BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PLANT

An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different.

He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you. ”The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. “I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here after one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!”

One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths.They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, “Hey nice try.” When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. “What great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the emperor. “Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!” All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. “The emperor knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!”

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. “My name is Ling,” he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, “Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!” Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!”

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FATHER'S EYES

A teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. The father believed in encouragement. 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 the smallest of the class when he entered high school. 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 bestat every practice, and perhaps he’d get to play when he became a senior. All through high school henever 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 to 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 the game.It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big play off 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 hisplayers were astounded to see their faithful team-mate 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 standscould 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, he 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 allthe way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His team-mates hoisted him onto theirshoulders. Such cheering you’ve never heard! Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that the 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!” 

 

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WHAT IS A FAMILY ?

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated,to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: “Daddy, may I ask you a question?”
DAD: “Yeah sure, what is it?” replied the man.
SON: “Daddy, how much do you make an hour?”
DAD: “That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.
SON: “I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?”
DAD: “If you must know, I make $20 an hour.”
“Oh,” the little boy replied, with his head down. Looking up, he said,“Daddy, may I please borrow $10?”

The father was furious, “If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? 

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door. 
“Are you asleep, son?” He asked. 
“No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.
“ I've been thinking, may be I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. 
“It’s been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here’s the $10 you asked for.” The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 
“Oh, thank you daddy!” He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father. 
“Why do you want more money if you already have some?” the father grumbled.
“Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied.
“Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.”

Share this story with someone you like.... But even better, share $20 worth of time with someone you love. It’s just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family. An unwise investment indeed! 

So what is the moral of the story??? Don’t work too hard...and you know what’s the full word of FAMILY?

FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER,(I)(L)OVE (Y)OU!

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GRANDPA’S TABLE

 A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The oldman’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together atthe table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peasrolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped, the glass, milk spilled on the table cloth.The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about Grandfather,” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on thefloor.”

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone whilethe rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food wasserved in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had atear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. Heasked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I ammaking a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.” The four-year-oldsmiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Thentears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must bedone.

That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table.For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to careany longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the table cloth spoiled. Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their mindsever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmospherefor family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parentrealizes that every day the building blocks are being laid for the child’s future. Let’s be wise buildersand role models.

“Life is about people connecting with people, and making a positive difference.Take care of yourself, ... and those you love, ... today, ... and everyday!”

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A Hole in the Fence

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

 

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence....

 

Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The day passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.”

 

The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

 

Friends and loved ones are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Water your relationships with kindness… and they will grow. So be careful little lips what you say…! And you won't chase friendships away.

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పూర్తిగా వాడదాం...

బుద్ధుడు ధర్మ ప్రచారం చేస్తూ దేశమంతటా తిరుగుతున్న రోజులవి. బుద్ధునికి ఆసరికే లెక్కలేనంతమంది శిష్యులు ఉన్నారు. ఊరూరా బౌద్ధ ఆరామాలు వెలిశాయి. ఆ ఆరామాలలో బౌద్ధసన్యాసులు నివసిస్తూ ఉండేవాళ్ళు. భోజనంకోసం ఊళ్లో భిక్షాటన చేసేవాళ్ళు. వాళ్ళ కనీస అవసరాలనుమాత్రం ఆరామాలు తీరుస్తుండేవి. బుద్ధుని సూత్రాలలో ఒకటి, పొదుపుగా జీవించటం: ఏ వస్తువునైనా సరేసరిగ్గా, పొదుపుగా, శ్రద్ధగా ఉపయోగించుకోవటం, దేనినీ పారెయ్యకుండా పూర్తిగా వాడుకోవటం ఆయన పెట్టుకున్న నియమాలలో ఒకటి.
 
ఒకనాడు బుద్ధుడు అలా ఒక ఊరిలోని ఆరామాన్ని సందర్శిస్తుండగా ఆయనకు ఒక వృద్ధ సన్యాసి ఎదురుపడ్డాడు.
“బాగా చలిగా ఉంటున్నది- ఇక్కడ చలికాలంలో ఎముకలు కొరికే చలి. పైన కప్పుకునేందుకు శాలువా లేక, కష్టంగా ఉన్నది. మీకు వీలైతే, నాకు ఒక కొత్త ఉన్ని శాలువా ఇప్పించండి” అని అడిగాడాయన.

బుద్ధుడు అతన్ని అడిగాడు -”నీ పాత శాలువా ఏమైంది?” అని.
 
“వాడగా-వాడగా అది పాతదైపోయి, చినిగి పోయింది. ఇప్పుడు నేను దానిని దుప్పటి లాగా వాడుకుంటున్నాను” అని సమాధానం ఇచ్చాడు సన్యాసి.
 
“కానీ అంతకు ముందే నీ పాత దుప్పటి ఒకటి ఉండి ఉండాలి గద, అది ఏమైపోయింది?” అడిగాడు బుద్ధుడు.
“గురువు గారూ! వాడగా, వాడగా ఆ దుప్పటి పాతది అయిపోయి, చినిగి పోయింది. అందుకని నేను ఇప్పుడు దాన్ని కత్తిరించి దిండు సంచిగా కుట్టుకొని వాడుకుంటున్నాను” చెప్పాడు సన్యాసి.
 
“బాగుంది. కానీ , ఈ కొత్త దిండు సంచి ముందు పాత దిండు సంచిఒకటి ఖచ్చితంగా ఉండి ఉంటుంది కదా! మరి ఆ పాత దిండు సంచి ఏం చేశావు?” అడిగాడు బుద్ధుడు.
 
“ఇన్నేళ్లలోనూ నా తల దాన్ని కొన్ని లక్షల సార్లు రుద్దుకొని రుద్దుకొని ఉంటుంది- అలా దానికి ఒక పెద్ద రంధ్రం పడింది. నేను ఇప్పుడు దాన్ని కాళ్ళు తుడుచుకునే పట్టాగా వాడుకుంటున్నాను” బదులిచ్చాడు సన్యాసి.
 
అయినా బుద్ధుడికి తృప్తి కలగలేదు. ఏ విషయాన్ని అయినా చాలా లోతుగా పరిశీలిస్తాడాయన- అందుకని, వెంటనే అడిగాడు- “మరి నువ్వు నీ పాత కాళ్ళు తుడుచుకునే పట్టా ను ఏం చేశావు?”
 
“గురువుగారూ, వాడగా-వాడగా నా పాత కాళ్ళు తుడుచుకునే పట్టా పూర్తిగా అరిగిపోయింది. దాని నిలువు పోగులు, అడ్డు పోగులు పూర్తిగా ఊడి వస్తున్నాయి. నేను ఆ నూలు పోగులను పేని, వత్తులు చేసుకున్నాను. ప్రతి రోజూ నూనె దీపంలోకి ఆ వత్తుల్నే వాడుకుంటున్నాను” అన్నాడు సన్యాసి.
 
బుద్ధుడు సంతోషించాడు. చిరునవ్వు నవ్వాడు. సన్యాసికి కొత్త శాలువా లభించింది.

సేకరణ : http://pravasarajyam.com/1/childrencorner/2012/06/07/use-completly-kid-story/  

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