Thanks For Your Time

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, 'Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.'

Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

'Jack, did you hear me?'

'Oh sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,' Jack said.

'Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it,' Mom told him.

'I loved that old house he lived in,' Jack said.

'You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life,' she said.

'He's the one who taught me carpentry,' he said. 'I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral,' Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.

'What's wrong, Jack?' his Mom asked.

'The box is gone,' he said.

'What box?' Mom asked.

'There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was the thing I
value most,' Jack said. It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

'Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him,' Jack said. 'I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom.'

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day, Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. 'Signature required on a
package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days,' the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. 'Mr. Harold Belser' it read.

Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside. 'Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life.'

A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes,! Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: 'Jack, Thanks for your time! - Harold Belser.'

'The thing he valued most...was...my time.'

Jack held the watch for a few minutes then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. 'Why?' Janet, his assistant asked.

'I need some time to spend with my son,' he said. 'Oh, by the way, Janet...thanks for your time!'

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.

Peace

A long time ago a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists entered the contest. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.

The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

"Because," explained the king,"peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.


This is to remind us that we were not put in the world to hide in a cave, but to create a life amidst the chaos of the universe and to refine the world in the process, therefore creating true peace.

Do You Know What You Really Want?

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."

The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"

The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years." "But what then?" asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions?...Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire, move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

Open Your Eyes, Open Your Heart

This story is about a soldier who was finally coming home from the war. He called his parents from San Francisco.

Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me.

Sure, they replied, we'd love to meet him.

There's something you should know, the son continued, he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us.

I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.

No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.

Son, said the father, you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own.

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him until a few days later, however, when they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.

LIFE QUIZ...

You don't actually have to take the quiz. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point - an awesome one...

Take this quiz:

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel, appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes or scholars whose stories have inspired you.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

Have a good day ahead!


This post has been edited by MayAnne: Dec 7 2009, 10:58 AM

What About Tomorrow?

Tomorrow is a day that seems very far away. We wish for it, cant wait to see it, try to borrow off of it, often wonder what it will bring, frequently putting off different tasks today, going on the promise that we will see tomorrow when in actuality, we were never promised tomorrow.

Why not live each day as your last?

Some people would view the above quote as a license to party non-stop, like a perpetual Mardis Gras or Carnival in Rio. While fun in doses certainly has its merit, what it is really referring to is, Did you use your time here to achieve the most you could, to help the most people you could, to show kindness when needed? Did you use your time for caring for your family and friends, mentoring others, nurturing your children in a healthy way?

You should look at your life and ask yourself, if you were not here tomorrow, would you be proud of what you had done in your life so far? If the answer is no, then it's time to make some changes. Start by helping someone... and you will be on the right path.

The Best Years of My Life

Erma Bombeck, a well known author and humorist, wrote the following, from which we all can learn a lot.

"If I had my life to live over again I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

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 - and 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."


This is to remind us not to wait until we are in our final years to look back and say what we should have done. Do it now so we can look back in our final years and say, "Thank God I changed and had the best years of my life."

Rock With Me

There was once an elderly, sad woman in a nursing home. She wouldn't talk to anyone or request anything. She seemed merely to exist - rocking in her creaky old rocking chair.

The old woman didn't have many visitors. But every few days, a concerned and wise young nurse would go into her room. She didn't try to speak or ask questions of the old lady. She simply pulled up another rocking chair beside the old woman and rocked with her.

Weeks or months later, the old woman finally spoke.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you for rocking with me."



In life there are times when we are meant to talk and be supportive, and there are times when we can help by just showing up. Actions, as we are told are often more important than words. The next time you know someone in need, just be there and be supportive.

Understanding Nature...

Once upon a time a scorpion wanted to cross a brook. On the bank he saw a frog and asked if the frog would give him a ride to the other side.

"Oh no," says the frog, "If I carry you on my back you will sting me."

"But why would I sting you when we would both surely perish," replied the scorpion.

The frog eventually conceded that the scorpion had a point, and agreed to the request.

Half way across, the scorpion stung the frog, and they both began to drown.

"But why did you break your word and sting me, knowing it would be certain death for us both?" cried the frog.

"Because it is in my nature," said the scorpion.


While all efforts should be made to be kind, there are people out there whose nature is completely hostile, where kindness doesnt work. For the non-professional therapist, often the best response is non-contact. Each person in life has challenges and we are not responsible for fixing everyone. Help those we can, but be realistic and stay away from those who will harm us.

Its All How You Look At Things

A very old lady looked in the mirror one morning. She had three remaining hairs on her head, and being a positive soul, she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she braided her three hairs, and she had a great day.

Some days later, looking in the mirror one morning, preparing for her day, she saw that she had only two hairs remaining. "Hmm, two hairs... I fancy a centre parting today." She duly parted her two hairs, and as ever, she had a great day.

A week or so later, she saw that she had just one hair left on her head. "One hair huh...," she mused, "I know, a pony-tail will be perfect." And again she had a great day.

The next morning she looked in the mirror. She was completely bald.

"Finally bald huh," she said to herself, "How wonderful! I won't have to waste time doing my hair any more.."


This is to remind us to always look for the positive side in things. A positive outlook, more than positive events, makes a person much happier. So why hurt ourselves and our sense of happiness by looking for what is wrong. It is much easier finding wrong than right but what is the point?

