Don’t Be Afraid

 Here we are, afraid of losing what we have all the time, holding on to it so tight that not a soul can touch it. We think by hiding it from the world, it’s hidden and it’s ours. Nothing is. Nothing ever will be. For, nothing ever was.

If you think there is anything that you have, that’s yours, be it money, a house, a job, or a girlfriend… it’s nothing but an illusion. It’ll all disappear… in one blow. One blow, my man.

Here we are, so insecure that we are afraid of re-starting our lives, so we just carry on trying to sort out the current mess. The thought that we should give it all up and just start all over – with nothing – might cross our minds some time, sure, but we get scared and we push away anything that scares us.

There is nothing I can ever achieve or gain that I cannot lose, in a matter of seconds. You have never gained enough to not be able to lose it all, in just a few minutes. What you think is yours, was never yours and will never be yours. Whatever you make here, you leave here. You came naked and you’re going to go back naked.

So what are you afraid of?

Let all be lost. Let them take away everything. As long as you have your heart beating strong, as long as you have your nostrils working fine, as long as the blood flows in your veins, you will live, you will breathe and you can get it all back… again and again. For, if you can do it once, you can damn well do it again. It’s just a game we play – Life.

By Rohit Wadhwaney

5 Foods For Healthy Hair

We do a lot to take care of our hair

Just take a look in your bathroom at all the various products you’ve invested in to keep your curls in pristine condition. But, all those things work from the outside in -- not the other way around.

Many people forget that you can affect the health of your hair by intentionally improving your eating and intake habits to get best hairstyles as well. Learn the ways you can fortify your coils from the inside out to gain moisture, retain length and boost your locks' natural luster. Luckily, your taste buds will enjoy it too.

Kale & Spinach

Spinach and Kale are incredibly nutritious and beneficial veggies to add to your regular diet.

Because these powerhouse greens are high in vitamin C, vitamin K and calcium, they help to strengthen your hair.

Plus, thanks to their high water content, they provide your hair with moisture and contribute to its overall appearance. 

 Sweet Potatoes

Rich in vitamin A, sweet potatoes are excellent for cell growth thanks to its high beta-carotene content.

Without enough vitamin A, our curls can really become dried out and brittle.

Bonus: the antioxidants in them also fight aging, your skin will thank you as well. 

 Lentils

Protein is an important component for hair growth because without enough protein for keratin (which gives our hair its structure), strands become weaker and hair growth slows down immensely.

Lentils are a great source of iron-rich protein and can assist in maintaining steady lengthening of your curls over time.

 

Avocado

There are myriad DIY treatments that include avocado as an ingredient due to its awesome moisturizing properties, but you can do your hair a favor by doing more than just putting it on your hair.

Eating avocados is great for your curls because they’re loaded with vitamin E, vitamin C, B6 and other nutrients including antioxidants that protect against cell damage.

 Aloe Vera Juice

We all know good old H20 is the chief source for moisture but sipping on aloe vera juice is also great for preventing parched hair.

It is helpful for bringing thickness back to thinning hair, reducing dandruff from excessive dryness and also stimulates hair growth. 

The Smell of Rain

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the Doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still groggy from surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10,1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24 weeks pregnant, to Danae Lu Blessing.

At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor’s soft words dropped like bombs. I don’t think she’s going to make it, he said, as kindly as he could. “There’s only a 10 percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one.” Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Danae would likely face if she survived. She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on. “No! No!” was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away.

Through the dark hours of morning as Danae held onto life by the thinnest thread, Diana slipped in and out of sleep, growing more and more determined that their tiny daughter would live, and live to be a healthy, happy young girl. But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire details of their daughter’s chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much less healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable. David walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral arrangements. Diana remembers, ‘I felt so bad for him because he was doing everything, trying to include me in what was going on, but I just wouldn’t listen, I couldn’t listen. I said, “No, that is not going to happen, no way! I don’t care what the doctors say; Danae is not going to die! One day she will be just fine, and she will be coming home with us!”

As if willed to live by Diana’s determination, Danae clung to life hour after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her miniature body could endure. But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Danae’s under-developed nervous system was essentially raw, the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn’t even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Danae struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl. There was never a moment when Danae suddenly grew stronger.

But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there. At last, when Danae turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later-though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero. Danae went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Today, five years later, Danae is a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She shows no signs, what so ever, of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she is everything a little girl can be and more-but that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother’s lap in the bleachers of a local ballpark where her brother Dustin’s baseball team was practicing. As always, Danae was chattering non-stop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, Danae asked, “Do you smell that?” Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, “Yes, it smells like rain.” Danae closed her eyes and again asked, “Do you smell that?” Once again, her mother replied, “Yes, I think we’re about to get wet, it smells like rain. Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, “No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest.” Tears blurred Diana’s eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play with the other children.

Before the rains came, her daughter’s words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Danae on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

This is a real story.

Things change, keep up your faith!

 For most people, graduation is an exciting day – the culmination of years of hard work. My graduation day… was not.

I remember that weekend two years ago. Family and friends had flown in from across the country to watch our class walk across that stage. But like everyone else in my graduating class, I had watched the economy turn from bad to worse my senior year. We graduates had degrees, but very limited prospects. Numerous applications had not panned out and I knew that the next day, when my lease ended, I would no longer have a place to call home.

The weeks ahead weren’t easy. I gathered up everything I couldn’t carry and put it into storage. Then, because I knew my small university town couldn’t offer me any opportunities, I packed up my car and drove to Southern California to find work. But what I thought would take a week dragged into two, and then four, and 100 job applications later, I found myself in the exact same spot as I was before. And the due date to begin paying back my student loans was creeping ever closer.

You know that feeling when you wake up and you are just consumed with dread? Dread about something you can’t control – that sense of impending failure that lingers over you as you hope that everything that happened to you thus far was just a bad dream? That feeling became a constant in my life.

