Inspirational Stories

Collection of Inspirational Short Stories

We hope these stories will help you if you are feeling low and want to be cheered up.  Alternatively, reading them will help you if you are seeking a source of inspiration to overcome a problem.

My Name is Rose

The Difference Between Growing Old and Growing Up

On the first day of school, our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, ‘Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?’

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, ‘Of course you may!’ and she gave me a giant squeeze. ‘Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?’ I asked.

She jokingly replied, ‘I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…’

‘No seriously,’ I asked. I was curious about what may have motivated her to take on this challenge at her age.

‘I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!’ she told me.

After class, we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went… She loved to dress up and she revelled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up. At the end of the semester, we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium.

As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three-by-five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, ‘I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.’

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ‘ We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunities for change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.’

She concluded her speech by courageously singing ‘The Rose **.’

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year’s end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep…..

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY, GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give…..

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

The Rose **

Some say love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
an endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
and you it’s only seed.

It’s the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance.
It’s the dream afraid of waking
that never takes the chance.
It’s the one who won’t be taken,
who cannot seem to give,
and the soul afraid of dyin’
that never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long,
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong,
just remember in the winter
far beneath the winter snows,
lies the seed that with the sun’s love
in the spring becomes the rose.

*”The Rose” is a song written by Amanda McBroom and made famous by Bette Midler and others.

The Whale – A Beautiful and Inspirational Tale

Will and Guy have been sent this report by two of our regular contributors to the site – Maggie Nutt and John Reeves. We are grateful for their additions.

A female humpback whale had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighed down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat.  She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands [off the coast of San Francisco, California, USA] and radioed for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so badly off, that the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. A very dangerous proposition as one slap of the tail could kill a prospective rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.

When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, nudged them, and pushed gently, thanking them.  Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The man who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same

May you and all those you love, be so fortunate as to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you, and may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.

The Eyes of Love

A grandmother and a little girl whose face was sprinkled with bright red freckles spent the day at the zoo.  The children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws.

‘You’ve got so many freckles, there’s no place to paint!’ a boy in the line cried.

Embarrassed, the little girl dropped her head. Her grandmother knelt down next to her. ‘I love your freckles,’ she said.

‘Not me,’ the girl replied.

‘Well, when I was a little girl I always wanted freckles,’ she said, tracing her finger across the child’s cheek. ‘Freckles are beautiful!’

The girl looked up. ‘Really?’

‘Of course,’ said the grandmother. ‘Why, just name me one thing that’s prettier than freckles.’

The little girl peered into the old woman’s smiling face. ‘Wrinkles,’ she answered softly.

Inspirational Short Story – Cody’s Attitude is Everything

What’s your excuse? Your attitude towards life defines not only who you are, but the quality of life you are after.

Hi! I just wanted to say that I am this little boy’s mom!  His name is Cody McCasland and he will be 8 years old next month. We have just gotten news of this post and email that is being spread around and are very touched.  If you would like to learn more about Cody, please visit his website. Thanks!

Whatever it is that has been bugging you, doesn’t seem so bad anymore, does it?

If only we all could have the spirit that this little boy has. And look at his beautiful smile.

George – Another of Our Inspirational Short Stories

It was a normal, busy morning, about 8:30 when, George, an elderly gentleman, well into his 80’s, arrived at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, England, to have stitches removed from his thumb.

George told me that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:15 am. I weighed him took his blood pressure and invited him to take a seat in the waiting area, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On examination, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the Doctors and got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked George if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.  George told me no, but that he needed to go to St Christopher’s Nursing Home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a little late. George replied that she no longer knew who he was and that she had not recognized him in five years.

I was surprised, and asked him, ‘And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?’

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

I had to hold back tears as George left, I had goosebumps on my arm, and thought, ‘That is the kind of love I want in my life.’

Cracked Pot – Chinese Proverb

Will and Guy have obtained an inspirational PowerPoint Presentation explaining the old Chinese proverb of the ‘Cracked Pot’.  The PPT starts slowly, the wisdom builds up nicely and leaves you with a warm glow. There is always something inspirational about proverbs and parables.

The journey begins one April morning

The story starts with an elderly Chinese woman who has two large pots, which she carries with a pole balanced across her neck.

The lady returns with the pots of water

Each day the elderly Chinese woman goes to fetch water in her two large pots.

Notice how the cracked pot leaks water

Precious water is dripping onto the ground.

Now let us focus on the benefit of the cracked pot – lovely flowers

The presentation explains the proverb much better than I have, please take a look:

Inspirational Chinese Proverb – The Cracked Pot

Transcript of the Cracked Pot – Good Chinese Wisdom

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.  At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years, this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.  But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.  ‘I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.’  The old woman smiled, ‘Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?

That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.’  ‘For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.’  Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.’

Each of us has our own unique flaw…

But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.  You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

To all of my crackpot friends, have a great day, and remember to smell the flowers, on your side of the path.  Take the time to absorb this inspirational Chinese proverb

A Story About Two Pebbles Over Photos of China

As you watch the presentation keep thinking of the difference between logical thoughts and “lateral thinking.

Good Karma. Dalai Lama Life Mantra

This is a nice reading, but short.  Enjoy!  This is what The Dalai Lama has to say for 2007.  All it takes is a few seconds to read and think over.  Do not keep this message. The mantra must leave your hands within 96 hours. You will get a very pleasant surprise. This is true for all – even if you are not superstitious…. or of whatever religious belief…Faith….

Instructions for life Mantra

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s of good karma: Respect for self Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you have to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Forward this mantra to at least 5 people and your life will improve

0-4  people: Your life will improve slightly.
5-9  people: Your life will improve to your liking.
9-14 people: You will have at least 5 wonderful surprises in the next 3 weeks.
15 people & over: Your life will improve drastically and everything you ever dreamed of will begin to take shape.

Do not keep this message. The mantra must leave your hands within 96 hours. You will get a very pleasant surprise……

N.B. Please send us your mantra or good karma.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to believe.  Laurence J. Peter

Anyone for a Nice Cup of Tea?

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired.

During their visit, the conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in their work and lives.  Offering his guests tea, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of tea and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the tea.  When all the alumni had a cup of tea in hand, the professor said:

“Notice that all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the tea. In most cases, it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was tea, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups…. and then you began eyeing each other’s cups.

Now consider this: Life is the tea; your job, money, and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life. The type of cup one has does not define, nor change the quality of life a person lives. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the tea. The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

Live simply.  Love generously.  Care deeply.  Speak kindly…… And enjoy your tea.

Inspirational Business Stories – Management Rowing Race

Here is a PowerPoint Presentation dealing with the art of team management.  Why not show this motivational presentation at your next team meeting?

1. Here is the start of the project.  Taken from the PowerPoint slides below

2. Here is a glimpse of the problem

How many people are actually rowing?

The Management Rowing Race – Free Motivational PowerPoint Presentation

Another from our Collection of Inspirational Business Stories

A Japanese company and an American company decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River.

Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing. So American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion.

They advised that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing. To prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team’s management structure was totally reorganized into 4 steering supervisors, 3
area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager. They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the ‘
Rowing Team Quality First Program’, with meetings, dinners, and free pens for the rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes, and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices, and bonuses.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted the development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year’s racing team was outsourced to India.

Inspirational Children’s Stories

Sisterly Love – Inspirational Children’s Story

Will and Guy were touched by this example of sisterly love. We hope that you will be moved by the pictures and video demonstrating a sister’s love for her brother.

1. A little girl picks up, then empties her wash bag.
(Note her longish hair in this picture)

2. The little girl cuts her own hair.  How can this be sisterly love?

3. This is the result of her do-it-yourself haircut

4. The little girl’s parents look horrified, especially her mother.
Note, for the first time we see her brother.  How can this possibly be an act of sisterly love?

5. This is the crucial scene, the little girl gives her brother the hair that she has just cut.

6. Normally we would leave you in suspense, but in this touching example of sisterly love, we simply have to include the final scene.

We can reveal that the brother has cancer and has just returned from hospital where he has received chemotherapy.  One side-effect is that the poor brother has gone bald.  What more poignant way for the sister to demonstrate her love than to cut off her hair and give it to him?

Inspirational Children’s Story – Video Clip

Check out our free video clip. You will be amazed at the power of sisterly love.

Free video clip of Sisterly Love (Right click Save Target As..)