Why Things Happen

Hello my name is Janet and about 4 years ago I was living alone with my 2 cats in Wisconsin. On one of the coldest winter nights, I was outside and slipped and fell on the ice. I guess I landed on the back of my head.

The next day, Sunday, my parents had become worried about me because they could not reach me by telephone. They came over and realized something had happened to me because my hands and knees were all bloody which was caused by my crawling to my apartment the night before after falling.

They took me to the Emergency Room where the last thing I remember was the doctor cutting off the rings on my fingers. When I asked why, she replied that your fingers are frostbitten. The doctors told my parents that I would probably not survive the night, but I did. I understand I was in ICU for a day and then in the hospital for a month. I had to learn how to walk, talk and eat. I learned that I had a brain stem injury and all my fingertips had turned black from frostbite. Luckily they did not have to amputate my fingers.

After the month in the hospital, I was told that I could not live on my own, so I was moved to a nursing home. There I underwent physical, speech and occupational therapy. One night I was working in the computer room for us residents, and I noticed a man sitting in a chair watching me. He was there visiting his mother who had been in a car accident and was also residing in the same nursing home. Ray asked me if he could e-mail me and I said yes. He e-mailed me and asked me out to dinner. So every weekend when he came up to visit his mother, he would take me out to dinner. After I had been in the nursing home for 8 months, I was finally released to live on my own. And from that point on Ray and I have been together ever since. And that is how I found my one true love in a nursing home.


Everything happens for a reason, even if we don't understand why. Often one has to undergo very difficult challenges to bring him or her to a soul mate or further along the mission that one has in this world.

~ Have a beautiful weekend! ~

The Boomerang Effect

A father and a son were taking a walk in the mountains. Suddenly, the son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAhhhhh!" To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAhhhhh!"

Curious, he yells: "Who are you?" He receives the answer: "Who are you?"

Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!" He receives the answer: "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?" The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!" The voice answers: "I admire you!" Again the man screams: "You are a champion!" The voice answers: "You are a champion!"

The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: "People call this Echo, but really this is Life. It gives you back everything you say or do."

Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.

This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life. Life will give you back everything you have given to it." Your life is not a coincidence; It is a reflection of you.


Life is a boomerang... you get out what you put in.

When You Feel Small Or Insignificant...

Many years ago I was taking a prayer walk. I lived in the high desert and much sage brush grew. As I was walking I noticed the tiniest flower I had ever seen. Stopping to stand and look over it I spoke outwardly to the flower: "Youre so little and all alone. What are you doing out here where no one can see you?" Just then I heard a still small voice inside of me say: "You see it just as I see you." The next time you feel small or insignificant, remember even the littlest of things are noticed by someone... including God.

~ Rev Dr Ruth Plante ~

The Power of The Pencil

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.

"There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "..before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."

1. You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.

2. You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.

3. You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

4. The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

5. On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.


We all need to constantly be sharpened and this parable should encourage us to know that we are special, with unique God given talents and abilities and that only we can fulfill the purpose which we were born to accomplish. Never allow ourselves to get discouraged and think that our life is insignificant and cannot be changed.

This post has been edited by MayAnne: Mar 9 2010, 10:45 PM

"Don't we all?"

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't want to be bothered times."

"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought. He didn't. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.

After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a very pretty car," he said. He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. I said, "Thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "Ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice. "Do you need any help?" I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments.

I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me. "Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun. Don't we all?

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help.


Yes, we all do need help and we all can give help. This is all part of the divine plan.

Caring for The Seasons

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly, so he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no, it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your fall.


This is to remind us not to let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don't judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to follow.

Contemplating God's Master Plan

When I was a little girl, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering.

I told her that it looked like a mess from where I was. As from the underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat. She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "My daughter, you go about your playing for awhile, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."

I would wonder why she was using dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "My daughter, come sit on my knee." This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset.

I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy.

Then Mother would say to me, "My daughter, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."

Many times through the years I have looked up to God in heaven and said, " What is going on here? What are you doing?" He has answered, "I am embroidering your life." I responded, "But it looks like a mess to me down here. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?"

"My child, a powerful voice from above said, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."


When contemplating God's Master Plan, we should be reminded that all we know is the fact that we dont know all. But we do know that in the end, everything is for good. It is just our lack of understanding that makes us perceive it otherwise. So when something challenging happens, look at it from this perspective that it is part of our growth, part of our healing, part of our reason for being here and part of the Divine Plan. Then smile!

TIME

I dont know that the thoughts below are really "life lessons" or not, but it had a profound effect on me the morning it came to my mind. It made me realize just how short our lives are on this earth, no matter what age we reach. It made me realize that we are so consumed with time and that is the one element we have no control over. For no matter what we do, time keeps ticking by at an ever-increasing speed.

As I awake each morning, I glance at the clock to see what time it is. One morning as I was doing this, the thought came to my mind that when we are young we try to determine the time upon awakening because we live by the minute. As we mature, we seek to know what day of the week it is, because we live by the day. Then as we grow older, we seek to know what month it might be, for time has sped up and now we live by the month. Then as we grow into our senior years, we seek to know what year it is for now time is simply spinning out of control and we strive to just hang on and live by the year.


This is to remind us not to waste any time in our life, whether it is a minute, a day, a month or a year.

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." ~ Norma Jeane Dougherty ~

I seriously don't think she was born blonde... and todayis her birthday!