🧔Father's handprints 👐

~Father's handprints ~ 

✋🏽 🖐🏽 🤚🏽 

Father had grown old and would take support of the wall while walking. As a result the walls had discoloured, wherever he used to touch and his fingerprints got printed on the walls.

My wife detected this and would often complain about the dirty looking walls.

One day, he was having headache, so he massaged some oil onto his head. So, while walking oil stains were formed on the walls. 

My wife screamed at me seeing this.  And I in turn shouted at my father and spoke to him rudely, advising him not to touch the walls while walking.

He looked hurt. I also felt ashamed of my behaviour , but did not say anything to him.

Father stopped holding the wall while walking. And fell down one day. He became bedridden and left us shortly. I felt guilt in my heart and could never forget his expressions and forgive myself of his demise shortly thereafter. 

After sometime,  we wanted to get our house painted. When the painters came, my son, who adored his grandfather,  did not allow the painters to clean father's fingerprints, and paint those areas.

The painters were very good and innovative. They assured him that they will not remove my father's fingerprints/ handprints, rather would draw a beautiful circle around these marks and create a unique design.

This continued thereafter and those prints become part of our house. Every person visiting our home admired our unique design. 

With time, I also grew old.

Now I needed the support of wall to walk. One day while walking, I remembered 

my words to my father, and tried to walk without support. My son saw this and immediately came to me and asked me to take support of the walls while walking, expressing concern that I would have fallen without support, I realised that my son was holding me.

My grand daughter immediately came forward and affectionately,  asked me put my hand on her shoulder for support. I almost started crying silently. Had I done the same for my father, he would have lived longer.

My grand daughter took me along and made me sit on the sofa.

Then she took out her drawing book to show me.

Her teacher had admired her drawing and given her excellent remarks. 

The sketch was of my father's handprint on the walls. 

*Her  comment -  “wish every child loves elders in same way.”*

I came back to my room and started crying profusely, asking forgiveness from my father, who was no more.

*We also grow old with time.  Let's take care of our elders and teach the same to our children.*

**************

😥😰😭🙏🫡

🎀Valuable gift🎁

 

*A Touching Story*

“In 1979, I was managing a Wendy's in Port Richey, Florida.  

Unlike today, staffing was never a real problem, but I was searching for a someone to work three hours a day only at lunch. I went thru all my applications and most were all looking for full time or at least 20 hours per week. I found one however, buried at the bottom of a four-inch stack that was only looking for lunch part-time. His name was Nicky. 

Hadn't met him but thought I would give him a call and see if he could stop by for an interview. When I called, he wasn't in but his mom said she would make sure he would be there.

At the accorded time, Nicky walked in. One of those moments when my heart went in my throat. Nicky had Downs Syndrome. His physical appearance was a giveaway and his speech only reinforced the obvious. I was young and sheltered. Had never interacted on a professional level with a developmentally disabled person. I had no clue what to do, so I went ahead and interviewed him.

He was a wonderful young man. 

Great outlook.

Task focused. 

Excited to be alive. 

For reasons only God knew at that time, I hired him. 3 hours a day, 3 days a week to run a grill. I let the staff know what to expect. Predictably, the crew made sure I got the message, "no one wants to work with a retard."

To this day I find that word offensive. We had a crew meeting, cleared the air, and prepared for his arrival. Nicky showed up for work right on time.

He was so excited to be working. He stood at the time clock literally shaking with anticipation. He clocked in and started his training. Couldn't multi task, but was a machine on the grill. Now for the fascinating part.....

Back in that day, there were no computer screens to work from. Every order was called by the cashier.

It required a great deal of concentration on the part of all production staff to get the order right.

While Nicky was training during his first shift, the sandwich maker next to him asked the grillman/trainer what was on the next sandwich. 

Nicky replied, "single, no pickle no onion." A few minutes later it happened again. It was then that we discovered Nicky had a hidden and valuable skill.

He memorized everything he heard! Photographic hearing ? WHAT A SKILL ! It took 3 days and every sandwich maker requested to work with Nicky. He immediately was accepted by the entire crew. After his shift he would join the rest of his crew family, drinking Coke like it was water! 

It was then that they discovered another 

Rainman-esque trait. 

Nicky was a walking/talking perpetual calendar! With a perpetual calendar as a reference, they would sit for hours asking him what day of the week was December 22, 1847 or some more. He never missed. This uncanny trait mesmerized the crew.

His mom would come in at 2 to pick him up.

More times than not, the crew would be back there with him hamming it up. 

As I went to get him from the back, his mom said something I will never forget. "Let him stay there as long as he wants.

He has never been accepted anywhere like he has been here." I excused myself and dried my eyes, humbled and broken-hearted at the lesson I just learned.

