"Life's what u make it": 2011

The Gardener And The Shep Herd

Author: Anupam Dey /

A gardener was proceeding towards his master’s house one morning, with a beautiful flower-pot with a rare plant with nice flowers on his head. Gardener had taken immense pains to grow that plant. On the way he met his old friend, the shepherd, who was going to his house with a sheep slung on his shoulders. The gardener had not met the shepherd for some time. He greeted the shepherd with a big smile and the two began to talk. When the exchange of news came to an end, they went their way. The gardener wanted to take a look at the plant, before he entered the master’s house. He lowered the pot from his head. To his horror, he discovered that there was no a leaf or flower left in and it was only a naked stem. The sheep which his friend had around his shoulders had eaten away all the leaves and flower while he was busy in talking to him. Now how could he enter his master's house without the plant? He, therefore, returned sorely disappointed.

A Sadhaka cultivates divine virtues in the garden of his heart. He has to struggle hard and exert much in order to cultivate even a single virtue. The virtue is a passport for him to enter his Master's House, the Kingdom of God. He carries the pot of his virtues, as it were, while proceeding to the Kingdom of God.But during his journey of life here, he meets a friend. Who has with him the eater of virtue, viz., vice. Contact with this friend seems to be amusing to the man of virtue. But this is costly friendship. Very soon, the virtuous man discovers that the company of the friend has denuded him of his virtues. He has lost the passport to the kingdom of God. He has to return to this world of pain and death, sorely disappointed.

Beware of wrong company - physical or mental. You will be spiritually elevated.

Nice Quotes...

Author: Anupam Dey /

1:- If the Road is Beautiful then, Worry About the Destination, But if the Destination is Beautiful, Then Don't Worry About The Road!

2:- We Always Feel that GOD Never comes on Time When We Call Him...But the Truth is ~ "He is Always on Time" But "We are Always in Hurry!

3:- Trust the One Who can See, These Three Thing in You ~Sorrow Behind Your SMILE, Love Behind Your ANGER & Reason Behind Your SILENCE!

4:- Beautiful things Are not Always Good ~ But Good things are Always Beautiful!

5:- Never Miss the First Opportunity, Because the Second Opportunity Will be Much More Difficult than First!

6:- Dreams Aren't those That You Have when You are Asleep, Dreams are Those that Don't Let You Sleep till They are Fulfilled!

7:- Its Purity of Heart that Matters, Not the External Appearance. Because Helping Hands are Always,Better than Praying Lips…!

8:- No one could actually say that you deserve better. Because the best thing that you deserve, will always be your choice.

9:- When your Time is Good, Your Mistakes are taken As a Joke! But When Your Time is Bad, Even your Jokes are Noticed as Mistakes!

10:- We Judge Ourselves By what We Feel we're Capable of Doing, While Others Judge us By what We have Already Done!

11:- If you damage the character of another, you damage your own. ~Yoruba!

12:- LAUGH like You have Never Cried, PLAY like You have Never Lost, LOVE like You have Never Hurt And LIVE like There is No Tomorrow!

13:- Two Things that Define SUCCESS In LIFE: - The Way You Manage when You Have Nothing & Way You Behave when You Have Everything!

14:- Don't concentrate on what Someone Else can Do that you Cannot Concentrate on What You can Do That Others Cannot.

15:- Never Be too Proud of who You are & What Position you Hold Because After a Game of Chess The King & The Puns are tossed Into The Same Box!

6 PRINCIPLES OF LIFE

Author: Anupam Dey /

1· No point using limited life to chase unlimited money.

2· No point earning so much money you cannot live to spend it.

3· Money is not yours until you spend it.

4· When you are young, you use your health to chase your wealth; when you are old, you use your wealth to buy back your health. Difference is that, it is too late.

5· How happy a man is, is not how much he has but how little he needs.

6· No point working so hard to provide for the people you have no time to spend with.

Remember this -- We come to this world with nothing, we leave this world with nothing!

This is the proof that you don't have to have money to be happy.