Days felt like weeks, weeks like months, and those many months felt like an unending eternity of destitution. And the most frustrating part was no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t seem to make any progress.

So what did I do to maintain my sanity? I wrote. Something about putting words on a page made everything seem a little clearer – a little brighter. Something about writing gave me hope. And if you want something badly enough… sometimes a little hope is all you need!

I channeled my frustration into a children’s book. Beyond the River was the story of an unlikely hero featuring a little fish who simply refused to give up on his dream.

And then one day, without any sort of writing degree or contacts in the writing world – just a lot of hard work and perseverance – I was offered a publishing contract for my first book! After that, things slowly began to fall into place. I was offered a second book deal. Then, a few months later, I got an interview with The Walt Disney Company and was hired shortly after.

The moral of this story is… don’t give up. Even if things look bleak now, don’t give up. Two years ago I was huddled in my car drinking cold soup right out of the can. Things change.

If you work hard, give it time, and don’t give up, things will always get better. Oftentimes our dreams lie in wait just a little further upstream… all we need is the courage to push beyond the river.

Alex W. Miller

Why You Should Be Drinking Lemon Water In The Morning

 

 

01 Support Immune Function:

Citrus fruits like lemon are high in vitamin C, which helps play an important role in immune function. Lemons also contain substances with antimicrobial properties that keep cold and flu viruses away. Ascorbic acid (found in lemon juice) also helps iron absorption which plays a role in immune function. 

 

02 Alkalize the Body:

Though lemons seem acidic, they are one of the most alkalizing foods for the body. The citric and ascorbic acid found in lemons helps reduce your body's acidity when it is metabolized. 

 

03 Helps with Digestion:

The pectin fiber found in lemons helps fight hunger cravings and keep you full longer. The fiber also aids in digestion to help flush out unwanted materials. 

 

04 Natural, Gentle Diuretic:

 Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials through an increased rate of urination in the body. This in turn, helps boost your kidney's detoxifying function. 

05 Energizer

 Lemon water helps to feel hydrates and oxygenates the body leaving you revitalized and refreshed!

06 Speed Up Metabolism:

 Personal Training pro Jackie Warner swears by lemon water on a daily basis. "Adding the lemon helps to detoxify the liver and metabolizes fat, so this can speed up metabolism by 33 percent."

 

 

07 Can Limes be Used with the Same Benefits as Lemons?:

 Lemons and limes have similar nutrition profiles, but lemons ultimately win out. BUT, if you're getting bored with lemon water, try lime water for a change of pace.

 

 

Student Counting Apples

A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Laiq asked him, “If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?”

Within a few seconds Laiq replied confidently, “Four!”

The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer, three. She was disappointed. “Maybe the child did not listen properly.” – she thought.

She repeated, “Laiq, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?”

Laiq had seen the disappointment on his teacher’s face. He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy.

This time hesitatingly he replied, “Four.”

The disappointment stayed on the teacher’s face. She remembered that Laiq liked strawberries.

She thought maybe he doesn’t like apples and that is making him loose focus.

This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, “If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?”

Seeing the teacher happy, young Laiq calculated on his fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted her new approach to succeed.

With a hesitating smile young Laiq replied, “Three?”

The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself.

But one last thing remained. Once again she asked him, “Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?”

Promptly Laiq answered, “Four!”

The teacher was aghast. “How Laiq, how?” she demanded in a little stern and irritated voice.

In a voice that was low and hesitating young Laiq replied, “Because I already have one apple in my bag.”

Author Unknown
Story submitted by Kshama

When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you expect, don’t think they are wrong. There shall be an angle that you may not have thought about yet.

Berry-Good Danish

 

Ingredients

• 1 package Refrigerated Seamless Dough Sheet or HG Alternative
• 4 wedges Smooth Sensations Cream Cheese Spread, 1/3 Less Fat Strawberries & Cream*
• 2 cups Frozen Unsweetened Mixed Berries, Thawed, Drained And Patted Dry
• 1 tablespoon Granulated White Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Cornstarch

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F
Arrange dough lengthwise into stretched rectangle on nonstick baking pan.
Mix wedges until smooth & spread across middle third of dough, leaving 1/2 inch borders on left and right. Coat berries in sugar & cornstarch. Spoon over cheese spread.
Cut dough into 1 inch strips at top and bottom, stopping about 1/2 inch from filling. Alternate folding top and bottom strips over the filling like a braid. Fold sides in and seal.
Bake 15 minutes or until golden & crispy. Slice & share with 8 of your closest breakfast buddies. Or save for future very-berry cravings.

The Grass Cutting Days

The pastor called me to come forward. I walked to the pulpit confident and proud. I looked out at my family. Some wore somber expressions. Others had faces still damp with tears. Then I gazed down at the shiny black coffin crowned with yellow flowers.

My father, Charlie Lyons, was gone. It was my turn at his funeral earlier this year to pay tribute to the man who taught me so much growing up on the North side. How do you sum up a lifetime in 10 minutes?

I flashed to Dad holding the handlebar and jogging alongside my bike until I felt ready to ride on my own. I saw him pulling up to my broken-down car at night, doing a quick fix and trailing me home. I thought of the hug we shared at my wedding.

Then, I started talking about a special moment I draw from now. Dad was always full of advice, but one of the biggest lessons he taught me one summer was about having a strong work ethic. When my brother and I were growing up, we mowed yards during the summer to earn pocket change. Dad was our salesman. He pitched our service to neighbors and offered a price they could not refuse. My brother and I got $10 per yard. Some yards were a half-acre. I later found out our friends were charging $20 or more for the same amount of work.

Every time we headed out to mow lawns, Dad was there to watch. I used to wonder why he came with us. He stood supervising our work in the sticky Florida heat when he could have been inside relaxing with air conditioning and an icy drink.