Three More  Inspirational Children’s Stories

Lesson 1 – A Child Learns

If a child lives with criticism,
he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame,
he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance,
he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
he learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
he learns justice.
If a child lives with security,
he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
he learns to find love in the world.
Author unknown

This is one of Will and Guy’s favorite inspirational poems. As a young teacher and a father, Will can remember reading this poem often.

Lesson Two – Nails

This is the story of a little boy who had a very bad character. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that each time he would lose his patience, he should nail a nail behind the door. The first day the boy nailed 37 nails behind the door. In the following weeks, as he learned to control his temper, each time he would nail-less nails behind the door. He discovered that it was easier to control his temper than to nail behind the door.

A day came when he could control his character during the day. After informing his father, this one suggested that he should remove a nail each day so that he could control his character. The days passed and the youth could announce to his father that there were no more nails to remove from the door.

His father took him by the hand and led him to the door. He told him,

‘You have worked hard, my son, but look all those holes in the door. Never more it will be the same.  Each time you lose your patience, you leave scars exactly as the ones you see here.’

Lesson Three – The Visit A Most Inspirational Story

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, ‘How was the trip?’

‘It was great, Dad.’

‘Did you see how poor people live?’ the father asked. ‘Oh yeah,’ said the son.

‘So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?’ asked the father.

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.”

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added, ‘Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.’

Inspirational Christian stories

Children’s Letters to God

Actual Children’s Letters

While these notes are not side-splittingly funny, however, these letters, which were written by children to God, will undoubtedly raise a smile.

An Interesting Sentiment

Dear God

Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don’t you just
keep the one you have now?

What a Lovely Thought Elliott

Dear God

I think about it sometimes, even when I am not praying.

Better Luck Next Time, Joyce

Good Idea Larry

Free PowerPoint Presentation of Children’s Letters to God

• Free Download Inspirational Christian stories.  Children’s Letters to God
  

Here are the titles of the Inspirational Christian Stories

Sixteen Children’s Letters to God

Not side-splittingly funny, however, these letters from children to God will undoubtedly raise a smile

1. An interesting sentiment
2. What?  Kissing in church!
3. I don’t think I would go quite that far
4. Will and Guy love this question
5. Good for you. – Elliott
6. Well?
7. Better luck next time. – Joyce
8. Too true
9. What a good idea. – Ginny
10. Very nice too. – Mickey
11. Poor Jennifer Horton
12. Methuselah lived to be 969 – Chris
13. What a thought
14. I’m sure it could be arranged
15. Seems logical. – Donna
16. Good idea. – Larry

Inspirational Christian Story

Things God won’t ask on THAT day

• Inspirational Christian Story.  Kindly sent in by Reverend Lewis

1. God won’t ask what kind of car you drove. He’ll ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation.

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

3. God won’t ask about the clothes you have in your closet. He’ll ask how many you helped to clothe.

4. God won’t ask what your highest salary was. He’ll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

5. God won’t ask what your job title is. He’ll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

6. God won’t ask how many friends you have. He’ll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

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

8. God won’t ask about the color of your skin. He’ll ask about the content of your character.

Inspirational Christian PowerPoint Slide Show – Things God won’t ask on THAT day

Inspirational Christian PowerPoint Slide Show:  Things God won’t ask on THAT day

Inspirational Life Stories

Shay’s Heart-Rending Account

It has been a joy for Will and Guy to read these heart-warming stories, and it was a labor of love to publish them here with the hope that they will motivate you to achieve fine deeds.

Shay’s Account

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: ‘When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?’

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. ‘I believe, that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.’

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, ‘Do you think they’ll let me play?’

Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, ‘We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.’

Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all teammates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, ‘Shay, run first! Run to first!’ Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, ‘Run to second, run to second!’ Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball … the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, ‘Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay’

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, ‘Run to third! Shay, run to third!’

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, ‘Shay, run home! Run home!’ Shay ran home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

‘That day’, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, ‘the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world’.

Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats the least fortunate among them.

A True Inspirational Story – The Tale of Freedom and Jeff Guidry

As told by Jeff

Freedom and I have been together for 11 years this summer. She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings. Her left wing doesn’t open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in 4 places.

She’s my baby.

When Freedom came in she could not stand and both wings were broken. She was emaciated and covered in lice. We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vet’s office. From then on, I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes.

We also had to tube-feed her for weeks. This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn’t stand. It got to the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn’t stand for a week. You know you don’t want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and it looked like death was winning.

She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon. I didn’t want to go to the center that Thursday because I couldn’t bear the thought of her being euthanized, but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear. I went immediately back to her cage; and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in tears by then.

That was a very good day. We knew she could never fly, so the director asked me to glove-train her. I got her used to the glove, and then to Jesses, and we started doing education programs for schools in western Washington. We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not), and some TV. Miracle Pets even did a show about us.

In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I had stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair – the whole bit. I missed a lot of work. When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the cancer. This happened time and time again.

Fast forward to November 2000

The day after Thanksgiving, I went in for my last check-up. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant. Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results. I went in on Monday, and I was told that all the cancer was gone.

So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill. I hadn’t said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don’t know how long.

That was a magic moment. We have been soul mates ever since she came in. This is a very special bird.

On a side note: I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them. I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and let him hold her. His knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power course through his body. I have so many stories like that.

I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent spirit as Freedom.

Hope you enjoyed this!

Another Heart-Rending Story

Daddy’s Poem

Her hair was up in a ponytail,
Her favorite dress is tied with a bow.
Today was Daddy’s Day at school,
And she couldn’t wait to go.

But her mommy tried to tell her,
That she probably should stay home.
Why the kids might not understand,
If she went to school alone.

But she was not afraid;
She knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates
Of why he wasn’t there today.

But still, her mother worried,
For her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again,
She tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school
Eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees
A dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in the back, For everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently, Anxious in their seats

One by one the teacher called
A student from the class.
To introduce their daddy,
As seconds slowly passed.

At last, the teacher called her name,
Every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
For a man who wasn’t there.

‘Where’s her daddy ?’
She heard a boy call out
‘She probably doesn’t have one,’
Another student dared to shout.

And from somewhere near the back,
She heard a daddy say,
‘Looks like another deadbeat dad,
Too busy to waste his day.’

The words did not offend her,
As she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher,
Who told her to go on
And with hands behind her back,
Slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child,
Came words incredibly unique.

‘My Daddy couldn’t be here,
Because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be,
Since this is such a special day.

And though you cannot meet him,
I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
And how much he loves me so.
He loved to tell me stories
He taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink roses,
And taught me to fly a kite.

We used to share fudge sundaes,
And ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him.
I’m not standing here alone..’

‘Cause my daddy’s always with me,
Even though we are apart
I know because he told me,
He’ll forever be in my heart
With that, her little hand reached up,
And lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,

And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads, Her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter, Who was wise beyond her years.

For she stood up for the love
Of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
Doing what was right.

And when she dropped her hand back down, Staring straight into the crowd. She finished with a voice so soft, But its message was clear and loud.

‘I love my daddy very much,
he’s my shining star.
And if he could,
he’d be here,
But heaven’s, just too far.

You see he is a soldier
And died just this past year
When a roadside bomb hit his convoy
And taught everyone to fear.
But sometimes when I close my eyes,
it’s like he never went away.’
And then she closed her eyes,
And saw him there that day.

And to her mother’s amazement,
She witnessed it with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children,
All started to close their eyes.

Who knows what they saw before them,
Who knows what they felt inside?
Perhaps for merely a second,
They saw him at her side.

‘I know you’re with me, Daddy,’
To the silence, she called out.
And what happened next made believers,
Of those once filled with doubt.

Not one in that room could explain it,
For each of their eyes had been closed.
But there on the desk beside her,
Was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.

And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, By the love of her shining star. And given the gift of believing, That heaven is never too far.

They say it takes a minute to find a special Person, an hour to appreciate them, A day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

Addendum

By the poem’s true author, Cheryl Costello-Forshey:

“Daddy’s Day” wasn’t a factual account of a child’s presentation at school; it was an inspirational fictionalized expression of what that loss meant to that one particular little girl and by extension what similar losses mean to all children who lose parents. The classmates who didn’t know the girl’s father had died were an author’s device to help express how often each of us walks by sorrow without recognizing it as such because we cannot see into the hearts of others.