Nicky had a profound impact on that store. His presence changed a lot of people. Today I believe with every fiber of my body that Nicky's hiring was no accident. God's Timing and Will is Perfect.

We are all like Nicky. 

We each have our shortcomings. We each have our strong points. But we are all of value. God made us that way and God doesn't make mistakes. 

*Nicky certainly wasn't a mistake.*

He was a valuable gift that I am forever grateful for. 

God doesn't care if you are rich or poor, republican or democrat,  black or white. 

He doesn't care if your chromosome structure is perfect. 

He doesn't care what level of education you have attained. 

So let’s check our hearts. ❤️

*There is a little bit of Nicky in all of us and I suspect there is a Nicky somewhere in your life that is looking for the chance to be embraced.*❤️❤️

After Death

 (Borrowed)

MY HOUSE WAS ABOUT TO BE LOCKED ......

 On the 29th of November 2018 just because I was not able to pay the rent.

I posted it on facebook seeking for help, but all I got were 2 likes & zero comments.

So l sent 250 messages to my contact list requesting for a loan of $1500.

Sadly only 10 people replied. 6 out of the 10 claimed they couldn't help. Only 1 out of the 4 who said they could help actually gave me some money but the rest only gave me excuses and never picked my calls. 

In the end, my door was locked.

 I had no where to sleep. 

I walked in the dark seeking options and sadly a thief stole my empty purse with my identity card in it. 

He was badly hit by a fast moving car as he was running away, so he died. 

Fast forward>> The next day, news quickly spread around that I had died.

About 2,500 people posted on my wall how they knew me. 

How great I was !

A committee was formed by my,

 *loyal friends* who contributed $18000 to feed guests at my funeral.

My colleagues at work teamed up and brought another $4500 for a coffin, tents and chairs.

I was to be burried in a coffin worth $1500- the same amount I needed for rent.

Relatives also met. It was a rare occasion for them to meet, so they met and contributed an extra $3000.

Everyone wanted to volunteer in order to appear they were helping. 

They printed T-shirts with my image. 

Each T-Shirt costing $2,50, so the T-shirt man made about $25000 from my presumed death.

Everyone wanted to speak at my funeral. 

There was drama all over from people who never knew how l survived. 

There was even rumour that I was murdered by my friends. 

Speeches were made on how talented I was, even by those who never attended my events. 

The few friends who supported me didn't even get the chance to speak during my funeral - although they knew the Truth. 

In fact, they were prime suspects for my ‘death’.

You could imagine how the scene turned after I showed up alive! 

Some thought l was a ghost.

*THIS IS THE IRONY OF LIFE; WE LOVE THE DEAD MORE THAN THE LIVING*

~ Author Unknown

It's the absolute truth of today's world..

Dont be an duck 🦆, be an eagle🦅

 

நண்பர் வெளியூர் செல்ல Call Taxi 

ஒன்றை ஏற்பாடு செய்திருந்தார்.

அவர் கவனித்தது காரின் பின்னால் ஓட்டியிருந்த ஆங்கில வாக்கியம்.

*Duck or Eagle

You decide*

அடுத்து அவர் கவனத்தை 

கவர்ந்தது (Clean and shiny)பளிச்சென்று சுத்தமாக இருந்த கார்.

டிரைவர் நல்ல வெள்ளையுடை அணிந்து பளிச்சென்று புன்னகையுடன் இருந்தார்.

அவரே வந்து கார் கதவை திறந்து 

நண்பரை அன்போடு அமர சொன்னாராம்.

அழகான டிரைவிங். கேட்டதற்கு 

மட்டும் தெளிவான பதில்.

நண்பர்  அந்த ஓட்டுனரின் அழகிய செயல்களால் மிகவும், கவரப்படார்.

பொதுவாக Call Taxi டிரைவர்கள் சற்று இறுக்கமாகவே இருப்பார்கள். பயணம் முடிந்தவுடன் அவர் யாரோ? நாம் யாரோ? என்ற கண்ணோட்ட்த்தோடு.

இந்த டிரைவர் மிகவும் வித்தியாசமாக கண்ணியமாக நட்போடு இருந்தார்.

பட்டதாரியும் கூட.

அவரிடம் எப்போதுமே நீங்கள் இப்படித்தானா? என்று நண்பர் கேட்டிருக்கிறார்.

இல்லை சார். நானும் மற்ற டிரைவர்ஸ் 

போல்தான் இருந்தேன். சத்தம் போட்டு கொண்டு.குறை கூறி கொண்டு "என்றார்.

எப்படி உங்களை நீங்களே மாற்றி கொண்டீர்கள்? என்று நண்பர் கேட்டிருக்கிறார்.

