Semen makes women happier and more affectionate (apparently!)

Turns out that we should all be dolling out oral sex treats for the good of our mental health, as a new study has found semen to be a natural antidepressant.

Hmmm…this is a new one on us boys.
The study carried out by The State University of New York found that semen has 'mood-altering chemicals' which will elevate our mood and increase our affection levels.
Not only that, seminal fluid has also been found to induce sleep and contain at least three antidepressants.
Taking it one step further, researchers have claimed that on this basis, women that have regular unprotected sex are less likely to be depressed and perform better on cognitive tests.
The happiness-boosting chemicals found in semen include: 

• Cortisol – known to increase affection
• Estrone and oxytone – which both elevate your mood
• A hormone which releases thyrotropin, an anti-depressant
• Melatonin – a sleep inducing agent
• Serotonin – an anti-depressant

But before you go about starting your mornings with a semen smoothie – these are just hypothesis for now. 
The researchers rounded up 293 female students and asked them to fill out an anonymous questionnaire about their mental health and certain aspects of their sex life.
Any unprotected sexual activity was used as an indirect measure of the presence of seminal plasma being in the women's bodies.
They then completed a Beck Depression Inventory to ascertain their mental state.
The study found that women who were having unprotected sex showed less depressive symptoms that those who used condoms or even those who abstained from sex altogether.
We're not sure this counts as conclusive evidence just yet science guys – but we'd be interested to know the effects of this as a chat up line on the ladies…

source: Yahoo.com

Correct postures while using computer

Correct Postures

Here are some correct postures which should be used while using a computer to reduce stress and other ill effects.

 Exercises for relief from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

While you are receiving treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome regular exercise sessions can help your rapid recovery. We have included some photos and explanations of recommended exercises.
The following exercises may be prescribed by your healthcare provider in conjunction with Low Level Laser therapy. In the photos you will see below, the right wrist is the one being exercised. If your left wrist is affected, do the same exercises with the left hand.

When doing each of these exercises, the hand should be flexed until a sensation of stretching is felt in the arm. The position should be held for 10 to 15 seconds for each of 10 repetitions. Try to this set of exercises three times a day.
Exercises 1 and 2 flex and extend the hand and stretch the wrist. Bend the hand as shown in the photos and apply moderate pressure to it with the other hand.



Exercise 1 - Wrist Flexion Bend the hand being exercised backward ( palm away from you ), as shown in the photos. With the fingers of the other hand, apply pressure.
(Click on photo for larger view)




Exercise 2 - Wrist Extension Bend the hand being exercised forward ( palm toward you ), as shown in the photos. With the fingers of the other hand, apply pressure.

Exercises 3 and 4 are similar to 1 and 2 except that an object, such as a pad provides the resistance to the hand, instead of your other hand.


Exercise 3 - Wrist Flexion against surface With your arm held vertically, press your hand, palm down, on a firm surface, as shown in the photo.



Exercise 4 - Wrist Extension against surface With your arm held vertically, press your hand, palm up, on a firm surface, as shown in the photo.



Exercises 5 and 6 involve the side to side range of motion of the hand.


Exercise 5 - (Radial Deviation) Place your hand palm downward. Grasp the fingers of the hand to be exercised with your other hand (as shown in the photo) and twist the hand toward you. Keep the hand horizontal.



Exercise 6 - (Ulnar Deviation) Place your hand palm downward. Grasp the fingers of the hand to be exercised with your other hand (as shown in the photo) and twist the hand away from you. Keep the hand horizontal.

IMPORTANT EMAIL ADVICE

'IMPORTANT EMAIL ADVICE'

IF NOTHING ELSE, IT IS GOOD ETIQUITE AND SAVES DOWNLOAD TIME.

A friend who is a computer expert received the following directly from a system administrator for a corporate system.  

It is an excellent message that ABSOLUTELY applies to ALL OF US  who send e-mails.  

Please read the short letter below, even if you're sure you already follow proper procedures.

Do you really know how to forward e-mails?  50% of us do; 50% DO NOT.

Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail?  Do you hate it?  
Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses and names.

As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every E-mail address that has come across his computer.  
Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit.  
That's right, all of that inconvenience over five cents!  How do you stop it?  Well, there are several easy steps.

Try the following if you haven't done it before:
(1)  When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top).  
That's right, DELETE them.  
Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do.  It only takes a second.  You MUST click the "Forward" button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message.  If you don't click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit the message at all.