Poems like this one help us to grasp the depth of tragedy by putting human faces upon the plain recitation of statistics and figures about casualty counts and injuries. In the story above, the little girl tells her class not just that her father passed away but also what he’d meant to her, making her loss understandable on a more significant, personal level. He becomes not just the deceased father of a classmate, but a caring and loving man who took his daughter for ice cream and brought her roses.

Alex Lewis Inspirational Story

Alex Lewis was only 17 when he was diagnosed with bone cancer. While he underwent intensive treatment, he understood the need to cram as much life as possible into the time he had left.

Read Alex’s heart-rendering story here.

Inspirational Philosophy

Here is Will and Guy’s collection of inspirational nature pictures and life philosophy stories.  Extra research by Dee Frost.

The time you enjoyed wasting ……… was not wasted

While seeking revenge Dig two graves ……… one for yourself.

The best way to predict your future Is to create it.

Inspirational Philosophy PowerPoint Presentation

Inspirational Philosophy

• A man with one watch knows what time it is; A man with two watches is never quite sure
• Don’t look where you fall But where you slipped.
• Look at life through the windshield, Not through the rearview mirror.
• People may doubt what you say but they never doubt what you do.
• Be nice to people on the way up because you will need them on the way down
• Never explain your friends do not need it your enemies will never believe it.
• While seeking revenge dig two graves……… one for yourself.
• The time you enjoyed wasting……… was not wasted.
• Courage is not a lack of fear but the ability to act while facing fear
• You’ve got to do your own growing no matter how tall your father is.
• The best way to predict your future is to create it.

The Brick: A Moving and Inspirational Tale

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid, and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, ‘What was that all about and who are you Just what the heck are you doing? That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?’

The young boy was apologetic, ‘Please mister … please, I’m sorry… I didn’t know what else to do,’ he pleaded. ‘I threw the brick because no one else would stop…’

With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. ‘It’s my brother,’ he said. ‘He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.’ Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, ‘Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.’

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.

‘Thank you and may God bless you,’ the grateful child told the stranger.

Too shaken up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don’t have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.

The author is unknown but kindly researched by a regular contributor.

Just Around The Bend by Nancy Bronner

Hurt, anger, confusion, and pain
Sometimes it feels like I’m going insane
These feelings you see are very well-known
For my life anymore feels like a battle zone

This Agony I can no longer bare
Oh please someone help me, I Need Air!
Help me breathe again and ease this chest pain
And teach me again how to live in the mundane

The break of my heart
And the drops of my tears
With wishes of having
my loved one here

It’s a cold, dark and dismal place
Never again to see one face
Asking over and over, “Can this be real?”
So at that time, I began to kneel

I asked that you give me some hope with a sign
And what do you know,
it began to shine
The light shone down upon my head
And this is what I heard being said…

“Stand up, Stand tall
I will not let you fall
I love you with all my might.

It may not make sense
but please do not wince
For one day we will reunite.

So this sign to you I send
to know that just around the bend
everything will be alright

And know that I am there
when you think that you can’t bare
because there will always be a light.”

Poem by Nancy Bronner

Life Philosophy:  10 Thought-provoking Quotations

1. The meaning of life is to give life meaning.
2. Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.
3. If someone seeks advice, give them direction, not correction.
4. Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
5. To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.
6. Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.
7. Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
8. You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.
9. Even a fool knows you can’t reach the stars, but that doesn’t stop a wise man from trying.
10. When an affliction happens to you, you either let it defeat you, or you defeat it.

This quote deserves inclusion: You can do what you want to do. You can be what you want to be.

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty: A Truly Marvellous Tale

An Italian surgeon finished a brain operation on a patient: despite suffering a heart attack.

Doctor Claudio Vitale, 59, realized his patient would never recover if he stopped the operation to seek treatment for himself. So he carried on for 30 minutes in the operating theatre at Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy, until his patient was out of trouble.

Now both the surgeon and his patient are recovering in the hospital’s intensive care unit. ‘I knew I couldn’t leave the surgery then. I’m not really a hero, I just did my job,’ said Dr Vitale.

Will and Guy have decided that he is a hero and we feel sure that his patient does also.

Philosophy of Live and Service

Inspirational Stories About Animals

Here we have two stories about cooperation between animal species. One can just about imagine dogs and pigs getting along, but a hippo and a tortoise do seem amazing.

Hippo and Tortoise (Owen and Mzee) – PowerPoint Presentation

Here we have a series of photographs that tell the story of the baby hippo (Owen), saved from the 2004 tsunami, and adopted by a male giant tortoise (Mzee).  Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed. We hope you enjoy this pictorial story.

It is incredible, that a less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise. (In Swahili, Mzee means old man)

 Mzee seems to be very happy being a ‘mother’

Hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mother for as long as four years

PowerPoint Presentation featuring
Hippo and Tortoise (Owen and Mzee)

Hippo and Tortoise Free Download of PowerPoint Presentation (Right click Save Target As)

The Tale ofOwen and Mzee

These photographs tell the story of the baby hippo (Owen), who was saved from the 2004 tsunami.  In order to
survive, he was adopted by a giant tortoise (Mzee).  These pictures were taken at an animal facility in the port city of Mombasa, Kenya, East Africa.

This is a true story that shows that our differences don’t matter much when we need the comfort of another. Share Owen and Mzee’s story with a friend.  A less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise.  After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized.  Mzee seems to be very happy being a ‘mother’.  The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age.

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

The Dachshund and Pink the Pig

Here is another inspirational story about animals.  The situation is a a Dachshund is fostering this pig for another mother who has just died.

Originally his eyes were closed, but now they are open. He is just a little bigger than her other puppies. Mum appears to love him as much as the other puppies and she is nursing him back to health. He is also the cleanest pig-puppy ever because she licks him all the time. Unsurprisingly he is named, Pink.

Inspirational Stories for kids

These are not our usual jokes, just a collection of beautiful inspirational stories that help to put into perspective what should be important in our short lives!

Mr Miller’s Grocery Store in Idaho – Red Marbles

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.

Pondering the peas, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Mr Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

‘Hello Barry, how are you today? ‘H’lo, Mr Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus ‘admirin’ them peas. They sure look good.

‘They are good, Barry. How’s your Ma? ‘Fine. Gittin’ stronger all time.’

‘Good. Anything I can help you with? ‘No, Sir. Jus ‘admirin’ them peas.

‘Would you like to take some home?’ asked Mr Miller ‘No, Sir. Got nuthin’ to pay for ’em with.’

‘Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas? ‘All I got’s my prize marble here.

‘Is that right? Let me see it’ said Miller ‘Here ’tis. She’s a dandy.

‘I can see that. Hmmmmm, the only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?’ the store owner asked ‘Not Zackley but almost.

‘Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble.  Mr Miller told the boy’ Sure will. Thanks, Mr Miller.

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile, she said, ‘There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances.  Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Years later Mr Miller died

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had the occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary, we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits, and white shirts…all very professional-looking. They approached Mrs Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband’s casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her, and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from many years ago and what she had told me about her husband’s bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

‘Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim ‘traded’ them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size….they came to pay their debt.

‘We’ve never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,’ she confided, ‘but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho.

With loving gentleness, she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles

The Moral: We will not be remembered by our words but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles:

• A fresh pot of coffee you didn’t make yourself
• An unexpected phone call from an old friend
• Green stoplights on your way to work
• The fastest line at the grocery store
• A good sing-along song on the radio
• Your keys are found right where you left them

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED!

Here is a Different Inspirational Story For Kids

Cameron’s Amazing Story

Dear Will and Guy

I am sending you this story as it could help others who are facing a hard and painful period in their lives over the health of a child or young relative.

My son Cameron has just started high school and watching him climb on the school bus filled me with pride and a sense of overwhelming happiness that this young boy had overcome all that life had thrown at him and had done so much good as well, as I wiped the tears away I knew he would feel nervous but that he would overcome and make us even more proud, this is Cameron’s story so far…

Cameron was born on the 16th of May 1998.  He was a premature baby but soon grew into a loving and caring year, but two weeks after his first birthday we noticed that he was pale and crying for attention which was something that he never did.  A visit to the doctors followed with an ear infection diagnosed and penicillin given the next day he was worse and had started to projectile vomit we rushed him back to the doctors where a young doctor told us to get straight to the hospital at Preston and she would phone ahead to tell them we were coming.