God won't ask .....

Author: Anupam Dey /

God won't ask what kind of car you drove; He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't havetransportation.

God won't ask the square footage of your house,He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.

God won't ask what your highest salary was,He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtainit.

God won't ask what your job title was,He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

God won't ask how many friends you had,He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived,He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

God won't ask about the color of your skin,He'll ask about the content of your character.

God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation,He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.

A request for you all ..............

Happy moments, praise God.

Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

Never Give Up ........

Author: Anupam Dey /

One day a young lady was driving along with her father.
They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, What should I do?"
He said "keep driving". Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was Getting worse.

"What should I do." The young lady asked?

"Keep driving," her father replied.

On up a few feet, she noticed that eighteen wheelers were also pulling over. She told her dad, "I must pull over, I can barely see ahead. It is Terrible, and everyone is pulling over!"

Her father told her, "Don't give up, just keep driving!"

Now the storm was terrible, but she never stopped driving, and soon she Could see a little more clearly. After a couple of miles she was again on Dry land, and the sun came out.

Her father said, "Now you can pull over and get out."

She said "But why now?"

He said "When you get out, look back at all the people that gave up and are Still in the storm, because you never gave up your storm is now over.

This is a testimony for anyone who is going through "hard times".

Just because everyone else, even the strongest, gives up. You don't have To....
...if you keep going, soon your storm will be over and the sun will shine Upon your face again.

"If" by Rudyard Kipling

Author: Anupam Dey /

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master,
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

It's more blessed to give than to receive

Author: Anupam Dey /

A young man was one day taking a walk with a Professor, who was commonly called the student's friend, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.

As they went along,they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed belonged to a poor man who was employed in a field close by,and who had nearly finished his day's work.

The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them."

"My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him."

The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.

While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again.

He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.

His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to the heavens and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife who was sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand,would save from perishing.

The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. "Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?"

The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: "It's more blessed to give than to receive."

The contact lens

Author: Anupam Dey /

A teenager lost a contact lens while playing basketball in his garden.After a fruitless search, he told his mother the lens was no where to be found.Undaunted ,

she went outside and in a few minutes,returned with the lens in her hand.

"How did you manage to find it , mum?" the teenager asked.

"We weren't looking for the same thing , she replied , " You were looking for a small piece of plastic."

"I was looking for Rs 2000."

Don't Ever think a thing by its size..
Think How precious is it......

Every day, every hour, and every minute is special

Author: Anupam Dey /

Today we have bigger houses and smaller families.

More conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees, but less common sense.

More knowledge, but less judgment.

We have more experts, but more problems.

More medicine, but less wellness.

We spend too recklessly;

Laugh too little,

Drive too fast,

Get too angry too quickly,

Stay up too late,

Read too little,

Watch TV too much,

And pray too seldom!

We've multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too little, and lie too often.

More leisure and less fun;

More kinds of foods, but less nutrition.

Two incomes, but more divorces.

Fancier houses, but broken homes.

That's why I propose, that as of today,

you don't keep anything for special occasions,

because every day you live is a special occasion.

Search for knowledge.

Read more.

Sit on your front porch and admire the

view without paying attention to your needs.

Spend more time with your family and friends.

Eat your favorite foods and visit the places you love.

Life is a chain of moments of enjoyment,

not only about survival.

Use your crystal goblets. Don't save your best perfume,

use it every time you feel you want it.

Remove from your vocabulary

phrases like 'one of these days' and 'someday'.

Write that letter you've thought about writing.

Don't delay anything that adds laughter and joy to your life.

Every day, every hour, and every minute is special.

You never know when it will be your last.

Keep the worms warm

Author: Anupam Dey /

You may have heard the old story about the world's most dedicated fisherman. He had out-fished his companion all morning long. They used the same live bait, the same equipment and fished together in the same mountain stream. But he had almost caught his limit of fish while his friend had yet to catch even one.

"What's your secret?" asked the friend. "I haven't even gotten a bite!"