(2)  Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use theTO: or Cc: fields for adding e-mail addresses.  
Always use the BCC: (blind carbon copy) field for listing the e-mail addresses.  
This is the way the people you send to will only see their own e-mail address.  
If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear.  

Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy.  
When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say "Undisclosed Recipients in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it.

(3)  Remove any "FW :" in the subject line.  You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.

(4)  ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual e-mail you are reading .  
Ever get those e-mails that you have to open 10 pages to read the one page with the information on it?  
By Forwarding from the actual page you wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many e-mails just to see what you sent.

(5)  Have you ever gotten an email that is a petition?  It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book.  The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses.  

A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein.

DO NOT put your email address on any petition.  
If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient.  Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email address on a petition.   (And don't believe the ones that say that the email is being traced, it just ain't so!)  

Some of the other emails to DELETE and not forward are:

1. The one that says something like, "Send this email to 10 people and you'll see something great run across your screen."   Or sometimes they'll just tease you by saying 'something really cute will happen.'  IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!  (We are still seeing some of the same emails that we waited on 10 years ago!)    

2.  I don't let the bad luck or threatening ones scare me either, they get trashed.    

AND
3.  Before you forward an 'Amber Alert', or a 'Virus Alert', or some of the other emails floating around nowadays, check them out before you forward them.  Most of them are junk mail that's been circling the net for YEARS!  Just about everything you receive in an email that is in question can be checked out on Snopes.  Just go to www.snopes.com .  It's really easy to find out if it's real or not.  If it's not, please don't pass it on.  
There are other sites available to check hoaxes.  ANOTHER is  http://www.truthorfiction.com/

So please, in the future, let's stop the junk mail and the viruses.

Finally, here's an idea!!!  
Let's send this to everyone we know ( but strip my address off first, please).  
This is something that SHOULD be forwarded, so do it.  

                                                    Thanks  

--

 

when woman lies

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, 'My dear child, why are you crying?' The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family.
The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires.

 

'Is this your thimble?' the Lord asked .
The seamstress replied, 'No.'

 

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a
golden thimble
studded with rubies.

 

'Is this your thimble?' t he Lord asked. Again, the seamstress replied, 'No.'

 

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble.

 

'Is this your thimble ?' the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, 'Yes.' The Lord was pleased w ith the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.

 

Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, 'Why are you crying?'
'Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!'

 

 

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney.
'Is this your husband?' the Lord asked.

 

'Yes,' cried the seamstress.
The Lord was furious. 'You lied! That is an untruth!'
The seamstress replied, 'Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt.

 

Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S why I said 'yes' to George Clooney.

 

And so the Lord let her keep him.

 

The moral of this story is:

Whenever a woman lies, it's for a good and honorable reason, and in the best interest of others. That's our story, and we're sticking to it.

 

Signed,

 

All Us Women

how big are you and how big is your God?

THIS is really fascinating - it's rather dazzling to see it presented this way.       I CERTAINLY THOUGHT THIS WAS ENLIGHTENING. BEYOND OUR SUN . IT'S A BIG UNIVERSE.      ANTARES IS THE 15TH BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY . IT IS MORE THAN 1000 LIGHT YEARS AWAY. NOW HOW BIG ARE YOU? ------------------------------------------------------------------ NOW TRY TO WRAP YOUR MIND AROUND THIS........ THIS IS A HUBBLE TELESCOPE ULTRA DEEP FIELD INFRARED VIEW OF COUNTLESS 'ENTIRE'  GALAXIES BILLIONS OF LIGHT-YEARS AWAY. BELOW IS A CLOSE UP OF ONE OF THE DARKEST REGIONS OF THE PHOTO ABOVE. HUMBLING,  ISN'T IT? And  yet, Someone  knows how many hairs are on your head, and not  even a single sparrow dies apart from His will (Mt. 10:29 -31)! NOW HOW BIG ARE YOU? AND HOW BIG ARE THE THINGS THAT UPSET YOU TODAY? AND  HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD? KEEP LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE. AND DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF! IT'S ALL UNDER CONTROL (Job 38)

HOPE YOU CAN FIND TIME TO SHARE THIS TO A FRIEND......................

The Story of the Eagle

This is awesome.   Let us learn from this

   

Our  lives are not determined by what happens to  us but  by how we react to what happens, Not  by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to  life. A  positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts,  events, and outcomes. It  is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary  results. Let's  change to make a change!!!