As soon as he was admitted we were told he needed a blood transfusion as his hg level was really low.  He had the transfusion and seemed a little better but during the night he was getting paler and weaker, the staff at the hospital told us he was getting seriously ill at this point and we were being transferred to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital as they were so concerned for his life.  We arrived at the hospital to be told that his hg level was 3.2 and he would need an operation to get more blood into him as his veins had all prolapsed, so a cut down to a main artery was needed he was diagnosed with having serious autoimmune hemolytic anemia.  Over the next 2 weeks, he needed regular blood transfusions and was put on high-dose steroids and immune suppressant drugs. At this point, he suffered a thrombosis in his right leg and was started on heparin and warfarin.

Over the next three years our lives revolved around going to the hospital, transfusions, blood counts intense medications, we had also noticed that Cameron was bruising very easily and we were devastated to find out that he was also destroying his platelets as well as his red blood cells, this condition is called Evans syndrome and we were told that this was a whole new problem and that he was going to have chemotherapy to try and control it.  So for the next two years, we had 4 courses of chemotherapy followed by immunoglobulin treatment all this drained Cameron but still the little fighter fought on.  The last course of chemo failed as Cameron’s immune system had learned to overcome the effects of the treatment so we were back to square one by this time Cameron had started school, and was taking months off so was falling behind.  He could not attend nursery or preschool when he was younger as any infections picked up off other children would make him poorly again.

At this time another bombshell was dropped on us after all the medication etc Cameron was now diabetic and needed insulin 4 times daily for another year of high steroids followed by all the problems associated with them water retention, bloatedness, temper, and behavioral problems at this time we were asked if Cameron would try a new treatment called mycophenolate we agreed we would try anything to help Cam have a better life and slowly things did get better.  We stopped the steroids the blood counts became more normal and our little boy had more time at school and finished last term with high grades on all his SATS tests we were so proud ……but this is just one part of Cameron’s amazing story ……..

When he was four he was watching TV after treatment on the ward when he a brass plaque on the TV “What’s that Daddy” he asked and I explained that some kind people had raised some money and bought the TV so poorly children could watch it while in hospital. “I want to do that as well,” he said.  So the next weekend at home we held a raffle in the village pub and Cameron drew the winning ticket raised £100.00 and presented 2 TV sets to the hospital ward, there were 30 beds and only 18 TV sets.  In just two months Cameron had equipped them all by doing fundraising events there were 10 wards in the hospital and within 3 years Cameron had equipped them all with toys, books, games, computers, etc he has so far raised £88 390.00 doing all kinds of things junior runs dressed as superman, sitting in a bath of beans and soup, song-nights, raffles, walks, car washes, talked his mum into a bungee jump, and abseil, me into 2 head shaves, a chest wax, a skinny dip on the 1st of Jan in the sea at Blackpool and all other things.

Two years ago he learned his beloved Pendlebury hospital was closing down and an appeal was being started to raise £20 000 000.00 for parents’ quarters and equipment “We have to help Daddy” he said so we did and Cameron has fronted numerous events and fundraised tirelessly for them raising £18.200,000 so far, and with the final event being in November we are confident of achieving this and Cameron has been asked to give a speech on the night at the Hilton hotel in Manchester.

During his fundraising, Cameron has met many famous people including 2 prime ministers, the royal family, sportsmen, and actors who have been amazed by his story.  He has given heart-rending speeches that have had audiences in tears one is on the children’s champions website the award he won in March, he has been featured in the media, television, and radio he is only 11 years old.  He is our hero and always when asked why he does what he does it is the same reply “I just want to help other poorly children”. So when I saw that 11-year-old boy with over 800 hospital admissions get on that bus there was a huge feeling of pride in my heart and even when things are getting you down always try to take positives out of negatives.

Andy Small – Cameron’s proud daddy.

Footnote: Each month Will and Guy get a lot of letters, but this is one of the most heart-warming and inspirational stories about kids that we have received. Just in case you are wondering if it can be true.

Another from our collection of Inspirational Stories for Kids: Farmer Jones and the Boy

Farmer Jones had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the 4 little pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of a little boy, Andy.

‘Mister,’ Andy said quietly, ‘I want to buy one of your puppies.’

‘Well,’ said the Farmer Jones, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, ‘These puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money.’

Andy hung his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to Farmer Jones.

‘I’ve got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?’

‘Sure,’ said Farmer Jones, and with that he let out a whistle. ‘Here, Poppy!’ he called. Out from the kennels and down the ramp ran Poppy followed by four little balls of fur.

Andy pressed his face against the chain link fence while his eyes danced with delight as the dogs made their way to the fence. He noticed something else stirring inside the kennel. Slowly another little ball appeared, this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp, it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up.

‘I want that one,’ Andy said, pointing to the runt. Farmer Jones knelt down at the boy’s side and explained, ‘Son, you don’t want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would.’

With that, Andy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, ‘You see sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.’

With tears in his eyes, Farmer Jones reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.

‘How much?’ asked Andy.

‘No charge,’ answered Farmer Jones, ‘There’s no charge for love.’

Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a friend.

If it comes back to you, then you’ll know you have a circle of friends.

The Old Man and The Dog

A Lovely, Moving Short Story Suitable For Adults And Children [Inspirational Story by Catherine Moore]

‘Watch out! You nearly broadsided that car!’ My father yelled at me.

‘Can’t you do anything right?’

Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn’t prepared for another battle.

‘I saw the car, Dad. Please don’t yell at me when I’m driving.’ My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I felt.

Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home, I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts. Dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil.

What could I do about him?  Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon. He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions and had placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his prowess.

The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn’t lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn’t do something he had done as a younger man.

Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing. At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived.

But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow the doctor’s orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.

My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue. Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session, he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad’s troubled mind. But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it was up to me to do it.

The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered. In vain. Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, ‘I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article.’ I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, and spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run, and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world’s aristocrats. But this was a caricature of the breed. Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hipbones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.

I pointed to the dog. ‘Can you tell me about him?’ The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement.

‘He’s a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we’ve heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow.’ He gestured helplessly.

As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. ‘You mean you’re going to kill him?’

‘Ma’am,’ he said gently, ‘that’s our policy. We don’t have room for every unclaimed dog.’

I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. ‘I’ll take him,’ I said.

I drove home with the dog in the front seat beside me. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch.

‘Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad!’ I said excitedly.

Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. ‘If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don’t want it’ Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.

Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples.

‘You’d better get used to him, Dad. He’s staying!’ Dad ignored me. ‘Did you hear me, Dad?’ I screamed. At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate.

We stood glaring at each other like duellists when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw.

Dad’s lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw. Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at his feet.

Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad’s bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne’s cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night. I woke Dick, put on my robe, and ran into my father’s room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.

Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad’s bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad’s peace of mind.

The morning of Dad’s funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life. And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. ‘Be not forgetful to entertain strangers.’

‘I’ve often thanked God for sending that angel,’ he said.

For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article …

Cheyenne’s unexpected appearance at the animal shelter. . .his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father and the proximity of their deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after all.

Life is too short for drama and petty things, so laugh hard, love truly, and forgive quickly

Live While You Are Alive.

Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get it a second time.

And if you don’t send this to at least 4 people – who cares?

But do share this with someone. Lost time can never be found.

Inspirational Text – Story for Today

Today is the Best Day of My Life

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this was the best day of my life, ever!

There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today, but I did!

And because I did I’m going to celebrate!

Today, I’m going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger.

I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart.

I will marvel at nature’s seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds.

Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.

Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I’ll make someone smile.

I’ll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don’t even know.

Today, I’ll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down.

I’ll tell a child how special he is, and I’ll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for them and how much they mean to me.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don’t have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me.

I’ll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.

And tonight, before I go to bed, I’ll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens.

I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise nature for these magnificent treasures.

As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life.

And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, ever!

© copyright 1993 Gregory M. Lousignont, Ph.D. All rights reserved – no part may be copied or reproduced by any means
Reprinted here with permission of the author 10/26/2010

Another Inspirational Text

He Never Missed a Game – Moving Life Story

Bob Richards, the former pole vault champion, shares a moving story about a skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart.

Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being half the size of the other boys, he got absolutely nowhere. At all the games, this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever played.

This teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. Even though the son was always On the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn’t want to.