One day we were cutting our next-door neighbor’s yard. She always waited until the grass was knee-high to call us over. To make matters worse, we had an old lawn mower that kept cutting off as we plowed through her backyard jungle. This particular afternoon, I was finishing up and was tired and sweaty. I pictured the tall glass of Kool-Aid I would gulp in a minute to cool down.

I was just about to cut off the lawn mower when I saw Dad pointing to one lone blade. I thought about the chump change I was getting paid for cutting grass so high it almost broke the mower. I ignored him and kept walking. Dad called me out and yelled, “You missed a piece.”

I frowned, hoping he would let me slide and go home. He kept pointing. So beat and deflated, I went back to cut that piece of grass. I mumbled to myself: “That one piece isn’t hurting anyone. Why won’t he just let it go?”

But when I reached adulthood, I understood his message: When you’re running a business, the work you do says a great deal about you. If you want to be seen as an entrepreneur with integrity, you must deliver a quality product. That single blade of grass meant the job was not done.

Other neighbors took notice of the good work we did and we soon garnered more business. We started out with one client, but by the end of the summer we had five, which was all we cared to handle because we wanted time to enjoy our summer break from school.

The lesson my dad taught me stayed with me: Be professional. If you say you are going to perform a job at a certain time, keep your word. Give your customers the kind of service you would like to receive. It shows how sincere you are and how much pride you take in your work.

Before I knew it, my tribute was over. I saw my wife jump to her feet in an ovation. The pastor embraced me. People rushed to shake my hand. Though Dad’s body lay inside the coffin, I felt his spirit there. I pictured him standing in the sanctuary, wearing the white T-shirt and blue shorts he did on grass-cutting days. Always there for me and always proud.

By Patrick A. Lyons

The Blind Men and The Elephant

A long time ago in the valley of the Brahmaputra River in India there lived six men who were much inclined to boast of their wit and lore. Though they were no longer young and had all been blind since birth, they would compete with each other to see who could tell the tallest story.

One day, however, they fell to arguing. The object of their dispute was the elephant. Now, since each was blind, none had ever seen that mighty beast of whom so many tales are told. So, to satisfy their minds and settle the dispute, they decided to go and seek out an elephant.

Having hired a young guide, Dookiram by name, they set out early one morning in single file along the forest track, each placing his hands on the back of the man in front. It was not long before they came to a forest clearing where a huge bull elephant, quite tame, was standing contemplating his menu for the day.

The six blind men became quite excited; at last they would satisfy their minds. Thus it was that the men took turns to investigate the elephant’s shape and form.

As all six men were blind, neither of them could see the whole elephant and approached the elephant from different directions. After encountering the elephant, each man proclaimed in turn:

“O my brothers,” the first man at once cried out, “it is as sure as I am wise that this elephant is like a great mud wall baked hard in the sun.”

“Now, my brothers,” the second man exclaimed with a cry of dawning recognition, “I can tell you what shape this elephant is – he is exactly like a spear.”

The others smiled in disbelief.

“Why, dear brothers, do you not see,” said the third man, “this elephant is very much like a rope,” he shouted.

“Ha, I thought as much,” the fourth man declared excitedly, “this elephant much resembles a serpent.”

The others snorted their contempt.

“Good gracious, brothers,” the fifth man called out, “even a blind man can see what shape the elephant resembles most. Why he’s mightily like a fan.”

At last, it was the turn of the sixth old fellow and he proclaimed, “This sturdy pillar, brothers, mine, feels exactly like the trunk of a great areca palm tree.”

Of course, no one believed him.

Their curiosity satisfied, they all linked hands and followed the guide, Dookiram, back to the village. Once there, seated beneath a waving palm, the six blind men began disputing loud and long. Each now had his own opinion, firmly based on his own experience, of what an elephant is really like. For after all, each had felt the elephant for himself and knew that he was right!

And so indeed he was. For depending on how the elephant is seen, each blind man was partly right, though all were in the wrong.

Submitted by Camilia

Marriage – very touching!

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office… jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind… I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed – dead.

My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce –At least, in the eyes of our son— I’m a loving husband…

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

Texting while driving

Hi Friends,

Texting is really cool and is really convenient but what do you think about texting while driving? Do you think that it is dangerous like elder people tell you or do you think that you can handle it just fine?

For me, I initially thought, eh, no big deal, I am in control, plus there is always the urge to respond right away, you know…

UNTIL ONE DAY… a friend texted me while I was driving home from the gym. It was nothing important but I responded to his text…. while driving through a big long curve with trees on the sides blocking my view of the road ahead. As I was about to complete the big curve, I saw a lot of cars 50 feet in front of me, all stopped…

They stopped for the red light… but because I was busy on the phone and I didn’t see the road well, I wasn’t prepared to stop the car at all. I slammed on my brakes and thanks God I was able to stop my car in time.

I felt cold and sweat. On the rest of the way home, I thought about my decision in replying to my friend’s text. Was it a good idea to risk my life and maybe someone else’s life too just to respond to an unimportant text? Plus the financial trouble should be very expensive… texting while driving wasn’t worth it at all.

A message from above

 I never thought I would be writing about a trip to the convenient store, but this trip was like no other. It seemed like a typical November day, two years ago, as I walked out of Walgreens. It was just a month after my grandmother had passed away and I spent my days running useless errands hoping to fill the void in my heart and distract me from the pain.

As I attempted to walk out of the store, I was frustrated by everything that was going on around me which was a very common feeling during this time. I was angry because I couldn’t even remember what I went there to buy so I ended up spending over $20 on nonsense just to waste time and money, both of which I didn’t have.

I was mad and confused at everyone. Especially, the young girl walking through the store holding her grandmother’s hand. The little girl was begging her grandmother for ice cream just like I use to when I was little, before I was old enough to know that there are bigger problems than a lack of sugar. There is heartache and pain in this world. Before I was old enough to understand that one day my grandmother wouldn’t be here with me. “Here is $20 my sweetie,” the woman said, “Keep it for later and well get you some Mr. Softy.”