Tomato Story

You Will Know What is Better When
it Comes to Earning Money

Tomato Story

A Jobless man applied for the position of 'office
boy' at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed
him then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.

'You are employed' he said. Give me your
e-mail address and I'll send you the
application to fill in, as well as date when
you may start.

The man replied 'But I don't have a
computer, neither an email'.

'I'm sorry', said the HR manager. If you don't
have an email, that means you do not exist.
And who doesn't exist, cannot have the job.'

The man left with no hope at all. He didn't
know what to do, with only $10 in his pocket..
He then decided to go to the supermarket and
buy a10 Kg tomato crate.He then sold the
tomatoes in a door to door round. In less than
two hours,he succeeded to double his capital.
He repeated the operation three times,and
returned home with $60.

The man realized that he can survive by this way,
and started to go everyday earlier, and return
late.Thus, his money doubled or tripledeveryday.

Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then
he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.

5 years later, the man is one of the biggest food
retailers in the US h e started to plan his family's
future, and decided to have a life insurance.

He called an insurance broker, and chose a
protection plan.
When the conversation was concluded the
broker asked him his email. The man replied,
'I don't have an email.' The broker answered
curiously, 'You don't have an email, and yet
have succeeded to build an empire. Can you
imagine what you could have been if you had
an e mail?!!' The man thought for a while and
replied, 'Yes, I'd be an office boy at Microsoft!'

Moral of the story

Moral 1:
Internet is not the solution to your life.

Moral 2:
If you don't have Internet, but work hard,
you can be a millionaire.

Unconditional Love

A Must Read. Surely this will touch your heart…

I was walking around in a Target store, when I saw a Cashier hand this little boy some money back.

The boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old.

The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll.'
 

Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him: '' Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money? ''

The old lady replied: '' You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear. ''

Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly.

The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.

Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to.

'It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas. She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.'
 

I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry.

But he replied to me sadly. ' No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.'

His eyes were so sad while saying this.

'My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister. ''

My heart nearly stopped.

The little boy looked up at me and said: 'I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.'

Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me 'I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me.'

'I love my mommy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.'

Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.

I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll? ''

'OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough.' I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money.

The little boy said: 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!'

Then he looked at me and added, 'I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give It to my sister. He heard me! ''

'I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose. ''

'My mommy loves white roses.'

A few minutes later, the old lady returned and I left with my basket.

I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind.

Then I remembered a local newspaper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl.

The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma.

Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspap er that the young woman had passed away.

I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make last wishes before her burial.

She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.

I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed forever.... The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine.

And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him.

Now you have 2 choices:

1) Repost this message.

2) Ignore it as if it never touched your heart

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:

'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'
 

For those who prefer to think that God is not watching over us.... go ahead and delete this. For the rest of us.... pass this on.

The Window

The Window" (Author unknown)     Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man  was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.     The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and   families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military  service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the  man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.     The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where  his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and  color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while  children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite  detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.     One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.  Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive  words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see  anything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt  ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He   began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that  window - and that thought now controlled his life.     Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window  began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man   watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking  stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence--deathly silence.     The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away--no  words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he  could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.     Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his   first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. Moral of the story:     The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy.     The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like   programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips  just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about. " Dare to dream, and ask for what you want, life is full of riches, glory and splendor"

THE SEED

Very nice for us to remember. Plant more good deeds.

 

The Seed (A very nice anecdote)

A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, 'It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.' The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. 'I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED.  I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.'

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story.

She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.

Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by - still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing.  Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick at his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. 'My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,' said the CEO. 'Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!' All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the  front.  Jim was terrified. He thought, 'The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!'

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his Seed - Jim told him the story.

The  CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, 'Behold your next Chief Executive! His name is Jim!'

Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new CEO the others said?

Then the CEO said, 'One  year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today.

But, I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.

When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!'

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment.
If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.___________ _________ _________ _________ _______

Isn't it wonderful? What a story!!

Siblings' unconditional love (a must read!)

I was born in a secluded village on a mountain.  Day by day, my parents plowed the yellow dry soil with their backs towards the sky.  I have a brother who is 3 years younger than me.

I wanted to buy a handkerchief, which all girls around me seemed to have. So, one day I stole 50 cents from my father's drawer. Father had discovered about the stolen money right away.  He made me and my younger brother kneel against the wall as he held a bamboo stick in his hand.