But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he’d get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice or a game but remained a bench warmer all four years. His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a “walk-on.”
Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did.

The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul into every practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed.

The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in a game.

It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, ‘My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?’ The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, ‘Take the rest of the week off, son. And don’t even plan to come back to the game on Saturday.’

Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful teammate back so soon. ‘Coach, please let me play. I’ve just got to play today,’ said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close playoff game. But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in.

All right,’ he said. ‘You can go in.’ Before long, the coach, the players, and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, passed, blocked, and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you never heard.

Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that this young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone The coach came to him and said, ‘Kid, I can’t believe it. You were
fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?”‘

He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, ‘Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?’

The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, ‘Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!’

An Old, Faithful, but Very Modern Inspirational Text

• Charles Dickens – Tale of Two Cities Chapter I: The Period

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Inspirational Thought For the Day

For times when you need a little inspiration, or you just wish to get the day off to a good start, here is a list of positive thoughts from famous people.

Inspirational Thought for the Day

• Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. – Mark Twain
• The journey to happiness involves finding the courage to go down into ourselves and take responsibility for what’s there: all of it. – Richard Rohr
• By learning you will teach; by teaching you will understand. – Latin Proverb
• Age considers; youth ventures. – Rabindranath Tagore
• One moment of patience may ward off great disaster.  One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life. – Chinese Proverb Cracked Pot
• Peace: It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. – Author unknown
• History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies. – Alexis de Tocqueville
• It is one of life’s laws that as soon as one door closes another opens. But the tragedy is we look at the closed door and disregard the open one. – Andre Gide
• Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. – Albert SchweitzerBeautiful Monday
• Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. – Mother TeresaWinter
• The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. – Chinese Proverb
• I had the blues because I had no shoes until on the street, I met a man who had no feet. – Ancient Persian SayingShay’s Story

Amusing Droll or Funny Thoughts of the Day

Once again we have added links to another page on our site which develops a particular thought.

• Human beings are the only creatures on earth that allow their children to come back home. – Bill Cosby
• I busted a mirror and got seven years of bad luck, but my lawyer thinks he can get me five. – Stephen Wright
• Sanity may be madness but the maddest of all is to see life as it is and not as it should be. – Don Quixote
• I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally. – W. C. Fields

An Inspirational Thought for the Day [Kindly sent in by John Morris]

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, ‘Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.’

The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, ‘You have seen Hell.’ They went to the next room and opened the door. It was the same as the first one.

There was the large round table with a large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well-nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The holy man said, ‘I don’t understand.’

‘It is simple,’ said the Lord. ‘It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.’

Inspirational Thoughts of the Day by Famous People

• Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone starkly raving mad. – Norm Papernick
• The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. – Benjamin Franklin
• What a wonderful life I’ve had. I only wish I’d realized it sooner. –Colette

Another Batch of Positive and Inspirational Thoughts for the Day

One quality of famous people is that they express their feelings succinctly and clearly; here are quotes that inspire those of us who read their words of wisdom.

• Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself. – Robert Ingersoll
• Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence. – Robert Fripp
• Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. – Winston Churchill
• Integrity does not need rules. – Albert Camus
• Friendship is always a sweet responsibility; never an opportunity. – Kahlil Gibran
• Anger and intolerance are the twin enemies of correct understanding. – Mahatma Gandhi
• Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment. – Seneca
• You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. – Indira Gandhi
• I keep the telephone of my mind open to peace, harmony, health, love, and abundance. Then, whenever doubt, anxiety, or fear try to call me, they keep getting a busy signal and soon they’ll forget my number. – Edith Armstrong
• The first and worst of all frauds is to cheat oneself. – Gamaliel Bailey
• Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. – Benjamin Franklin
• If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own. – Socrates
• I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. – Albert Einstein
• Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere. – Glenn Turner
• Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm. – Author Unknown
• The only thing constant in life is change. – François de la Rochefoucauld
• Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one.  – Confucius

Amusing Thoughts About Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

‘How old are you?’ I’m four and a half!’ you’re never thirty-six and a half. you’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key.

You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number or even a few ahead.

‘How old are you?’ I’m gonna be 16!’ You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life … You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony … YOU BECOME 21. YES!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There’s no fun now, you’re Just a sour dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50.

And your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn’t think you would.

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50, and MAKE it to 60.

You’ve built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it’s a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday.

You get into your 80’s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn’t end there. Into the 90’s, you start going backward; ‘I Was JUST 92.’

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again.’ I’m 100 and a half!’

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

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

Moral Short Stories – Ethical Tales

Here is Will and Guy’s collection of ethical stories with a moral ending.

The Worry Tree: A Useful and Warm-Hearted Story

Paresh, an Indian carpenter I once hired to help me restore my old farmhouse had just finished a difficult and hard first day on the job. A flat tire on his lorry made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw packed in, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, Paresh sat in stony, thoughtful silence.

On arriving, Paresh, in the way of all Indian gentlefolk, invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door to his home, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

After a cup of tea, he walked me to my car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

‘Oh, that’s my trouble tree,’ Paresh replied. ‘I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing is for sure, troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning, I pick them up again. The funny thing is, he smiled winningly, ‘when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.’

The Rescuer – A Tale of Psychology

Here is the situation, Jenny the farmer’s wife looks out of her window.  What does she see but a bull in a field caught his head in between the bars of a feeder?

Jenny calls the fire brigade. Their siren only makes the bull more agitated.  When they appraise the situation they realize they are not equipped to deal with cattle, so they phone for the RSPCA inspector to help free the animal.

Six hefty firemen and the inspector push and pull the beast and eventually, they wrestle its head from between the bars.

The bull was, by now, very angry and turned snorting at the men and began to attack them. Fearing for their life, they hide in the animal feeder. Whereupon the farmer’s wife burst into tears of joy followed by tears of laughter.

Jenny was now able to rescue the rescuers. All she did was get the bull’s old milk bottle, half fill it with milk, put on the teat, and use it to lead the bull from the animal feeder into the farmyard and close the gate.

Chinese Parable of the Lost Axe by Lie Zi

A man who lost his axe suspected his neighbor’s son of stealing it. To him, as he observed the boy, the way the lad walked, the expression on his face, the manner of his speech – in fact everything about his appearance and behavior betrayed that he had stolen the axe.

Not long afterwards the man found his axe while digging in his cellar. When he saw his neighbor’s son again, nothing about the boy’s behavior nor appearance seemed to suggest that he had stolen the axe.

Help By Charlene Wexler

“Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up,” I yelled. Oh My God I sound like that silly commercial, I thought.

I took a deep breath, leaned my right hand on the pink tile floor of the bathroom, and tried to pick myself up. An excruciating pain radiated down my hip and through my leg, making it impossible for me to move. Hot, wet tears flowed down my face. I wiped my eyes with my left hand. The slightest movement felt like someone was sticking big, sharp, serrated knives into me.

Okay, time to assess my situation. I had taken a bath in my enormous beautiful pink tub with the Jacuzzi and had slipped on the floor on the way out. It was stupid of me to take that bath before leaving for the airport. It was the thought of spending a week in hotel showers — and I had to change my clothes anyway, right? — that lured me into the tub.

That darn handshaking gets me in trouble all the time. Earlier, I went and spilled spaghetti sauce on my blouse. I should have thrown out the leftovers. My mother had done a number on me decades ago. Starving children syndrome.

Damn, it hurts to even move my head. My whole right side is in bad shape. Too bad I don’t have that thing around my neck from the commercial. I wonder if it really works. “Ring!” went my cell phone — a nice, loud siren coming from the adjoining bedroom. Can’t miss it. I heard my friend Sally’s rasping voice, which was getting harder and harder to understand. I must make her go to the doctor and get it checked. She always used to have a soft, gentle sound.

“Annie, have a great time at the conference,” I heard her say.

“Help, help!” I screamed. The phone went dead. Why hadn’t I taken the cell or landline phone into the bathroom with me? Oh, what’s the difference — with my luck I would have dropped it in the water and gotten electrocuted.

I really miss Jack. If he hadn’t died I wouldn’t be alone in this house. Now, I can scream all day, and no–one will hear me. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a noise? It sure does. The closest neighbor is two acres away and all my friends think I’m on my way to a writing conference in California. Not like the old days when we lived in apartments on top of each other and everybody knew when you took a pee.