The angler mumbled an unintelligible answer, causing his companion to ask again.

The successful fisherman emptied the contents of his mouth into a cupped hand and replied: "I said, 'You have to keep your worms warm.'"

Talk about dedication. But did you know there are at least three types of fresh water fishermen.
(or fisherwomen, if that fits better)?

First, there are those who fish for sport. They like to "catch and release," quickly throwing their catch back into the water. For these anglers, it's all about recreation.

Then there are those who fish because they like the taste of fish. They are selective. They only keep the fish they will someday eat.

Finally, there are those who fish because they are hungry. If they don't catch, they don't eat. It is important for this group to succeed, and they are fully dedicated to what they do.

Whether or not we fish or even eat fish, there is a lesson to be learned here. We are most likely to succeed when we approach a task fully dedicated. Especially if the task before us is difficult or there seems little likelihood of success. Whether we want to patch a relationship, build a new business, write that first novel, kick a drug habit, or go back to school, we should see how willing we are to do what it takes, even if it means keeping the worms warm.

There are two important questions I ask myself to see just how dedicated I am. Question number one: "How much do I want this?" When some people fish, if they don't catch, they don't eat. Some things are too important for me to risk failure. So how much do I want to succeed at this relationship, this career or this dream?

The other question I ask is similar: "How hard am I willing to work?" If 'success' only comes before 'work' in the dictionary, I may have to work harder than I've ever worked before. But if I want it enough, the hard work will be worth it.

"Always bear in mind," said Abraham Lincoln, "that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing."
And that is where it always begins: with a whole-hearted resolution to succeed, in a task, in a calling, in a life.

How much do I want this? And, how hard am I willing to work?
Start there, and great things can happen.

It is easier to criticize, but DIFFICULT TO IMPROVE

Author: Anupam Dey /

Once upon a time there was a painter who had just completed his course. He took 3 days and painted beautiful scenery. He wanted people's opinion about his caliber and painting skills.

He put his creation at a busy street-crossing. And just down below a board which read -"I have painted this piece. Since I'm new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. Please put a cross wherever you see a mistake."

While he came back in the evening to collect his painting he was completely shattered to see that whole canvass was filled with Xs (crosses) and some people had even written their comments on the painting.

Disheartened and broken completely he ran to his master's place and burst into tears.

This young artist was breathing heavily and master heard him saying"I'm useless and if this is what I have learnt to paint I'm not worth becoming a painter. People have rejected me completely. I feel like dying"

Master smiled and suggested "My Son, I will prove that you are a great artist and have learnt flawless painting. Do as I say without questioning it. It WILL work."

Young artist reluctantly agreed and two days later early morning he presented a replica of his earlier painting to his master. Master took that gracefully and smiled.

"Come with me." master said.

They reached the same street-square early morning and displayed the same painting exactly at the same place. Now master took out another board which read -"Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. Since I'm new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. I have put a box with colors and brushes just below. Please do a favor. If you see a mistake, kindly pick up the brush and correct it."

Master and disciple walked back home.

They both visited the place same evening. Young painter was surprised to see that actually there was not a single correction done so far. Next day again they visited and found painting remained untouched. They say the painting was kept there for a month for no correction came in!

Moral of the story:

It is easier to criticize, but DIFFICULT TO IMPROVE!

So don't get carried away or judge yourself by someone else’s criticism and feel depressed...

JUDGE YOURSELF! YOU ARE YOUR BEST JUDGE!!!

A man reaps what he sows

Author: Anupam Dey /

A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhh!" To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhh!"

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: "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.

Thomas Dreier said, "The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove loving and friendly and helpful to you. The world is what you are."

As Jesus said, "What we sow is what we reap." If we sow negativity, we will reap negativity. If we sow bitterness, we will reap bitterness. If we sow criticism, we will reap criticism. On the other hand, if we sow love, we will reap love. If we sow friendship, we will reap friendship. If we sow encouragement, we will reap encouragement. Life gives back what we give to it.