"Who stole the money?" he asked.

I was stunned, too afraid to talk. Neither of us admitted to the fault, so he said, "Fine, if nobody wants to admit, you two should be beaten!"  He lifted up the bamboo stick.

Suddenly, my younger brother gripped father's hand and said, "Dad, I was the one who did it!"

The long stick smacked my brother's back repeatedly.  Father was so angry that he kept on whipping my brother until he lost his breath.  After that, he sat down on our stone bed and scolded my brother, "You have learned to steal from your own house now. What other embarrassing things will you be possibly doing in the future? You should be beaten to death, you shameless thief!"

That night, my mother and I hugged my brother. His body was full of wounds from the beating but he never shed a single tear.  In the middle of the night, all of sudden, I cried out loudly.  My brother covered my mouth with his little hand and said, "Sis, now don't cry anymore. Everything has happened."  

 

I still hate myself for not having enough courage to admit what I did.  Years gone by, but the incident still seemed like it just happened yesterday.  I will never forget my brother's expression when he protected me.  

 

That year, my brother was 8 years old and I was 11 years old.

When my brother was in his last year of secondary school, he was accepted in an upper secondary school in the central. At the same time, I was accepted into a university in the province.

That night, father squatted in the yard, smoking, packet by packet.  I could hear him ask my mother, "Both of our children, they have good results?

Mother wiped off her tears and sighed, "What is the use? How can we possibly finance both of them?"

At that time, my brother walked out, he stood in front of father and said, "Dad, I don't want to continue my study anymore, I have read enough books."

Father swung his hand and slapped my brother on his face.  "Why do you have a spirit so damn weak? Even if it means I have to beg for money on the streets, I will send you two to school until you have both finished your study!"  And then, he started to knock on every house in the village to borrow money.

I stuck out my hand as gently as I can to my brother's swollen face, and told him, "A boy has to continue his study; if not, he will not be able to overcome this poverty we are experiencing."

I, on the other hand, had decided not to further my study at the university.  Nobody knew that on the next day, before dawn, my brother left the house with a few pieces of worn-out clothes and a few dry beans. He sneaked to my side of the bed and left a note on my pillow; "Sis, getting into a university is not easy. I will go find a job and I will send money to you."
I held the note while sitting on my bed, and cried until I lost my voice.  

 

That year, my brother was 17 years old; I was 20 years old.

With the money father borrowed from the whole village, and the money my brother earned from carrying cement on his back at a construction site, I finally managed to get to the third year of my study in the university.

One day, while I was studying in my room, my roommate came in and told me, "There's a villager waiting for you outside!"

Why would there be a villager looking for me? I walked out, and I saw my brother from afar. His whole body was covered with dirt, dust, cement and sand. I asked him, "Why did you not tell my roommate that you are my brother?"

He replied with a smile, "Look at my appearance. What will they think if they would know that I am your brother? Won't they laugh at you?"

I felt so touched, and tears filled my eyes. I swept away dirt and dust from my brother's body. And told him with a lump in my throat, "I don't care what people would say! You are my brother no matter what your appearance is."

From his pocket, he took out a butterfly hair clip. He put it on my hair and said, "I saw all the girls in town are wearing it. So, I think you should also have one."  I could not hold back myself anymore. I pulled my brother into my arms and cried.  

 

That year, my brother was 20 years old; I was 23 years old.

I noticed that the broken window was repaired the first time I brought my boyfriend home. The house was scrubbed cleaned.  After my boyfriend left, I danced like a little girl in front of my mother, "Mom, you didn't have to spend so much time cleaning the house!"

 

But she told me with a smile, "It was your brother who went home early to clean the house. Didn't you see the wound on his hand?  He hurt his hand while he was replacing the window."

I went into my brother's bedroom. Looking at his thin face, I felt like there are hundreds of needle pricked in my heart.  I applied some ointment on his wound and put a bandage on it, "Does it hurt?" I asked him.

"No, it doesn't hurt. You know, when at the construction site, stones keep falling on my feet.
Even that could not stop me from working."  In the middle of the sentence, he stopped. I turned my back on him and tears rolled down my face.  

 

That year, my brother was 23 years old; I was 26 years old.

After I got married, I lived in the city. Many times my husband invited my parents to come and live with us, but they didn't want to.  They said that once they left the village, they wouldn't know what to do.