My only hope is a burglar, though he would probably steal the necklace off of me, plus everything else in the house and leave me sitting here to die.

Even the cat went and died on me. What good would the cat be anyway? He would just run away and hide. Cats are smart. They take care of themselves first. Now if I had a dog he would stay and go down with the ship with me. Stupid dogs. Too loyal.

Speaking of going down with the ship, I never turned the tub faucet off, and that water is getting high. Jack, my husband — may he rest in peace — always told me if I didn’t learn to swim I’d drown in the pool. I’ll show him; I’ll drown in the bathroom instead.

I can see the headline: “Crazy old lady leaves the tub water flowing and drowns.” I remember when my grandmother forgot to turn the tub water off, and the bathroom flooded. The neighbor downstairs came upstairs screaming about the water coming through her ceiling. She and my dad yelled at each other for at least 20 minutes, which wasn’t unusual since my dad and the neighbor were brother and sister. It was the family building. Now, everyone lives in a different state. But they have Facebook to connect them, which certainly doesn’t help when the tub is overflowing.

Nobody will notice me gone. A few birds might be upset; no food in the feeders. My daughter will keep saying, “I told her to sell the house and go into a retirement place, where someone would check on her all the time.” Moving hadn’t helped my mother-in-law. She died sometime during the night. They found her sitting upright with the television on and the remote in her hand. I still wonder what television program gave her that heart attack. But they found her relatively quickly. I could be lying here dead for a week. Dead is dead!

I really miss Jack. Though once the grief receded, I must admit it hasn’t been that bad being mistress of my own life — getting up and going to bed at my leisure, eating whatever pleases me, spending money without scrutiny.

The water is slipping over the tub. It is cold too. Yes, I could die. I started to laugh. My mother always told me to wear clean underwear in case I was in an accident. When they rescue me they will find a naked, wrinkled, flabby old lady without clean underwear, and my mother will be mortified, even in the afterlife. Maybe I could reach for the soft blue towel to cover me.

Ah, oh, my God, I can’t move. The pain is bad. Maybe I broke something. I reach out and touch the soaked towel. I try, but I can’t move it closer. With all that water, it weighs a ton.

If I knew I was going to die tonight, what would I have done differently — call my family and friends and tell them how much I loved them? Actually, I probably would have cleaned up the house so they wouldn’t say “Look at
this mess,” and then I would eat all the chocolate I could find. A nice cup of coffee or hot chocolate would be wonderful now. If I made it to the writing conference I could just call room service. Too bad.

Who knows what I would have done? One never believes something tragic will happen to them. That is why we slow down for traffic at an accident or listen intently to the news. “Look what happened to them; thank God it wasn’t me!” We can think that, but we don’t ever say it to anybody.

Nobody is going to rescue me. Most of my friends are dead, and the living ones can’t drive at night. There have been too many funerals when you make it to your eighties. It is up to me to move towards the door and rescue myself.

Again the phone rang. I swallowed hard as I listened to the message from my neighbor, “Oh, Anna, I forgot you were going to a conference.”

I screamed,” No, no, I need help. Please come over.” The phone went dead. Why was I screaming? If Mildred were sitting next to me she couldn’t hear anyway. The woman never wore her hearing aid. The one she told everyone cost her son a fortune.

I shivered as I watched the round bar of white soap slip over the tub with the cascading water, like a boat going over a waterfall. Kind of neat looking, actually. Okay, focus on your situation, I tell myself. The question is, will I drown, or just die of pain or starvation? My mother always said, “If there is a will, there is a way.” She also said, “Man plans and God laughs.”

I looked up through the window and asked, “So God, are you laughing?” An enormous boom answered my question. Maybe it was my plane flying by. A flash of lightning confirmed it was thunder. A second rumble made the curtains in the window flutter from the vibration. At least I won’t have to water the lawn, I thought. If this storm keeps up, though, the lights will probably go out. I’d better make my move.

Sharp shards of pain flooded my body as I slowly inched towards the door. I reached my trembling hand up to open the gold, round handle and stopped. If I opened the door the water would flow into my bedroom and ruin my carpet.

Crazy old lady, I said to myself. Die or ruin the carpet? It is an interesting question. I’ve had a pretty good 82 years, and the carpet was relatively new. Got that new blue carpet when Jack died. He wouldn’t get it. Always said nobody would buy a house with blue carpet.

Then I thought of my grandchildren, and with all my energy I turned the knob and pushed open the door. Just a little slide more would put me in reach of my cell phone. 911 here I come!

Wet carpet or not, I decided to live. After all, what a great story this would make at the next writing conference!

Ethical Stories

If you don’t see the topic that you are interested in try our ‘Search’ box because we have a large selection of inspirational tales and honorable stories of good triumphing over evil. 

The Wise Farmer’s Donkey

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well.  The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out a way to get him out. Finally, he decided it was probably impossible and the animal was old and the well was dry anyway, so it just wasn’t worth it to try and retrieve the donkey.  So the farmer asked his neighbors to come over and help him cover up the well. They all grabbed shovels and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, when the donkey realized what was happening he cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down and let out some happy brays.  A few shovelloads later, the farmer looked down the well to see what was happening and was astonished at what he saw.  With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was shaking it off and taking a step up.

As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he continued to shake it off and take a step up.  Pretty soon, to everyone’s amazement, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.

Will and Guy consider that the moral of this tale is that life is going to shovel dirt on you. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.  Through applying wisdom every adversity can be turned into a stepping stone.  The way to get out of the deepest well is by never giving up but by shaking yourself off and taking a step up.

The moral is what happens to you isn’t nearly as important as how you react to it.

What Do You Do All Day?

Patrick came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front garden.

The door of his wife, Valerie’s car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the hall, Patrick found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the rug was piled up against one wall. In the front room, the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the worktop, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.

Patrick quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for Valerie. He was worried she might be ill, collapsed, that something serious had happened.

He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap, and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and sink.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found Valerie still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went.

Patrick looked at Valerie, bewildered, and asked, ‘What happened here today?’

Valerie again smiled and answered, ‘You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me sarcastically what in the world I do all day?’

‘Yes,’ was Patrick’s startled reply.

Valerie answered, ‘Well, today, I didn’t do it.’

Motivational Thought of the day – Inspiring Words

For those days when you need a little more motivation, here is a collation of inspiring words from famous people.

It’s Impossible To Read These Thoughts Without Being Inspired

• Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken. – Albert Camus
• Either I will find a way, or I will make one. – Sir P. Sidney
• An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not the invasion of ideas. – Victor Hugo
• Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need most. – American Proverb
• Be generous with kindly words, especially about those who are absent. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more about a problem than the person at the bottom. – Sandra Day O’Connor
• If you are able to state a problem, it can be solved. – Edwin H. Land
• Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. – Marie Curie
• Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. – Samuel Johnson

Food for Thought

Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.  Bertrand Russell

International Thoughts for the Day

Every nationality has its heroes, and each, sage, prophet, or mullah has its own way of inspiring its followers.  Will and Guy feel that we can all learn something from the sheer variety of motivational beliefs.

• He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything. – Arabian Proverb
• No road is long with good company. – Turkish Proverb
• I ask not for a lighter burden but for broader shoulders. – Jewish Proverb
• Shared joy is double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow. – Swedish proverb
• Failure teaches success. – Japanese Saying
• By learning you will teach; by teaching you will understand. – Latin Proverb
• A half-truth is a whole lie. – Yiddish proverb
• The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. – Chinese Proverb

Motivational ‘Thought of the Day’ By The Famous

One quality of famous people is that they express their feelings succinctly and clearly; here are beliefs that inspire and motivate those of us who read their words.

• Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go. – Oscar Wilde
• Happiness is not by chance; but by choice. – Jim Rohn
• Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect. – Samuel Johnson
• Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. – Albert Schweitzer
• This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. – William Shakespeare
• Ideas without action are worthless. – Harvey Mackay
• One never knows what each day is going to bring. The important thing is to be open and ready for it. – Henry Moore
• It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot

Whilst Researching ‘Motivational Thought of the Day’, Will and Guy Found These Sayings Which May Make You Smile

• Man’s commonest fault is not knowing what he doesn’t know.
• To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
• By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
• Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
• Everyone should have a spouse because there are a number of things that go wrong that one can’t blame on the government.
• Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.
• If you can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to serve as a horrible warning.
• Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, but eventually, you find a hair stylist you like.
• One of life’s mysteries is how a two-pound box of candy can make a person gain five pounds.

