.
I waved back with a smile.
Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, 'Sinduja, please wait for me!'
What struck me was the hairless head of that boy. 'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought.
'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!' Without introducing herself, a lady got out of the car, and continued,’ That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son Harish.
He is suffering from... ... leukemia.' She paused to muffle her sobs.
'Harish could not attend the school for the whole of the last month.
He lost all his hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy.
He refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates.'
Sinduja visited him last week, and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son!
Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.'
I stood transfixed. And then, I wept.
'My little Angel, you are teaching me how self-less real love is!'
*The happiest people on this planet are not those who live on
their own terms but are those who change their terms for the ones whom they love
Will you come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?'
I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene.
My only daughter Sindu looked frightened. Tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of her was a bowl filled to its brim with Curd Rice.
Sindu is a nice child, quite intelligent for her age. She has just turned eight.
She particularly detested Curd Rice. My mother and my wife are orthodox, and believe firmly in the 'coolingeffects' of Curd Rice! I cleared my throat, and picked up the bowl. 'Sindu, darling, why don't you take a few mouthful of this Curd Rice?Just for Dad's sake, dear. And, if you don't, your Mom will shout at me'I could sense my wife's scowl behind my back.
Sindu softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her hands.
'OK, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this.
But, you should...' Sindu hesitated.
'Dad, if I eat this entire curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?'
'Oh sure, darling'.
'Promise?'
'Promise'.
I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, and clinched the deal. 'Ask Mom also to give a similar promise', my daughter insisted. My wife slapped her hand on Sindu's, muttering 'Promise', without any emotion.
Now I became a bit anxious. 'Sindu dear, you shouldn’t insist on getting a computer or any such expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive’.
Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity.
I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child eat something that she detested. After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes wide with expectation. All our attention was on her.
'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.
'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved off?
Impossible!'
'Never in our family!' my mother rasped.
'She has been watching too much of television.
Our culture is getting totally spoiled with these TV programs!'
'Sindu darling, why don't you ask for something else?
We will be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything else', Sindu said with finality.
'Please, Sindu, why don’t you try to understand our feelings?' I tried to plead with her.
'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'. Sindu was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for. Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra, and its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?'
It was time for me to call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.'
'Are you out your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.
'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor her own.
Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'
With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and her eyes looked big and beautiful.
On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school.
It was a sight to watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom.
She turned around and waved.
I waved back with a smile.
Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, 'Sinduja, please wait for me!'
What struck me was the hairless head of that boy. 'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought.
'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!' Without introducing herself, a lady got out of the car, and continued,’ That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son Harish.
He is suffering from... ... leukemia.' She paused to muffle her sobs.
'Harish could not attend the school for the whole of the last month.
He lost all his hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy.
He refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates.'
Sinduja visited him last week, and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son!
Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.'
I stood transfixed. And then, I wept.
'My little Angel, you are teaching me how self-less real love is!'
*The happiest people on this planet are not those who live on
their own terms but are those who change their terms for the ones whom they love
Define Courage!!!
This is a famous paper written for an Oxford philosophy exam,normally requiring an eight page essay answer and expected to be backed up with source material, quotes and analytical reasoning.
This guy wrote the below answer and topped the exam!*
OXFORD EXAMINATION BOARD 1987*
*ESSAY QUESTION*
Question: What is courage? (50 Marks)
Answer: This is courage
This guy wrote the below answer and topped the exam!*
OXFORD EXAMINATION BOARD 1987*
*ESSAY QUESTION*
Question: What is courage? (50 Marks)
Answer: This is courage
Never stop making pancakes
Six year old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten.
Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove, (and he didn't know how the stove worked!). Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky. And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him.
Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process.
That's how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend or we can't stand our job or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do.
That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes," for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried...
From the web pages of "noahark"
Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove, (and he didn't know how the stove worked!). Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky. And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him.
Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process.
That's how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend or we can't stand our job or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do.
That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes," for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried...
From the web pages of "noahark"
Sunday, October 7, 2007
LOL :D
Nice One:
A man goes to the doctor with a swollen leg. After a careful examination, the doctor gives the man a pill big enough to choke a horse. "I'll be right back with some water," the doctor tells him. The doctor has been gone a while and the man loses patience. He hobbles out to the drinking fountain, forces the pill down his throat and gobbles down water until the pill clears his throat. He hobbles back into the examining room. The doctor comes back with a bucket of warm water. "Ok, after the tablet dissolves, you should soak that leg for at least 30 minutes."