As I carried on, I remembered all of the times my cousins and I would play outside of my grandma’s house, waiting patiently to hear the sounds of the Mr. Softy truck. The minute we heard it, no matter how far it may have been, we would run inside smothering my grandma with hugs and kisses while begging for some money. No matter how many times she would say, “Remember kids, no ice cream today,” everyday we would ask and every time she would always end up giving each of us exactly $20. Obviously, we all know that ice cream doesn’t cost this much, but that was my grandma, always giving more than she ever had to give.

Who knew that I, an 18 year old, could be jealous of a three-year-old little girl wearing pink slippers and a Dora the Explorer backpack, but I was, because at the end of the day she had something I didn’t have anymore. A grandmother by her side.

I had to force myself to ignore the little girl who others kept calling “cute” and “adorable” when I simply thought she was nothing but obnoxious. She was just too happy for me and that was unacceptable, at this time, in my world.

I continued to the register to pay for my things, none of which I even remembered picking until I placed them on the counter. It was than that my anger quickly shifted from the little girl who seemed to have everything to the cashier who didn’t have anything, not even my change. She had to bring my things to another register which just felt like a waste of time. Everything felt like a waste of my time. When the cashier gave me my change I didn’t say thank you. I didn’t say have a good day. I simply took my change and left.

Feeling exhausted and hopeless, I began walking to my car. Every step seemed draining, and every step was another to survive. As I looked up into the sky I thought about how my grandmother had left me, and my anger began to return. I was outraged by the loss, and my belief in God was beginning to diminish. I couldn’t understand why these things happened. So as I stood in a public parking lot a million questions formed in my mind. Why did this happen to me? Aren’t we supposed to get signs from the people that pass on? Why did I not feel her presence anymore? Is there a heaven?

Suddenly, a woman driving right by my side rolled down her window and distracted my unanswered thoughts. “Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me,” she said loudly. Thinking she was going to ask for my parking spot, I simply pointed to my car. The thought of having to verbalize where my car was seemed like too much to bear. “No, excuse me,” she said again. At this point, I felt I had no choice but to see what this annoying lady wanted. As I got closer though I was startled-was this my grandmother’s nurse, Adu, who lived with her during her final months? I soon realized that she wasn’t, although the resemblance was uncanny. Then, I realized that this Adu look a like was searching for something in her bag. Surprisingly, I was overcome by a sense a relief that lead me to be patient the entire time the lady was searching. Others would be nervous by a stranger reaching in their bag unanimously, but I wasn’t. Under a clutter of makeup, money, pens, and other belongings, she finally reached to the very bottom of her bag and handed me a three page booklet. “It looks like you need this,” she said calmly with a warm smile on her face.

I looked down at the mysterious and obviously used pamphlet and on the front cover in big bold letters read “What Hope for Dead Loved Ones?”

It took me only a few seconds to comprehend the exchange with this woman, but by the time I looked up, she was gone.

I walked slowly into my car gripping the tiny little book that was given to me with fear that it would fly away in the wind. I didn’t know what it was exactly, but I knew that if my grandmother had anything to do with this that I didn’t want to let it go.

I felt a sense of relaxation as I opened the first page. It explained how people pass on, but their spirit remains with us. This was the first time since my grandma had passed that I felt her with me, just like I had wanted. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but I did know that I finally felt happiness from the surprising change in events.

I couldn’t, and still can’t, believe what had happened to me on that day. I don’t remember the specific details that you usually hear about like what the person was wearing, the time of day, or even the weather, but it doesn’t matter. It was a random day in November when my life turned back around and I began to feel hope again. It was real. It was a miracle. And, I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.

Story by visitor: Jessica Correale

Live and Work

 Father was a hardworking man who delivered bread as a living to support his wife and three children. He spent all his evenings after work attending classes, hoping to improve himself so that he could one day find a better paying job. Except for Sundays, Father hardly ate a meal together with his family. He worked and studied very hard because he wanted to provide his family with the best money could buy.

Whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

The day came when the examination results were announced. To his joy, Father passed, and with distinctions too! Soon after, he was offered a good job as a senior supervisor which paid handsomely.

Like a dream come true, Father could now afford to provide his family with life’s little luxuries like nice clothing, fine food and vacation abroad.

However, the family still did not get to see father for most of the week. He continued to work very hard, hoping to be promoted to the position of manager. In fact, to make himself a worthily candidate for the promotion, he enrolled for another course in the open university.

Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

Father’s hard work paid off and he was promoted. Jubilantly, he decided to hire a maid to relieve his wife from her domestic tasks. He also felt that their three-room flat was no longer big enough, it would be nice for his family to be able to enjoy the facilities and comfort of a condominium. Having experienced the rewards of his hard work many times before, Father resolved to further his studies and work at being promoted again. The family still did not get to see much of him. In fact, sometimes Father had to work on Sundays entertaining clients. Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

As expected, Father’s hard work paid off again and he bought a beautiful condominium overlooking the coast of Singapore. On the first Sunday evening at their new home, Father declared to his family that he decided not to take anymore courses or pursue any more promotions. From then on he was going to devote more time to his family.

Father did not wake up the next day.

Determining Your True Path

A master was strolling through a field of wheat when a disciple came up to him and asked, “I can’t tell which is the true path. What’s the secret?”

“What does that ring on your right hand mean?” – asked the master.

“My father gave it to me before dying.”

“Well, give it to me.”

The disciple obeyed, and the master tossed the ring into the middle of the field of wheat.

“Now what?” – shouted the disciple.

“Now I have to stop doing everything I was doing to look for the ring! It’s important to me!”

“When you find it, remember this: You yourself answered the question you asked me. That is how you tell the true path: It is more important than all the rest.”

Author Unknown

Two Traveling Angels

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.

The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion’s guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, “Things aren’t always what they seem.”

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife.

After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, “How could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him.” – she accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.”