Shay’s Baseball Account

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.

My son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?’

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. ‘I believe, that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.’

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, ‘Do you think they’ll let me play?’

Read the rest of Shay’s motivational story.

Thought-Provoking and Motivational Quotes – Kindly sent in by DeAnne L. Green

• A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.  Charles Spurgeon
• A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. Charles Spurgeon
• A sinner can no more repent and believe without the Holy Spirit’s aid than he can create a world. Charles Spurgeon
• A vigorous temper is not altogether evil. Men who are easy as an old shoe are generally of little worth.  Charles Spurgeon
• Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us. Charles Spurgeon
• By perseverance, the snail reached the ark. Charles Spurgeon
• It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. Charles Spurgeon
• Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties. Charles Spurgeon
• No one is so miserable as the poor person who maintains the appearance of wealth. Charles Spurgeon
• No one knows who is listening, say nothing you would not wish to put in the newspapers. Charles Spurgeon
• None are more unjust in their judgments of others than those who have a high opinion of themselves. Charles Spurgeon
• Of two evils, choose neither. Charles Spurgeon
• Saving faith is an immediate relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, and resting upon Him alone, for justification, sanctification, and eternal life by virtue of God’s grace. Charles Spurgeon
• Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite. Charles Spurgeon
• The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation. Charles Spurgeon
• The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction. Charles Spurgeon
• Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of. Charles Spurgeon
• A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone. Billy Graham
• A real Christian is a person who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip. Billy Graham
• Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has. Billy Graham
• Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened. Billy Graham
• God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, “I love you.” Billy Graham
• God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he’ll be there. Billy Graham
• I’ve read the last page of the Bible. It’s all going to turn out all right. Billy Graham
• If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life. Billy Graham
• Man has two great spiritual needs. One is for forgiveness. The other is for goodness. Billy Graham
• My home is in Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world. Billy Graham
• Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love. Billy Graham
• Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children. Billy Graham
• Only those who want everything done for them are bored. Billy Graham
• Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God. Billy Graham
• Read the Bible. Work hard and honestly. And don’t complain. Billy Graham
• Suppose you could gain everything in the whole world, and lost your soul. Was it worth it? Billy Graham
• Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength. Billy Graham
• The framers of our Constitution meant we were to have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. Billy Graham
• The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless. Billy Graham
• The men who followed Him were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same. Billy Graham
• The most eloquent prayer is the prayer through hands that heal and bless. Billy Graham
• The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course. Billy Graham
• There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men. Billy Graham
• We are not cisterns made for hoarding, we are channels made for sharing. Billy Graham
• When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost. Billy Graham
• You’re born. You suffer. You die. Fortunately, there’s a loophole. Billy Graham

Uplifting Story of Two Choices

You Have Two Choices

Will says that this is the most uplifting presentation that he has seen this year.  Our only concern is what is the best medium for the message, PowerPoint or plain text.  On reflection, we suggest that you start with the PowerPoint Presentation and only revert to the text below if you want a printout of the message.

Jerry says:

Each morning I wake up and I say to myself, I have two choices, I can choose to be in a good mood, or I can choose to be in a bad mood.

See the uplifting story of Jerry, with his amazing attitude to life.

Uplifting PowerPoint Presentation of Two Choices

Free Download of the uplifting story: Two Choices

You Have Two Choices

Jerry is the manager of a restaurant. He is always in a good mood.

When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would always reply: ‘If I were any better, I would be twins!’ Many of the waiters at his restaurant quit their jobs when he changed jobs, so they could follow him around from restaurant to restaurant.

Why？ Because Jerry was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was always there, telling him how to look at the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him： ‘I don’t get it! No one can be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?’

Jerry replied, ‘Each morning I wake up and say to myself, I have two choices today. I can choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood.

I always choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be the victim or I can choose to learn from it. I always choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life.’ ‘But it’s not always that easy,’ I protested.

‘Yes it is,’ Jerry said. ‘Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk every situation is a choice.

You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood. It’s your choice how you live your life.’

Several years later, I heard that Jerry accidentally did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business.  He left the back door of his restaurant open  And then in the morning, he was robbed by three armed men.  While Jerry trying to open the safe box, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him.

Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the hospital.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body…

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, ‘If I were any better, I’d be twins. Want to see my scars?’  I declined to see his wounds but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.

‘The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,’ Jerry replied. ‘Then, after they shot me, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or could choose to die. I chose to live.’

‘Weren’t you scared’ I asked.

Jerry continued, ‘The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine.

But when they wheeled me into the Emergency Room and I saw the expression on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read ‘He’s a dead man. I knew I needed to take action.’

‘What did you do?’ I asked.

‘Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me,’ said Jerry. ‘She asked if I was allergic to anything.’  ‘Yes,’ to bullets, I replied.

Over their laughter, I told them: ‘I am choosing to live. Please operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.’

‘Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.

I learned from him that every day you have the choice to either enjoy your life or to hate it.

The only thing that is truly yours – that no one can control or take from you – is your attitude,

so if you can take care of that, everything else in life becomes much easier.

Now you have two choices to make:

1. You can ignore this message or
2. You can learn and apply the lessons from this story.

Honesty – The Man in the Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to a mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father or mother or wife,
Who judgment upon you must pass;
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

He’s the fellow to please, never mind all the rest.
For he’s with you clear up to the end,
And you’ve passed the most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years.
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be the heartaches and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

by Dale Wimbrow [Copyrighted in 1934]

The Rose – An Uplifting Story

John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose.

His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort, he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.

During the next year and one month, the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was budding. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like. When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting – 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. ‘You’ll recognize me,’ she wrote, ‘by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel.’ So at 7:00, he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he’d never seen. I’ll let John Blanchard tell you what happened:

A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit, she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips. ‘Going my way, sailor?’ she murmured. Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell.

She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, had greying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her. This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment.

‘I’m Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?’

The woman’s face broadened into a tolerant smile. ‘I don’t know what this is about, son,’ she answered, ‘but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!’

It’s not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell’s wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive.

Valentine’s Stories of True Love

Will and Guy have collected Valentine’s stories of true love. Romance, it seems, can happen in any country to all sorts of people.

True Inspirational Love Story – Marc Lachance’s Quest

A Canadian man is writing to 3,700 Belgian women called Sabine in a bid to find a sweetheart.  Marc Lachance met a Belgian woman called Sabine on a bus trip to Havana while he was on holiday in Cuba.

He told De Morgen, the online news agency, ‘We liked each other and spent the day together. But I was too shy to ask her address or telephone number.’

Back in Canada, he realized Sabine could be the woman of his life and began his efforts to track her down. ‘All I know is she speaks French and she was traveling with a friend named Klara’, said Mr. Lachance.

‘Finally, I looked up in the phonebook the addresses of all women named Sabine. There are 3,700 of them. I was shocked it’s such a popular name.’ Mr Lachance has so far written to all the women named Sabine in Brussels. Soon he will send letters to the Sabines in Namur, then the rest of the country.

‘It is costing me a lot of money’, he admitted, ‘And what if her name is not in the phonebook – I dare not think of that.’

Lovelorn Canadian Tracks Down His Sabine – Update

The Canadian Marc Lachance who was writing to 3,700 Belgian women called Sabine in a bid to find a sweetheart has struck lucky. What seemed like love failure turned into success.

‘But I didn’t find her by the letter’, he told De Morgen. ‘Her brother had heard about my search on the Belgian radio and told her the story. I was so happy she found me, he said. ‘And she said she is still thinking about me. We had only but a very short moment on the phone but she promised to send me a large e-mail’.

‘She said she wanted me to show her country. If she does, I’m on the first plane to Belgium.’

Another Valentine’s Story of True Love – Michael Young

A man who fell in love with a fellow passenger onboard a flight got the airline to help him track her down. Michael Young fell for Juliet Lever on a Flybe flight from Belfast to Newcastle. Juliet, who was in seat 2B, and Michael, who was in 2C, hit it off instantly. Sadly, Michael was too shy to ask Juliet for her number. He confirmed this on the Victoria Derbyshire show on BBC Radio 5 Live today. [October 2006]

He pined for her so much after they parted that he contacted the airline and begged bosses to ask her to get in touch They obliged and Juliet, 29, phoned him and they agreed to go out to dinner. A whirlwind romance followed and they are to get married next month.