The Out House
Once there was a little boy that lived in the country. They had to use an outhouse, and the little boy hated it because it was hot in the summer and cold in the winter and stank all the time. The outhouse was sitting on the bank of a creek and the boy determined that one day he would push that outhouse into the creek. One day after a spring rain, the creek was swollen so the little boy decided today was the day to push the outhouse into the creek. So he got a large stick and started pushing.
Finally, the outhouse toppled into the creek and floated away. That night his dad told him they were going to the woodshed after supper. Knowing that meant a spanking, the little boy asked why. The dad replied, "Someone pushed the outhouse into the creek today. It was you, wasn't it son?" The boy answered yes. Then he thought a moment an d said, "Dad, I read in school today that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree and didn't get into trouble because he told the truth." The dad replied, "Well, son, George Washington's father wasn't in the cherry tree."
Breakfast at the Whitehouse
Dick Cheney and George W. Bush were having breakfast at the White House. The attractive waitress asks Cheney what he would like, and he replies, .."I'd like a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit..." "And what can I get for you, Mr. President?"
George W. looking up from his menu, replies with his trademark wink and slight grin,.... "How about a quickie this morning?""Why, Mr. President!" the waitress exclaims "How rude! You're starting to act like Mr. Clinton, and you've only been in your second term of office for a year!" As the waitress storms away.
Cheney leans over to Bush and whispers..........."It's pronounced 'quiche'.
A man is giving a speech at his lodge meeting. He gets a bit carried away and talks for two hours. Finally, he realizes what he is doing and says, "I'm sorry I talked so long. I left my watch at home." A voice from the back of the room says, "There's a calendar behind you."
Where's the bird?
A carpet layer had just finished installing carpet for a lady.He stepped out for a smoke, only to realize he'd lost his cigarettes. He went back in and in the middle of the room, under the carpet, was a bump. "No sense pulling up the entire floor for one pack of smokes," he said to himself.He got out his hammer and flattened the hump.
As he was cleaning up, the lady came in. "Here," she said, handing him his pack of cigarettes. "I found them in the hallway.""Now," she said, "If only I could find my parakeet."
Ain't it the truth
I was on vacation, playing the slot machines. It was my first time in a casino, and I wasn't sure how the machines operated."Excuse me." I said to a casino employee. "How does this work?"
The worker showed me how to insert a bill, hit the spin button, and operate the release handle."And where does the money come out?" I asked.
He smiled and motioned to a far wall before saying, "Usually at the ATM."
On the way out
The priest was preparing a man for his long day's journey into night.Whispering firmly, the priest said, "Denounce the devil! Let him know how little you think of his evil!"The dying man said nothing.The priest repeated his advice. Still the dying man said nothing.
The priest asked, "Why do you refuse to denounce the devil and his evil?"The dying man said, "Until I know where I'm heading, I don't think I ought to aggravate anybody!"
The Efficiency Expert
An efficiency expert concluded his lecture with a note of caution. "You need to be careful about trying these techniques at home.""Why?" asked somebody from the audience.
"I watched my wife's routine at dinner for years," the expert explained. "She made lots of trips between the refrigerator, stove, table and cabinets, often carrying a single item at a time. One day I told her, 'Honey, why don't you try carrying several things at once?"
"Did it save time?" the guy in the audience asked. "Actually, yes," replied the expert. "It used to take her 30 minutes to make dinner. Now I do it in ten..
Wine Connoisseur
A great drinker being at table, they offered him grapes at dessert."Thank you!" said he, pushing back the plate; "I don't take my wine in pills!"
An investment counselor decided to go out on her own. She was shrewd and diligent, so business kept coming in, and pretty soon she realized that she needed an in-house counsel. She began to interview young lawyers.
"As I'm sure you can understand," she started off with one of the first applicants, "in a business like this, our personal integrity must be beyond question." She leaned forward. "Mr. Harper, are you an 'honest' lawyer?"
"Honest?" replied the job prospect. "Let me tell you something about honest. Why, I'm so honest that my father lent me $15,000 for my education, and I paidback every penny the minute I tried my very first case."
"Impressive. And what sort of case was that?" The lawyer squirmed in his seat and admitted, "He sued me for the money."