“Things aren’t always what they seem.” – the older angel replied.

“When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn’t find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.”

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don’t turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later…

Should you find it hard to get to sleep tonight, remember the homeless family who has no bed to lie in.

Should you find yourself stuck in traffic, don’t despair, there are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard-of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work, think of the man who has been out of work for many months struggling to feed his family.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror, think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking, “What is my purpose?”, be thankful,
there are those who didn’t live long enough to get the opportunity.

Author Unknown

Planting Potatoes

When I was a boy growing up we had several gardens around our old house. The largest one of all was used just for growing potatoes.

I can still remember those potato planting days. The whole family helped. After my Dad had tilled the soil, my Mom, brothers, and I went to work. It was my job to drop the little seed potatoes in the rows while my Mom dropped handfuls of fertilizer beside them. My brothers then covered them all with the freshly turned earth.

For months afterward I would glance over at the garden while I played outside and wonder what was going on underneath the ground. When the harvest time came I was amazed at the huge size of the potatoes my Dad pulled out of the soil. Those little seedlings had grown into bushels and bushels of sweet sustenance. They would be turned into meal after meal of baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, and my personal favorite: potatoes slowed cooked in spaghetti sauce. They would keep the entire family well fed throughout the whole year. It truly was a miracle to behold.

Thinking back on those special times makes me wonder how many other seeds I have planted in this life that have grown unseen in the hearts and minds of others. How many times has God used some little thing that I said or did to grow something beautiful? How many times has Heaven used these little seedlings to provide another’s soul with sweet sustenance?

Every single day of our lives we step out into the garden of this world. Every single day we plant seeds that can grow into something wonderful. We may never see the growth that comes from the kind words or loving acts we share but God does. I hope then that you always tend the garden around you with care. I hope that you plant only goodness, peace, and compassion in the lives of everyone you meet. I hope that everyday you help miracles to grow.

By  Joe Mazzella

Kiss Someone Before You Go

 

The subway train sways back and forth, its wheels screeching more fiendishly than ever against the tracks. Outside the window the freezing cold of winter rules and the dreary bay looks like a yawning abyss as the train rumbles across it. The carriage is filled with frozen self-centered, bored passengers. Good morning!

Suddenly a little boy pushes his way in between discourteous grown-up legs – the kind that only grudgingly make room for you. While his father stays by the door, the boy sits next to the window, surrounded by unfriendly, morning-weary adults.

What a brave child, I think.

As the train enters a tunnel, something totally unexpected and peculiar happens. The little boy slides down from his seat and puts his hand on my knee. For a moment, I think that he wants to go past me and return to his father, so I shift a bit. But instead of moving on, the boy leans forward and stretches his head up towards me. He wants to tell me something, I think. Kids! I bend down to listen to what he has to say. Wrong again! He kisses me softly on the cheek.

Then he returns to his seat, leans back and cheerfully starts looking out of the window. But I’m shocked. What happened? A kid kissing unknown grown-ups on the train? To my amazement, the kid proceeds to kiss all my neighbors.

Nervous and bewildered, we look questioningly at his father, “He’s so happy to be alive,” the father says. “He’s been very sick.”

The train stops and father and son get down and disappear into the crowd. The doors close. On my cheek I can still feel the child’s kiss – a kiss that has triggered some soul-searching. How many grown-ups go around kissing each other from the sheer joy of being alive? How many even give much thought to the privilege of living? What would happen if we all just started being ourselves?

Author Unknown

Coffee On The Wall

I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighboring town of Venice, Italy, the city of lights and water.

As we enjoyed our coffee, a man entered and sat at an empty table beside us. He called the waiter and placed his order saying, “Two cups of coffee, one of them there on the wall.”

We heard this order with rather interest and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two.

When he left, the waiter put a piece of paper on the wall saying “A Cup of Coffee”.

While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had two cups of coffee but paid for three and left. This time also, the waiter did the same; he put a piece of paper on the wall saying, “A Cup of Coffee”.

It was something unique and perplexing for us. We finished our coffee, paid the bill and left.

After a few days, we had a chance to go to this coffee shop again. While we were enjoying our coffee, a man poorly dressed entered. As he seated himself, he looked at the wall and said, “One cup of coffee from the wall.”

The waiter served coffee to this man with the customary respect and dignity. The man had his coffee and left without paying.

We were amazed to watch all this, as the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the trash bin.

Now it was no surprise for us – the matter was very clear. The great respect for the needy shown by the inhabitants of this town made our eyes well up in tears.

Ponder upon the need of what this man wanted. He enters the coffee shop without having to lower his self-esteem… he has no need to ask for a free cup of coffee… without asking or knowing about the one who is giving this cup of coffee to him… he only looked at the wall, placed an order for himself, enjoyed his coffee and left.

A truly beautiful thought. Probably the most beautiful wall you may ever see anywhere!

Author Unknown

Spaghetti Pie

Creamy Spaghetti Pie with Ground Turkey and Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Turkey
• 1 jar 24 Ounce Spaghetti Sauce
• 8 ounces, weight Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
• 4 ounces Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
• 2 wedges The Light French Onion Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese For Topping

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare spaghetti as package directs. Brown ground turkey with (optional) chopped onion. Add spaghetti sauce; season to taste. Stir sauce with cooked pasta. Add cheeses to spaghetti and sauce mixture. Put in an oblong dish, sprayed with Pam. Top with additional Parmesan Cheese, to taste. Bake uncovered in a 375 oven for 15 minutes

Alcohol related accidents

Alcohol is one of the leading causes of accidents, from domestic to traffic related. Get the facts here.

 

Spilling red wine over your friend’s pristine white sofa. Breaking another wine glass all over the floor. Tripping up your front steps.

Drinking can make us prone to minor accidents that almost seem part of your average night. But alcohol can be the cause of more serious accidents too.

