How Heavy Is Your Bag

One of my teachers had each one of us bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes. For every person we’d refuse to forgive in our life, we were told to choose a potato, write on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of our bags, as you can imagine, were quite heavy.

We were then told to carry this bag with us everywhere for one week, putting it beside our bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to our desk at work.

The hassle of lugging this around with us made it clear what a weight we were carrying spiritually, and how we had to pay attention to it all the time to not forget, and keep leaving it in embarrassing places.

Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a nasty slime. This was a great metaphor for the price we pay for keeping our pain and heavy negativity!

Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to the other person, and while that’s true, it clearly is also a gift for ourselves!

So the next time you decide you can’t forgive someone, ask yourself… Isn’t MY bag heavy enough?

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your God may forgive you your sins.

Questions

Questions, questions and questions,
Life itself is a big question.
The answer to one question arises a new question,
And the chain goes on…

Why did god do that to me?
He took away all those whom I loved…
Why do we get separated?
What was the need to bring a ray of hope in my life…when the ray was to be eventually lost?

When will this never-ending journey end?
When will we meet again?
Whose fault was it?
Might be mine, as I am bearing the results.

How are we going to complete life…without suffering less pain and agony?
Where will we go after this?
Will we ever be able to achieve perfect synchronization in our lives?

Sometimes, questions are not supported by answers…
But still we try to find one for each question.
Endlessly waiting to be perfect and unite with God…
Again, Is This Possible?

The Dreams

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 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, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel."


"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking 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 share 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 reveled 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 few 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 dean 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 the opportunity in 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 years end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.


One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.


Remember:
GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY, GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

I've learned....

I've learned....
That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned....
That when your newly born child holds your little finger in his little fist,

It is then that you're hooked for life.

I've learned....
That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most

Peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned....
That there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies

And feeling their breath on your cheeks.

I've learned....
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned....
That you should never say "no" to a gift from a child.

I've learned....
That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned....
That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned....
That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned....
That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned....
That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned....
The closer life gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned...
That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned....
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned....
That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned....
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned....
That when you plan to even get on with someone,

You are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned....
That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned....
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain,

But all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned....
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned....
That one should keep his words both soft and tender,

Because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned....
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned....
That when you harbour bitterness,

Happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned....
That the Lord didn't do it all in one day.

What makes me think I can?

I've learned....
That opportunities are never lost,

Someone will definitely take the ones you miss.

I've learned....
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned....
That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!"

Makes my day.

I've learned....
That I wish I could have told my Brother

That I LOVE HIM one more time before he passed away.

I've learned....
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned....
That I can't choose how I feel,

But I can choose what I do about it.

I've learned....
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned....
That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

Beginning of forever…

(Dedicated to My Loving Brother) 

I always thought,

We would always be together. 
We would be there for each other,

From now till forever.

You were not the only thing,

Yet that one thing... I had to live for. 
Everything was so perfect,
But that was before.

But I know that in the end,

We are eventually apart.

So much love I can't send,

After you've left me alone with a crying heart.

Behind this smiley mask,

You must see the ugly truth.

That reliving your dreams is a difficult task,

What hurts is the agony of your departure, the pain of your death.

My hearts lies as a broken flask,

As I try to hold time in my open clutch.
A question in my mind I always ask...
Why I loved you so much?

What should I say to make you respond to me?

What should I do to make you talk to me?

Why it's only you, who I want to see?

Every day of my single day, to set me free...

I said, "I love you," at last,

Wishing you would be listening, as ever.

So, please return to the past,

Return to your sister.

That's true,

I'm still needing you.

But you must know,

That I'll never let you go...

Running from the truth, 
was the easy thing to do.
But I had the courage to be honest,
to gently tell myself, I was though.

I'll still always remember,

The last time we were together.

Wanting to discover,

From the beginning of forever…