A man goes to the doctor with a swollen leg. After a careful examination, the doctor gives the man a pill big enough to choke a horse. "I'll be right back with some water," the doctor tells him. The doctor has been gone a while and the man loses patience. He hobbles out to the drinking fountain, forces the pill down his throat and gobbles down water until the pill clears his throat. He hobbles back into the examining room. The doctor comes back with a bucket of warm water. "Ok, after the tablet dissolves, you should soak that leg for at least 30 minutes."
The Out House
Once there was a little boy that lived in the country. They had to use an outhouse, and the little boy hated it because it was hot in the summer and cold in the winter and stank all the time. The outhouse was sitting on the bank of a creek and the boy determined that one day he would push that outhouse into the creek. One day after a spring rain, the creek was swollen so the little boy decided today was the day to push the outhouse into the creek. So he got a large stick and started pushing.
Finally, the outhouse toppled into the creek and floated away. That night his dad told him they were going to the woodshed after supper. Knowing that meant a spanking, the little boy asked why. The dad replied, "Someone pushed the outhouse into the creek today. It was you, wasn't it son?" The boy answered yes. Then he thought a moment an d said, "Dad, I read in school today that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree and didn't get into trouble because he told the truth." The dad replied, "Well, son, George Washington's father wasn't in the cherry tree."
Breakfast at the Whitehouse
Dick Cheney and George W. Bush were having breakfast at the White House. The attractive waitress asks Cheney what he would like, and he replies, .."I'd like a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit..." "And what can I get for you, Mr. President?"
George W. looking up from his menu, replies with his trademark wink and slight grin,.... "How about a quickie this morning?""Why, Mr. President!" the waitress exclaims "How rude! You're starting to act like Mr. Clinton, and you've only been in your second term of office for a year!" As the waitress storms away.
Cheney leans over to Bush and whispers..........."It's pronounced 'quiche'.
A man is giving a speech at his lodge meeting. He gets a bit carried away and talks for two hours. Finally, he realizes what he is doing and says, "I'm sorry I talked so long. I left my watch at home." A voice from the back of the room says, "There's a calendar behind you."
Where's the bird?
A carpet layer had just finished installing carpet for a lady.He stepped out for a smoke, only to realize he'd lost his cigarettes. He went back in and in the middle of the room, under the carpet, was a bump. "No sense pulling up the entire floor for one pack of smokes," he said to himself.He got out his hammer and flattened the hump.
As he was cleaning up, the lady came in. "Here," she said, handing him his pack of cigarettes. "I found them in the hallway.""Now," she said, "If only I could find my parakeet."
Ain't it the truth
I was on vacation, playing the slot machines. It was my first time in a casino, and I wasn't sure how the machines operated."Excuse me." I said to a casino employee. "How does this work?"
The worker showed me how to insert a bill, hit the spin button, and operate the release handle."And where does the money come out?" I asked.
He smiled and motioned to a far wall before saying, "Usually at the ATM."
On the way out
The priest was preparing a man for his long day's journey into night.Whispering firmly, the priest said, "Denounce the devil! Let him know how little you think of his evil!"The dying man said nothing.The priest repeated his advice. Still the dying man said nothing.
The priest asked, "Why do you refuse to denounce the devil and his evil?"The dying man said, "Until I know where I'm heading, I don't think I ought to aggravate anybody!"
The Efficiency Expert
An efficiency expert concluded his lecture with a note of caution. "You need to be careful about trying these techniques at home.""Why?" asked somebody from the audience.
"I watched my wife's routine at dinner for years," the expert explained. "She made lots of trips between the refrigerator, stove, table and cabinets, often carrying a single item at a time. One day I told her, 'Honey, why don't you try carrying several things at once?"
"Did it save time?" the guy in the audience asked. "Actually, yes," replied the expert. "It used to take her 30 minutes to make dinner. Now I do it in ten..
Wine Connoisseur
A great drinker being at table, they offered him grapes at dessert."Thank you!" said he, pushing back the plate; "I don't take my wine in pills!"
An investment counselor decided to go out on her own. She was shrewd and diligent, so business kept coming in, and pretty soon she realized that she needed an in-house counsel. She began to interview young lawyers.
"As I'm sure you can understand," she started off with one of the first applicants, "in a business like this, our personal integrity must be beyond question." She leaned forward. "Mr. Harper, are you an 'honest' lawyer?"
"Honest?" replied the job prospect. "Let me tell you something about honest. Why, I'm so honest that my father lent me $15,000 for my education, and I paidback every penny the minute I tried my very first case."
"Impressive. And what sort of case was that?" The lawyer squirmed in his seat and admitted, "He sued me for the money."
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