There are two main things which make this likely. Because it’s a depressant, alcohol slows down the brain and affects the body’s responses. At the same time, if you’ve been drinking, you’re more likely to take risks. Combined, these reactions increase the chance of accidents happening.

1. The more you drink, the more likely you are to have an accident

“That table looks perfectly safe to dance on.”

“Forgot my keys. I’ll just hop over this fence!”

These are just two examples of the more light hearted side effects of drinking alcohol once euphoria sets in. But the feeling you get when the amount of alcohol in your blood increases can have disastrous consequences too. It can make you underestimate your own abilities and behave recklessly. That road doesn’t look as busy, that gap isn’t so big and besides, you are an expert long jumper…

As blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rises, so does the risk of accidents. BAC, the amount of alcohol in your breath or blood, is measured in mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, or mg%. It’s affected by all sorts of factors, including how much alcohol you drink, how fast you drink it, your body size, how much you’ve eaten, your gender and even your emotional health.

2. Alcohol slows you down

Alcohol affects your body’s responses. It slows down your brain which means you are more likely to have an accident.

Drinking alcohol can:

affect our judgement and reasoning
slow down our reactions
upset our sense of balance and coordination
impair our vision and hearing
make us lose concentration and feel drowsy.

3. More young men die from drink driving than any other group of people

Since 1979, when detailed reporting began, there has been an almost six-fold reduction in the number killed in drink drive accidents and a similar drop in seriously injured casualties (1).

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that drink drive accidents still account for 16% of all road deaths in Britain (2).

For drivers, alcohol can:

reduce your ability to see distant objects – night vision can be reduced by 25% (3)
make you have blurred and double vision
reduce your ability to perceive what is happening around you
make you lose your peripheral vision.

In the UK, the alcohol limit for drivers is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, 35mg per 100ml of breath or 107mg per 100ml of urine (4).

4. Alcohol increases the risk of accidents at home and work, and of fires

Stark statistics reveal the extent to which alcohol increases the risk of accidents of all kinds:

Accidents at home. Alcohol is the single biggest cause of accidents at home. Of the 4,000 fatal accidents that happen in homes in the UK every year, 400 are alcohol-related (5).
Accidents at work. Alcohol is a factor in up to one in four workplace accidents.
Fires. In 2008, the London Fire Brigade estimated that almost a third of accidental fire deaths in the capital were alcohol related. (6).

5. The effects of alcohol can last longer than you think

Even after alcohol has left your bloodstream, you’re more likely to have an accident. In one study, 14 hours after drinking, two-thirds of a group of pilots could not perform routine tasks in a simulator, despite the fact that all the alcohol had left their system (7).

If you’ve had an accident when you’ve been drinking, other effects are:

Your recovery from injury may be hindered. This is because alcohol affects your circulation and the immune system.
It’s harder for doctors to diagnose serious conditions such as head injuries when a patient is drunk.
Alcohol can interfere with anaesthetic and other medication, meaning operations and treatment may be delayed.

Three ways to avoid alcohol-related accidents

Don’t drive, operate machinery, swim or take unnecessary risks.
Look out for friends who may be behaving recklessly.
Remember that your performance and judgement could still be affected by alcohol the day after a heavy drinking session.

Four top first aid tips to deal with alcohol-related accidents

If you are at the scene of an accident, call the emergency services as soon as possible. Once you’ve called for help, if the person who needs it is unconscious, make sure their airway is open. If they are sick and their throat or tongue becomes blocked with vomit, they can choke and stop breathing.
If the person is breathing, place them in the recovery position. If they aren’t breathing, perform chest compressions and breathe into their mouth.
If someone is bleeding, apply pressure to the wound using a clean cloth or piece of clothing. If they’re in shock, lay them down, and raise and support the injured limb.
If someone is burned or scalded, cool the affected area in cold running water for at least 10 minutes, then cover the wound with a clean, non-fluffy cloth to prevent infection.

Alcohol related accidents facts

Accident victims who have been drinking suffer more serious injuries than those who haven’t (8).
Younger people are more likely to have an alcohol-related accident than older people (9).
280 people were killed in drink drive accidents in 2012, an increase of around 17 per cent compared with 2011 and accounting for 16 per cent of all road deaths in Great Britain (10).

Staying in control

Drinking within the lower risk guidelines will help you keep your drinking under control. Here are three ways you can cut back:

1. Give alcohol-free days a go. If you drink regularly, your body starts to build up a tolerance to alcohol. This is one of the main reasons why many medical experts recommend taking regular days off from drinking to ensure you don't become addicted to alcohol. Test out having a break for yourself and see what positive results you notice.

2. Stress less. Some people drink alcohol to relax, but in reality alcohol can make you feel even more stressed out. Try not to make alcohol key to your after work wind down, and consider some alternative stress-busters like hitting the gym or having a hot bath.

3. Know what you’re buying. Check out the ABV on a bottle of wine before you buy it. ABV stands for Alcohol by Volume, which is the percentage of the drink that is pure alcohol. It’s not uncommon for a bottle of wine to be verging on 15% ABV, which could easily push you over the government's lower risk guidelines if you drink more than one glass. Producers are increasingly introducing 10% or lower ABV wines that are as palatable as their stronger counterparts. Look out for them when you’re next buying a bottle.

Further information

Your GP can help you figure out if you should make any changes in your drinking, and offer help and advice along the way.

Helping others

One year, at cross county Sally past out. I was going to help her, but I was really out of breath. I could not really help her either because I went up to help and the girls that was helping her pushed me out of the way and said no we got this. So I said okay and after that one of my other friends made me fell better. Then I followed them and got Sally that pasted out, I got her some water and the girls that was being mean to me said thank you. Then after that those girls were like close friends, and Sally felt much better after that day. So a mouth later the close friends came to my house and Sally to, and everyone lived happily ever after.