My brother agreed with them. He said, "Sis, you just take care of your parents-in-law. I will take care of mom and dad here."

My husband became the director of his factory. We asked my brother to accept the offer of being the manager in the maintenance department. But my brother rejected the offer. He insisted on working as a repairman instead for a start.

One day, my brother was on the top of a ladder repairing a cable, when he got electrocuted, and was sent to the hospital.  My husband and I visited him at the hospital. Looking at the white gypsum on his leg, I grumbled, "Why did you reject the offer of being a manager? Managers won't do something dangerous like that. Now look at you, you are suffering a serious injury. Why didn't you just listen to us?"

With a serious expression on his face, he defended his decision, "Think of brother-in-law. He just became the director and I, being uneducated, would become a manager; what kind of rumors would fly around?"

My husband's eyes filled up with tears, and then I said, "But you lack in education only because of me!"

"Why do you talk about the past?" he said and then he held my hand.

That year, he was 26 years old and I was 29 years old.

My brother was 30 years old when he married a farmer girl from the village.  During the wedding reception, the master of ceremonies asked him, "Who is the one person you respect and love the most?"

Without even taking a time to think, he answered, "My sister." He continued by telling a story I could not even remember.

"When I was in primary school, the school was in a different village. Everyday, my sister and I would walk for 2 hours to school and back home. One day, I lost the other pair of my gloves. My sister gave me one of hers.  She wore only one glove and she had to walk far. When we got home, her hands were trembling because of the cold weather that she could not even hold her chopsticks. From that day on, I swore that as long as I live, I would take care of my sister and will always be good to her."

Applause filled up the room. All guests turned their attention to me.  I found it hard to speak, "In my whole life, the one I would like to thank most is my brother."

 

And on that happy occasion, in front of the crowd, tears were rolling down my face again.

Love and care for the one you love every single day of your life. You may think what you did is just a small deed, but to that someone, it may mean a lot.

Story was submitted anonymously

Setting your priorities

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a
day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar...and the coffee...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front
of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and
empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then
asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas
between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was
full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar
was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two
cups of coffee from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty
space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided " I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things-your God, family, your children, your health, your
friends, and your favorite passions-things that if everything else was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the
other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand
is everything else-the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room
for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all
your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the
things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are
critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get
medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There
will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
" Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set
your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no
matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of
cups of coffee with a friend."

My mom's going to hear me play someday

At the prodding of my friends I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Honor and I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines , Iowa . I have always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons - something I have done for over 30 years. During those years I found that children have many levels of musical ability, and even though I have never had the pleasure of having a prodigy, I have taught some very talented students. However, I have also had my share of what I call "musically challenged" pupils - one such pupil being Robby.

Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him as a student.

Well, Robby began his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavour. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary piano pieces that I require all my students to learn.

Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he would always say "My mom's going to hear me play someday". But to me, it seemed hopeless, he just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled, but never dropped in.

Then one day Robby stopped coming for his lessons. I thought about calling him, but assumed that because of his lack of ability he had decided to pursue something else. I was also glad that he had stopped coming - he was a bad advertisement for my teaching!

Several weeks later I mailed a flyer on the upcoming recital to the students' homes. To my surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and that because he had dropped out, he really did not qualify. He told me that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to his piano lessons, but that he had been practicing. "Please Miss Honor, I've just got to play" he insisted. I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital - perhaps it was his insistence or maybe something inside of me saying that it would be all right.

The night of the recital came and the high school gymnasium was packed with parents, relatives and friends. I put Robby last in the program, just before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he might do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my "curtain closer".

Well, the recital went off without a hitch, the students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on the stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked as though he had run an eggbeater through it. "Why wasn't he dressed up like the other students?" I thought. "Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?"

Robby pulled out the piano bench, and I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen to play Mozart's Concerto No. 21 in CO Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo, from allegro to virtuoso; his suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age. After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo, and everyone was on their feet in wild applause!

Overcome and in tears, I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. "I have never heard you play like that Robby, how did you do it?"

Through the microphone Robby explained: "Well, Miss Honor .... remember I told you that my mom was sick? Well, she actually had cancer and passed away this morning. And well .... she was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she had ever heard me play, and I wanted to make it special."

There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy. I thought to myself then how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil.

No, I have never had a prodigy, but that night I became a prodigy .... of Robby. He was the teacher and I was the pupil, for he had taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself, and maybe even taking a chance on someone and you didn't know why.