Be sure to sow seeds of kindness, encouragement, and love today—and every day—and you will find, in time, that is exactly what you will receive back. For what we project is what we get back.

From Nothing to Nothing

Author: Anupam Dey /

“Why did u come to the master?”

“Because my life is going nowhere, giving me nothing.”

“so where is it going now?”

“Nowhere.”

“And what‘s it giving you now?”

“Nothing.”

“So what’s the difference?”

“Now I’m going nowhere because there is nowhere to go; I’m getting nothing because there is nothing to desire.”

Be Yourself

Author: Anupam Dey /

A plum once said, just because a banana lover came by, I converted myself into a banana. Unfortunately, his taste changed after a few months and so I became an orange. When he said I was bitter I became an apple, but he went in search of grapes. Yielding to the opinions of so many people, I have changed so many times that I no more know who I am.

How I wish I had remained a plum and waited for a plum lover.

Just because a group of people do not accept you as you are, there is no necessity for you to strip yourself of your originality. You need to think good of yourself, for the world takes you at your own estimate.

Never stoop down in order to gain recognition. Never let go of your true self to win a relationship. In the long run, you will regret that you traded your greatest glory – your uniqueness, for momentary validation. Even Gandhi was not accepted by many people. The group that does not accept you as you is not your world.

There is a world for each one of you, where you shall reign as king /queen by just being yourself. Find that world… in fact, that world will find you.

What water can do, gasoline cannot and what copper can, gold cannot.

The fragility of the ant enables it to move and the rigidity of the tree enables it to stay rooted. Everything and everybody has been designed with a proportion of uniqueness to serve a purpose that we can fulfill only by being our unique self. You as you alone can serve your purpose and I as I alone can serve my purpose. You are here to be you… just you.

How would you like to be remembered?

Author: Anupam Dey /

About a hundred years ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper and to his surprise and horror, read his name in the obituary column. The newspapers had reported the death of the wrong person by mistake. His first response was shock. Am I here or there? When he regained his composure, his second thought was to find out what people had said about him. The obituary read, "Dynamite King Dies." And also "He was the merchant of death." This man was the inventor of dynamite and when he read the words "merchant of death," he asked himself a question, "Is this how I am going to be remembered?" He got in touch with his feelings and decided that this was not the way he wanted to be remembered. From that day on, he started working toward peace.

His name was Alfred Nobel and he is remembered today by the great Nobel Prize.

Just as Alfred Nobel got in touch with his feelings and redefined his values, we should step back and do the same.

What is your legacy? How would you like to be remembered?

Will you be spoken well of? Will you be remembered with love and respect? Will you be missed??

Advice from a Pencil Maker

Author: Anupam Dey /

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.”

One: “You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.”
Two: “You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.”
Three: “You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.”
Four: “The most important part of you will always be what's inside.”
And Five: “On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.”
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
One: “You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God’s hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.”
Two: “You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various
problems in life, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person.”
Three: “You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.”
Four: “The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside.”
And Five: “On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.”

Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.

Work Smart, Don't Work Hard

Author: Anupam Dey /

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job with a timber merchant, and he got it. His salary was really good and so were the working conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.

His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to fell the trees. The first day, the woodcutter brought down 15 trees.
"Congratulations," the boss said. "Carry on with your work!"
Highly motivated by the words of his boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring 10 trees down. The third day he tried even harder, but he was only able to bring down 7 trees. Day after day he was bringing lesser number of trees down.

"I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.
"When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked.
"Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees..."

Moral of the story is;

Most of us NEVER update our skills. We think that whatever we have learned is very much enough. But good is not good when better is expected. Sharpening our skills from time to time is the key to success.

What is love?

Author: Anupam Dey /

A student asks a teacher, "What is love?"

The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the wheat field and choose the biggest wheat and come back.

But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick."

The student went to the field, go thru first row, he saw one big wheat, but he wonders....may be there is a bigger one later.

Then he saw another bigger one... but may be there is an even bigger one waiting for him.