By  Faith

Learning to Thrive

I was slumped over the passenger's seat, weaving to the car's sudden swerves and turns as if I were on some sailboat fighting a stormy sea. Nausea gripped my throat. My body was too heavy, my arms anchored to the leather seat. The car was speeding out of control. My eyelids flickered loosely over my eyes. This was anything but peaceful like I would have hoped it would have been.
"No, Haylee! Stay awake!" my roommate and best friend, Izzy, screamed over at me from the driver's seat. "Promise me you won't fall asleep!"
Drool webbed from my lips. I groaned at my friend, wishing for her to just be quiet and drive a little less like we were in a Grand Theft Auto game. I could feel Death itself slowing my heart in my ears. My body sunk into the seat like a dead weight. Izzy didn't know what to do. Her words were slurred to me, but I knew she was sobbing.
Next thing I knew, she was calling my step-mom. "Haylee took a bunch of pills," she belted out through sobs. "Um, I don't know. I think a lot.” She hung up the phone and stepped harder on the gas and cried to me, "Your Dad is going to take you to the hospital.”
I was now slouched over the center console. Everything was getting dark. I could see Izzy's panicked face. I could make out the tears streaming down her cheeks. She fearfully glanced down at me and sobbed, "Why would you do this to me, Haylee? Why?”
The last thing I remember from that car-ride was my drowsy response, "Because maybe Jameson had it right." And then I blacked out.

The doctor said I was lucky. In my head, I was anything but. My vitals were somehow strong. My heart-rate was returning back to normal. My stomach burned and ached as I slowly snapped back into reality. But I was mad. I was mad that my body somehow didn't overdose. I was mad that I was now being held captive in a hospital hallway lined with crying and groaning patients. With my dad at my side and my step-mom dotting her tearful eyes, my doctor pressed the most important question, "Did you intentionally try to overdose, Ms. Graham?"
I shook my head, denying him that I just had a headache.
My dad looked over at me. "Tell him the truth. Tell him what you told Izzy."
I rolled my eyes, feeling like everyone was being overdramatic. "That my friend had it right."
"Her friend killed himself a month ago," my dad explained in a venomous tone, as though he resented Jameson for planting the idea in my head.
The doctor nodded slowly, now understanding. His eyes burned into me as if he was reading into my soul. "You thought he was right about suicide, so you tried it yourself."
And something about his words - perhaps it was the truth in it all - made the cave of my chest deflate like a balloon. I slumped over my knees, held my face in my palms, and started sobbing so loudly that it silenced the nearby patients in their beds. Everyone watched me, slightly surprised by my sudden release of what was now my confession.
Then, between my hands, I cried, "And it wasn't the first time, either."

I soon was confined to my own hospital room. In four hours, I would be shipped to the nearest psychiatric hospital to be committed for three days.
What have I done? I thought to myself as tears poured down my cheeks. I had thought about the repercussions of dying but I hadn’t thought about how it would affect other people.
For hours, I lay there silently, alone and afraid, like a child sent to their room to think over what they had done wrong. A kind nurse named Randy tended to my every need. For an hour, he even let me spill my heart out. I told him how unstable my life had been for the past 10 years. I told him how my mom used to date men who were either drug addicts or expressed anger with their fists. She and I had struggled in extreme poverty where scrounging for pennies just to have food became the norm and a good day was when we could have lukewarm water to bathe in. Then, I confessed that by age 15, I had already tried killing myself twice. Randy listened intently as I explained that for four years, self-injury was my stability and my razor-blade gave me a different kind of pain I craved. As soon as I graduated high school, I battled alcoholism, promiscuity, and for months was addicted to cocaine and crystal meth. Then, on October 25th 2012, my dear childhood friend pressed a gun to his temple and took his own life. Everything that had ever happened to me finally conjured themselves into eleven pills that I pressed back to my throat and swallowed with a bottle of Nyquil.
By the time I was done, I was out of breath from my sobs. Randy observed me quietly
and after a few minutes, stated, “It sounds like you have had to learn how to survive. But that’s not what life is about. Don’t just survive anymore, thrive.” His hand gently grabbed my arm.
“Forget the past, forget the bad things that have happened, and learn to thrive. Promise me you’ll try and do that.”
With tears running down my cheeks, I grabbed Randy’s hand. “I promise.”

For three years, writing was my outlet from a very dark world I lived in. By 2013, I was an official author with four completed full length novels. So when I was admitted into Panorama City Psychiatric Hospital, I found my outlet and wrote a diary of my experiences. In just three very scary and revealing days, I learned more than some people learn in a lifetime. The nurses within those walls scolded me for what I had almost done, telling me to look around at true insanity and realize the graced life I did have. The friends I made there encouraged me and most of all, showed me how blessed I truly was. They asked me to live my life for them, since their mental states would never allow them to live normally like I had the chance to.
So, on my third day, I left with the motivation to create a life worth living. I had many apologies to make, bad habits to break, and several relationships to rebuild, but I restored myself, stopped using drugs, and grew into a better person. One year later, I’m still an author, selling my four novels online while also running a multi-faceted production and management company. I live in a stable home, am surrounded with wonderful friends, and I have finally tasted the happiness I’ve always searched for. I no longer survive. Now I live a beautiful life not just for me, but also for the friends who encouraged me during my darkest hours at that hospital. I fulfilled my promise, started over, and finally learned to thrive.

-Haylee Graham

Kidney Friendly Slow Cooker Chicken with Carrots & Green Beans

 

 Portions: 4     Serving size: 1 chicken breast, 3/4 cup vegetables

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cup frozen carrots, sliced
• 1-1/2 cup frozen Italian green beans
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash® herb seasoning blend

Preparation

1. Combine carrots, green beans and onion. Place in a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker.
2. Arrange chicken breasts on top of vegetables.
3. Pour broth over chicken. Top with Worcestershire sauce and herb seasoning.
4. Cover and cook on high heat for 3 hours or low heat for 6 hours.
5. Serve chicken breast with 3/4 cup vegetables and 2 tablespoons broth.