ஒரு Client seminar ஒன்றிற்கு சென்றார் . சும்மா டாக்ஸியில் அமர்ந்திருப்பதற்கு கேட்கலாமே, என்று உள்ளே நுழைந்தேன். அந்த seminar என்னை மாற்றி விட்டது" என்றார்.

என்ன Seminar?

உங்களை நீங்களே உயர்த்திக் 

கொள்வது எப்படி ?

என்ன சொன்னார்கள்?

பல அறிவுரைகள். என்னை மிகவும்

கவர்ந்தது இதுதான்.

காலையில் எழுந்திருக்கும் போதே

இந்த நாள் சரியாக இருக்காது என்று எதிர்மறை சிந்தனையோடு எழுந்தால் அந்த நாள் கண்டிப்பாக நன்றாக இருக்காது."

இதையே ஆங்கிலத்தில் சொன்னார்கள்.

அப்போதுதான் அதன் ஆழம் புரிந்தது.

*If you get up in the morning 

expecting a bad day,you will.

Don't be a Duck

Be an Eagle*

*The ducks only make noise and complaints.

The eagles soar above the group*.

அந்த அறிவுரை என்னை

மிகவும் கவர்ந்தது.

என்னை நானே சுய பரிசோதனை

செய்து கொண்டேன்.

நான் Duck போல இருப்பதை உணர்ந்தேன். ஏன் Eagle போல இருக்க கூடாது என்று எண்ணினேன். என்னை நானே மாற்றி கொண்டேன் என்றார்.

எல்லா Customer இடமும் அன்போடு பணிவாக நடந்து கொள்ள ஆரம்பித்தேன்.

மன அமைதி மட்டுமல்ல. என் வருமானமும் பெருகியது. Always my taxi busy.ஒரு முறை பயணம் செய்தவர்கள், என்னையே அழைக்க ஆரம்பித்தார்கள்" என்றார்.

நண்பர் சொன்னபோது எனக்கே

அவரை பார்க்க வேண்டும் போல்

இருந்தது.

அவர் சொன்னது உண்மைதான். 

எந்த வேலையாக இருந்தாலும்,

நாம் நடந்து கொள்ளும் நடத்தையும்,அர்ப்பணிப்பு உணர்வுமே,

(behaviour and involvement) நம்மை உயர்த்தும். 

உயர உயர வாழ்வில்

Eagle போல பறக்க வைக்கும்.

இப்பொழுது நம் முன்னால் 

இருக்கும் ஒரே கேள்வி :

நாம் எப்படி வாழ வேண்டும்?

Duck or Eagle ?

முடிவு எடுக்க வேண்டியது நாமே.

நல்ல நண்பனாக, நல்ல சகோதரனாக, 

நல்ல அப்பாவாக, நல்ல கணவனாக, 

நல்ல அம்மாவாக, நல்ல மனைவியாக, குறிப்பாக நல்ல குடிமகனாக மாறுவது

எல்லாமே நம் கையில்தான்......

➿ Die Empty ⚰

 

*Die empty*

The most beautiful book to read is "Die Empty" by Todd Henry.

The author was inspired and got this idea of writing ​​this book while attending a business meeting. 

When the director asked the audience: "Where is the richest land in the world?"

One of the audience answered: "Oil-rich Gulf states." 

Another added: "Diamond mines in Africa."

Then the director said: "No it is the cemetery. Yes, it is the richest land in the world, because millions of people have departed/died and they carried many valuable ideas that did not come to light nor benefit others. It is all in the cemetery where they are buried."

Inspired by this answer, Todd Henry wrote his book, "Die empty" where he did his best to motivate people to pour out their ideas and potential energies in their communities and turn them into something useful before it is too late.

The most beautiful of what he said in his book is: "Do not go to your grave and carry inside you the best that you have.

 *Always choose to die empty.*

The TRUE meaning of this  expression, is to die empty of all the goodness that is within you. Deliver it to the world, before you leave.

If you have an idea perform it.

If you have knowledge give it out.

If you have a goal achieve it.

Love, share and distribute, do not keep it inside.

Let’s begin to give. Remove and spread every atom of goodness inside us.

Start the race.

      💐☺ *Die Empty*😊💐

👩Love👩‍🦳

🙍

 After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.”

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who had been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my 3 children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

“What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

“I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.”

She thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I would like that very much.”

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an Angel’s. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,” she said, as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation — nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.

“How was your dinner date?” Asked my wife when I got home.

“Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place where mother and I had dined. An attached note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but nevertheless I paid for two plates — one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me.”

“I love you, son.”

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: “I love you,” and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till “some other time.”