Later, when he finished more than half of the wheat field, he starts to realise that the wheat is not as big as the previous one he saw, he knew he has missed the biggest one, and he regretted.

So, he ended up went back to the teacher with empty hand.

The teacher told him, "...this is love... you keep looking for better ones, but when later you realise, you have already missed the person.

Lets change our vision.....

Author: Anupam Dey /

There was a millionaire who was bothered by severe eye pain. He consulted so many physicians and was getting his treatment done. He did not stop consulting galaxy of medical experts; he consumed heavy loads of drugs and underwent hundreds of injections.

But the ache persisted with great vigour than before. At last a monk who has supposed to be an expert in treating such patients was called for by the millionaire. The monk understood his problem and said that for sometime he should concentrate only on green colours and not to fall his eyes on any other colours.

The millionaire got together a group of painters and purchased barrels of green color and directed that every object his eye was likely to fall to be painted in green colour just as the monk had directed.

When the monk came to visit him after few days, the millionaire's servants ran with buckets of green paints and poured on him since he was in red dress, lest their master not see any other colour and his eye ache would come back.

Hearing this monk laughed said "If only you had purchased a pair of green spectacles, worth just a few rupees, you could have saved these walls and trees and pots and all other articles and also could have saved a large share of his fortune.

You cannot paint the world green." Let us change our vision and the world will appear accordingly. It is foolish to shape the world, let us shape ourselves first.

Lets change our vision..!!

There won't always be tomorrow

Author: Anupam Dey /

There won't always be tomorrow ... to tell someone you care,
There won't always be tomorrow ... when you can just be there,
Do not leave unsaid ... words that may ease some strife,
Do not leave undone ... things that may change a life,
Waiting until tomorrow ... is just not good enough,
Do today what must be done ... get up off your duff,
Tomorrow is not promised ... you may not even have today,
Tell people that you love them ... right now while you may,
Hold a hand, share a laugh ... there's so much you can do,
Give a hug, play a game ... realize they love you,
Tomorrow is not promised ... so today is gold,
You may not have another chance ... to have and to hold,
Say out loud those kind things ... you would wish you'd said,
Tell people that you love them ... before you go to bed,
Reach out and hold a hand ... you may bring some light,
Into someone's loneliness ... bring brightness to their night,
Tomorrow may never come ... but you have today,
To spend some time with loved ones ... together you can pray,
Do not leave regrets ... live your life to the max,
On many peoples lives ... make sure you leave your tracks,
For you have this time, this day, this very hour.
Do what you must do ... do all within your power
To mend broken bridges ... to say "I love you" ...
To rekindle friendships ... even to start anew.
There won't always be tomorrow when you can just be there,
There won't always be tomorrow ... so tell someone today you care.

Redefinition

Author: Anupam Dey /

Once "blind" meant "having no eyes",
Now time demands a redefinition
For now those with eyes have become sightless
They see without seeing, the tears that go untouched

Once "Deaf" meant "having no ears"
Now time demands a redefinition
For today those with ears cant hear
The agonized pleas, the sorrowed cries

Once "Dumb" was "one who could not speak"
Now time demands a redefinition
For those with tongues keep shut their mouths
When the innocents plead for justice

Once "Mad" meant to "Lack senses"
Now time demands a redefinition
For those honouring their brains have turned lunatic
They destroy without caring, they cause pain without guilt

Yes! Time has changed it all
The purity of conscience has defiled
The intensity of emotions has burnt out
In the race for world,title and money
Man has become a stranger to himself

Yes! In his veil of illusion of normalcy
Man deludes in false assurances
his "Supremacy" has been erased by brutality
he now lives as the worst animal

Caught in a disease, unknown
he gradually proceeds towards destruction

But! In this long changed world
The sun still rises and illuminates the dark
Yet! a bud blooms to flower
Unaware of the gloom,the birds still sing
The cool breeze blows to refreshen!

.....And yet! In the souls of many
......Hope still lives...

Meeting with God

Author: Anupam Dey /

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat
there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied! "I ate potato chips in the park with God." However, before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!

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