Do this test tonight when you go to bed. Put a plate on the floor next to your bed. Lie down with o...
Lady, are you rich?
They huddled inside the storm door - two children in ragged outgrown coats."Any old papers, lady?”I was busy. I wanted to say no - until I looked down at their feet. Thin little sandals, sopped with sleet."Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa." There was no conversation. The...
Heart song
There was a great man who married the woman of his dreams. With their love, they created a little lovely girl. When the little girl was growing up, the great man would hug her and tell her, “I love you, little girl.” The little girl would pout and say, “I’m not a little gir...
What's really important?
A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with the relish to run the race to the finish and win.All, that i...
Obstacles
We who lived in the concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but theyoffer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: The last of his ...
A Shoulder to Cry On
For a young child, the first trip to summer camp can be exciting, but it can also be a very frightening experience. The first day, everyone else seems to know what they’re doing, to belong to a circle of friends, and to have decided already which bunk they’re going to sleep in. But ...
A lesson in heart
A lesson in "heart" is my little, 10-year-old daughter, Sarah, who was born with a muscle missing in her foot and wears a brace all the time. She came home one beautiful spring day to tell me she had competed in "field day" - that's where they have lots of races and other competitiv...
The miracle bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge that spans the river between Manhattan and Brooklyn is simply an engineering miracle. In 1883, a creative engineer, John Roebling, was inspired by an idea for this spectacular bridge project. However, bridge-building experts told him to forget it, it just wa...
Covering all the bases
A little boy was overheard talking to himself as he strode through his backyard, baseball cap in place and toting ball and bat. "I'm the greatest baseball player in the world," he said proudly. Then he tossed the ball in the air, swung and missed. Undaunted, he picked up t...
I don't despair about kids today
Sometimes when I'm flying from one speaking engagement to another, I find myself lucky when sitting next to someone who's quite talkative. This is often a pleasant experience for me because I'm an inveterate people-watcher. I've heard stories of sadness, delight, fear, rivals and ma...
Lessons from a jigsaw puzzle
Don't force a fit. If something is meant to be, it will come together naturally.When things aren't going so well, take a break. Everything will look different when you return.Be sure to look at the big picture. Getting hung up on the little pieces only leads to frustration.Persevera...
Roles - and how we play them
Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. Jamie was trying out for a part in a school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, I went...
Where I’m belonging
A little girl whose parents had died lived with her grandmother and slept in an upstairs bedroom.One night, there was a fire in the house and the grandmother perished while trying to rescue the child. The fire spread quickly, and the first floor of the house was soon engulfed in fla...
An ageless heart
The cruise ship was crowded with people off for three days of pleasure. Ahead of me in the passageway walked a tiny woman in brown slacks, her shoulders hunched, her white hair cut in a bob.From the ship's intercom came a familiar tune - "Begin the Beguine." And suddenly, a wonderfu...
Great value in disaster
Thomas Edison's laboratory was virtually destroyed by fire in December, 1914. Although the damage exceeded two million dollars, the buildings were only insured for $238,000 because they were made of concrete and thought to be fireproof. Much of Edison's life's work went up in specta...
Good news
Robert De Vincenzo, the great Argentine golfer, once won a tournament and, after receiving the check and smiling for the cameras, he went to the clubhouse and prepared to leave. Some time later, he walked alone to his car in the parking lot and was approached by a young woman. She c...
Discouraged?
As I was driving home from work one day, I stopped to watch a local Little League baseball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first baseline, I asked one of the boys what the score was. "We're behind 14 to nothing," he answe...
Puppies for sale
A little boy appeared under the store owner’s sign, “Puppies for Sale.” “How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.”“Can I please look at them?” the little boy said hesitantly.The store owner smiled and whistled, and...
A simple gesture
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed that the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. A...
True love
Moses Mendelssohn, the grandfather of the well-known German composer, was far from being handsome. Along with a rather short stature, he had a grostesque hunchback.One day, he visited a merchant in Hamburg who had a lovely daughter named Fromet. Moses fell hopelessly in love with he...
A brother like that!
I was received a beautiful bicycle as a birthday present. One day, when I took a ride on my bicycle inthe park, a boy was walking around the bicycle, admiring it.“Is this your bicycle?”, he asked.“My brother gave it to me on my birthday”, I replied with pride and satisfaction....
On courage
A little girl was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be ablood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease because he had developed and antibodies needed to combat the illness.The doctor e...
Fore
Golf is not something you can try on the spur of the moment; getting started in the sport is a major decision. It takes practice, patience, and preparation. You need the clubs, the shoes, the funny clothes, and of course the people to play with. Sometimes just getting to the point w...
Funny Business
It’s easy to laugh at other people, but making others laugh is a different story. There are some people who will do anything to achieve that end, but few of us are willing to resort to making fools of ourselves for a chuckle. True comics have mastered the balancing act of tickling t...