Juliet, who now lives with Michael in Manchester, said, ‘Every girl dreams of a fairytale romance and you couldn’t get better than this.’

Flybe’s Head of Customer Relations, Ella Jones commented, ‘Michael’s tale pulled heart strings so we played cupid.’

Couple Pledge Their Love on Their Valentine Mountain

A True Love Story from Will and Guy

A couple who became stranded on Ben Nevis*, Scotland, overnight in a fierce storm got engaged fearing it could be their last ever night together.

The climb left Stefan Senk, 29, and Beth Davies, 25, with no time to descend before darkness, we have learned. Apparently, the couple sheltered in a narrow crevice overlooking a 1,000ft drop as the temperatures plummeted below zero and gale-force winds tore their protective blankets to shreds.

Fearing it may be their last night together, Mr Senk proposed to Miss Davies as they shivered close to hypothermia in the rain. As dawn broke, they managed to get a signal on Miss Davies’ cell phone and texted her mother 550 miles away in Surrey who alerted local mountain rescue.

Back in the safety of their hotel, Miss Davies reminded her boyfriend, an IT programmer, of his proposal. ‘All I said to him was, ‘I suppose now you’d better get me a ring then,’ and he did,’ she said. The couple are now planning to get married in March 2010.

* Ben Nevis is the UK’s highest mountain, this is emphasized by the fact that it begins its rise from sea level on the shores of Loch Linnhe, to tower 4,406ft (1,344m) above the town of Fort William.

True Romance Blossoms in China

Couples Pledge Their Love in a Funny Way

Three couples got married on a river in China while balancing on bamboo poles Will and Guy have established. The brides [see photo ] all wore traditional wedding dresses while the grooms wore suits for the grand occasion on the Xiangjiang River in Zunyi City, Guizhou province.

All three couples belong to the local single bamboo rafting club and chose to get married on the water to show their skill at the sport. We have heard the sport involves racing on the river while balancing on a locally produced bamboo pole around 20cm in diameter.  Their aim is to popularise their sport.  What a delightful story of true romance.

Valentine’s Day in The Country

Even Hicksville, where my Uncle Tom lives, has a lingerie store. Just before Valentine’s Day, it was crowded with townsmen buying gifts for their beloved.  My uncle and I drifted in, and it did not take long for him to select a long flannel nightgown for my Aunt Maria. As he was waiting in line at the checkout he noticed a young businessman handing a lacy black negligee to the assistant.  When it was my Uncle’s turn he blurted out, “Do you have anything in black flannel?”

Valentine Stories from the Animal Kingdom

Ugly Duckling Makes Good

There once was an ugly duckling…………..a story of true love?

A male swan shunned by females for his deformed neck may finally have found a girlfriend after seven years.  Crinkly the ugly swan has become well-known at a Gloucester, UK, bird sanctuary, after flying in from Russia every winter since 2001. Conservation workers have watched with dismay as Crinkly failed miserably to attract the opposite sex. Experts at Slimbridge were amazed when Crinkly first arrived as a cygnet with parents Lucius and Coletta, with a strange deformed neck probably caused by a birth defect.

‘We were worried about Crinkly because he is such a strange-looking bird,’ said Jools Mackin, spokesperson for Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. Until now, none of the females at the trust was prepared to mate with him but conservation workers say they can see signs of a budding romance.

‘We are delighted because we think Crinkly has finally found a girlfriend,’ commented Ms Mackin. ‘He appears to be loosely associating with another Slimbridge Bewick’s swan called Taciturn. It is too early to say whether or not they ar mates, but we’ll be monitoring them over the next few days to see. At the moment they are associating on Swan Lake.  They are flying in and out together and we do hope they will become mates.’

Early Valentine’s Day for Gander and Donkey

A donkey is making a complete ass of herself after falling in love with a gander. The farm where the unlikely couple live, in the town of Cottbus, Germany, has been swamped by journalists and visitors after the affair appeared in a local newspaper, the Lausitzer Rundschau.

The gander, whose name is Hannibal, met Heidi the donkey when he was put into her enclosure for being too aggressive to be kept with the other birds. Staff say the couple quickly fell for each other, eating and sleeping together, and are now completely inseparable.  The gander jealously attacks any male donkeys who go near Heidi. Heidi in turn is not interested in other donkeys and follows Hannibal around all day long.

Love is in the Air

Another Valentine True Love Story – Two Storks

Vets who saved a female stork, shot by hunters in Croatia, thought her days were numbered but did not take into account the devotion of her mate, Will and Guy can report. The vets knew the female, whom they called Malena, would never fly again but put her back on her nest thinking she would not survive the winter. When her partner, named Rodan, flew south with their young they expected that she would eventually die and certainly never mate again.

Their predictions were proved wrong after the Vokic family, where she had a nest, helped to feed her through the long winter months and she survived. Perhaps, even more amazingly, Rodan has returned every year to mate with his partner and rear another clutch of chicks.

Rodan flies 13,000 kilometres to South Africa, each year, to spend winter in the warm and then the same distance back again to be back with his injured love. A local told Will and Guy, ‘She was shot in 1993 by Italians – but she didn’t die and was handed over to our vet. He saved her life but was crippled and had lost her ability to fly. The damage was too severe. Her lover is amazing; this year when he arrived from South Africa, where he spent the winter, despite the fact that he had traveled 13,000 kilometres he immediately made love to Malena. It was clear they were pleased to see each other. As she can’t fly Rodan teaches the little ones to fly and accompanies them to the south every season.’

Brilliant tale.

After Valentine’s Day – Story of What Becomes of the Broken Hearted

A hospital clinic for the brokenhearted has been set up in Germany to give emergency treatment to those who experience love failure and have been dumped.

Set up by Munich-based Doctor Birgit Delisle, the clinic in the Schwabing Hospital is aimed primarily at lovesick teenagers who do not know how to cope with a broken heart.’ Having your heart broken can lead to physical and psychological problems, from loss of appetite which leads to sudden weight loss to unbelievable pain that drives many people to take drastic measures.’

The free clinic in the Bavarian capital will have experts on hand to advise both sexes on how to cope with being single. There is little truth in the rumor that thousands of young people are traveling to Munich as I write this report.

Kissing Record

More than 6,000 Philippine couples kissed simultaneously in a Manila parking lot at midnight on Saturday 10th February, and organizers of what was called the Lovapalooza event said they had set a world record. ‘More than 6,000 this time, we broke the record,’ shouted Howard Benson, one of the organizers, as fireworks went off and confetti and heart-shaped red balloons filled the air, reports Reuters.

A total of 6,124 couples kissed simultaneously for at least 10 seconds in a parking lot outside a Manila shopping mall, said Albert Almendralejo, producer of Lovapalooza. A team of independent auditors was present to verify the number of people taking part in the event. The thousands of mostly young men and women had gathered in the early evening at the mall on Manila Bay and had danced and listened to music until midnight. After a countdown broadcast of loudspeakers posted all around the area, they kissed exactly at midnight.

The current record is held by 5,875 couples kissing at an event organized at the Elisabeth Bridge in Budapest, Hungary on June 25, 2005.

Another Story of Seeking True Love

A farmer’s cooperative in North Wales offering organic food has come out with a unique idea of finding love for its 20 farmer-members. The dairy cooperative Calon Wen is introducing the “Fancy a Farmer?” campaign by placing pictures of lonely farmers on its milk cartons.

According to the Daily Post, the cartons of Calon Wen’s organic milk will have the stickers of three men and two women looking for a date.  The men and women were all members of the cooperative, the report said. Iwan Jones, 30 of Groes Bach, Groes, near Denbigh, and a director of the Calon Wen cooperative, conceptualized the idea after numerous love failures for himself.

He told the Post, ‘It’s a bit of a laugh really – but if I was approached by an attractive young lady I wouldn’t turn her away.’

The 20-member organic farmers cooperative has also tied a partnership with a Welsh online dating agency to maximize their exposure. Jones adds, ‘The Welsh countryside is a great place to live, with stunning scenery, but it can be a hard place to find a date as I’m finding out!’ He said the two young women participating in the campaign only agreed ‘after a bit of arm-twisting.’ ‘We didn’t want to be accused of being sexist,’ he added.