Renal and renal diabetic food choices

 

                                                                                 3 meat

• 1-1/2 vegetable, low potassium

Carbohydrate choices

1/2

Helpful hints

• Look for reduced-sodium broth containing 500 milligrams sodium or less per 1 cup serving. Avoid low sodium broth that contains potassium chloride—it’s very high in potassium. 
• If desired, make gravy with pan broth.  In a small saucepan mix 1 tablespoon flour with small amount cold water to dissolve.  Turn heat to medium high and stir in broth from slow cooker.  Continue stirring 3 to 4 minutes until gravy thickens.

Life Lesson Learned at the Movie

Kim and I decided to go to an early show to see a new movie, thinking the crowds wouldn’t be as bad. We arrived a little early and were talking during the credits about our day. In came a young girl, followed by a man whom we thought was her father. They sat one row ahead and about two seats to the right. As they began to talk it was clear the man was her father, and their family had come on hard times.

The young girl seemed mature beyond her years. She consoled her father that all would be okay and that she loved him. As they spoke, Kim’s eyes filled with tears, thinking how fortunate this father was to have the love and support of this daughter. You see, the young girl had commented on how long it had been since her father had taken the time to relax. This young lady reminded her dad of the times past when they would go to movies together, sitting, talking, crying and laughing. These were times she missed, she knew her dad did as well, but had dedicated himself fully to correcting the ills the economy placed on their finances.

It became obvious to us they had chosen the matinée because the tickets were less expensive. They had bought a small value drink and popcorn and were sharing it happily. This young lady had saved her money from tending to have just enough to allow them to enjoy this daddy/daughter date as in times not too long ago. The father expressed gratitude for this expression of love, promising the girl they would get back to the good old times soon.

Next, entering while talking on a mobile phone, was a woman who appeared to be rushed and impatient. She took the seat right in front of us two rows down. She had a combo snack with popcorn and a drink as well. It became obvious to us she was waiting for someone, and they were to meet at the movie. This woman was “put out” that she had taken off work early to meet this person who was late. She had unkind words over the phone; then we realized she was talking to her daughter.

The mother stormed out of the theater. Kim and I remarked at how the two families were experiencing totally different lives. The mother seemed to have it all with no concern for time or money, yet she had no relationship of value with her child. On the other hand, the father, while perhaps having no surplus cash, had a deep and meaningful relationship with his daughter.

The movie started with the theater becoming dark. After about fifteen minutes this mother and her daughter came marching in through the doors. Their eyes had not adjusted yet, so they had difficulty getting to their seats. The mother missed her row and proceeded to sit next to this father and his daughter. Now they were right in front of us so we could hear the frustration in both the mother and her daughter. They had words; the daughter stated, “Mom I knew this wouldn’t work. Let’s just leave. Who cares about this stupid movie?” Shock registered on the little girl who sat next to them as she was having the time of her life and didn’t understand. The mother had taken the seat on the outside so the young girls were sitting together.

After a few minutes the mother remembered she had b
\ought treats and looked over to see where they were. She was shocked to see the man and his daughter next to them were eating the popcorn and had the drink. She bent over and whispered to her daughter, “That’s our popcorn they are eating.” Her daughter said, “So what?” But the mother kept eyeing this family as they ate.

The young girl with the dad could see the mother next to her was talking about the popcorn and wondered if they wanted some. She leaned over to her dad and said, “Daddy, I am going to share our popcorn with these people. I don’t think they have the money to buy some for themselves.” The father responded, “Sure, ask them, but be quiet so we don’t disturb anyone.” This little girl reached over, handing her bucket to her neighbor in the next seat asking, “Do you and your mom want some popcorn?” The other girl said, “No, I am good, thanks though.” The mother angrily reached over, “Certainly we want our popcorn.” The little girl was taken back but thought to herself that they must be hungry.

The mother kept the popcorn on her seat and ate slowly. After a few minutes we could see the little girl was wondering if she would get the popcorn back, when the mother asked if she could have the drink. “Yes, certainly,” was the response of this girl as she handed it to the lady. She then bent over to her dad and said, “Daddy, we don’t really need those treats anyway; they are not having a good day.” She reached over and held her father’s hand. The lady kept the drink and the popcorn. This didn’t seem to affect the father or daughter at all.

The woman’s daughter leaned over to her mother and asked if she could go and buy some candy. The mother snapped back, “Yes, why don’t you ask the family next to us if they want something,” stating it sarcastically. “My purse is under the seat. Just hurry,” she exclaimed. The girl reached under the seat and was unable to find the purse. Boiling over, the mother leaned over her daughter and said to the young girl sitting next to them, “Did you steal my purse as well?” Shocked, the little girl clasped her father’s hand as he said, “I don’t know what you are talking about. Could it be under the seat you had when you came in?” “What are you talking about,” this mother snapped back at the father! He kindly pointed to the row in front of them and said, “This is the seat you took originally.” The mother looked on the row in front of them and saw her popcorn and drink.

At that time Kim and I became aware of what had happened and were shocked to see her reaction as she handed back both the drink and the remaining popcorn. “I am so sorry,” she said. She was truly embarrassed, as well as humbled, by the young girl’s generosity. The lady reached for her purse and got some money out to give the girl for her misunderstanding. The young girl had no interest and suggested she was happy to share.

As Kim and I drove home, we talked about how this simple, yet profound, experience gave us perspective on how easy it is to misunderstand. This woman thought the family next to her had stolen, when, in fact, they had given the “widow’s might.” We realized how often others deserve the benefit of doubt before we place judgment.

This is just a story; one I wanted to use to illustrate the following: Have a generous heart; it will serve you well. Know as we go through life our impressions can be one hundred and eighty degrees from reality. Our greatest relationships come through selflessness and understanding. And, if we’re lucky as we do so, we will find that “What goes around, comes around.”

Jaren L. Davis