Robby was killed years later in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April, 1995. And now, a footnote to the story.

If you are thinking about forwarding this message, you are probably wondering which people on your address list aren't the "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message. The person who sent this to you believes that we can all make a difference! So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice - Do we act with compassion or do we pass up that opportunity and leave the world a bit colder in the process?

You now have two choices:
1. Ignore this; OR
2. Forward it to the people you care about.
You know the choice I made.
Thank you for reading this. May God bless you today, tomorrow and always.
If God didn't have a purpose for us, we wouldn't be here!

Lessons in Attitude

Lessons in Attitude A butcher watching over his shop is really surprised when he saw a dog coming inside the shop.  He shoos him away. But later, the dog is back again.  So, he goes over to the dog and notices he has a note in his mouth. He takes the note and it reads "Can I have twelve sausages and a leg of lamb, please. The dog has money in his mouth, as well."  The butcher looks inside and, lo and behold; there is a ten-dollar note there. So he takes the money and puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog's mouth. The butcher is so impressed, and since it's about closing time, he decides to shut up shop and follow the dog. So off he goes. The dog is walking down the street when he comes to a level crossing.  The dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the button.  Then he waits patiently, bag in mouth, for the lights to turn.  They do, and he walks across the road, with the butcher following him all the way.  The dog then comes to a bus stop, and starts looking at the timetable. The butcher is in awe at this stage. The dog checks out the times, and then sits on one of the seats provided. Along comes a bus. The dog walks around to the front, looks at the number, and goes back to his seat.  Another bus comes.  Again the dog goes and looks at the number, notices it's the right bus, and climbs on. The butcher, by now, open-mouthed, follows him onto the bus. The bus travels through the town and out into the suburbs, the dog looking at the scenery. Eventually he gets up, and moves to the front of the bus.  He stands on two back paws and pushes the button to stop the bus.  Then he gets off; his groceries still in his mouth. Well, dog and butcher are walking along the road, and then the dog turns into a house.  He walks up the path, and drops the groceries on the step.  Then he walks back down the path, takes a big run, and throws himself against the door.  He goes back down the path, runs up to the door and again, it throws himself against it.  There's no answer at the house, so the dog goes back down the path, jumps up on a narrow wall, and walks along the perimeter of the garden. He gets to the window, and beats his head against it several times, walks back, jumps off, and waits at the door. The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door, and starts abusing the dog, kicking him and punching him, and swearing at him. The butcher runs up, and stops the guy. "What in heaven's name are you doing? The dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for the life of me!" to which the guy responds: "You call this clever?  This is the second time this week that this stupid dog's forgotten his key."     Reflection.... Looks like some people will never be satisfied with what they've got. When it comes to the work place, dissatisfaction can be seen at both ends.  Employers do not know how to appreciate their people who have served them loyally through the years and employees who do not know how to appreciate the goodness and opportunities given them by their companies. Both is unhealthy either way you look at it. I've seen companies lose good people for the simple fact their leaders failed to show appreciation. Some managers and supervisors with big egos enjoy the fact that they have more power and authority than others do.  They show, in the way they give orders and directions, that they think they are superior to the people in their charge. They get a kick out of displaying this superiority. People who do this are fools, and everyone but them knows it.  They are never satisfied because they could not be satisfied even if their people perform well.   Why?  Because of their stupid pride and insecurity.   Some employees, on the other hand, seem to constantly cultivate the habit of seeing the grass as greener on the other side.  They fail to appreciate the opportunities and the learning experience they are currently receiving. They want higher pay, higher perks and higher positions with absolutely no respect for proper sense and timing.  People of this kind will never be satisfied. You know why?  Because they are so busy wrapped up in themselves and, fact is, their self can never be satisfied. Happy and productive people are always those who are "others-centered" rather than  "self-centered."   The greatest leader is not someone who throws his weight around. Rather, he is a servant. As the bible would say, "He who wishes to be a leader should first be a servant."   Happy and productive people are also those who deliver their best. Their joy is derived from delivering a job that is done well.  They know that others benefit from their contribution and when the company progresses, then everybody else gains. Make it your business to be satisfied, not with the material things you can get nor through the people you can boss around but by the greatness you can reach by being a fulfilled and caring person. The really great person is the person who makes every person feel great. Aim for service, not success, and success will follow.