Phoenix

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. Their soggy sandals left marks upon the hearthstone.

Cocoa and toast with jam to fortify against the chill outside. I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget...
The silence in the front room struck through to me. I looked in.
The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in flat voice, "Lady... are you rich?”
"Am I rich? Mercy, no!" I looked at my shabby slipcovers.
The girl put her cup back in its saucer - carefully. "Your cups match your saucers." Her voice was old with a hunger that was not of the stomach.
They left then, holding their bundles of papers against the wind. They hadn't said thank you. They didn't need to. They had done more than that. Plain blue pottery cups and saucers. But they matched. I tested the potatoes and stirred the gravy. Potatoes and brown gravy - a roof over our heads - my man with a good steady job - these things matched, too.
I moved the chairs back from the fire and tidied the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon my hearth. I let them be. I want them there in case I ever forget again how very rich I am.

- Marion Doolan

Lady, are you rich?

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 is, except one boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and paused. Then they all turned around and went back. Every one of them. One girl with Down's syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, "This will make it better." Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line.

Everyone in the stadium stood and the cheering went on for ten minutes.

- Bob French

What's really important?

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 they
offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: The last of his freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

- Viktor E. Frankl

Obstacles

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 with the help of the counselors and a few newfound friends, most kids seem to make it through that adjustment period without suffering any permanent damage, and it isn’t unusual for a child who screamed, “I wanna go home!” on day one to cry, “I never wanna leave!” when the summer finally ends.

Imagine you’re a counselor at a summer camp. A young first-timer knocks on your cabin door one night after lights-out and, with tears in his eyes, tells you he wants to go home. What do you say to the child?

Source: Kokology - The Game of Self-Discovery

A Shoulder to Cry On

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 competitive events.

Because of her leg support, my mind raced as I tried to think of encouragement for my Sarah, things I could say to her about not letting this get her down - but before I could get a word out, she said, "Daddy, I won two of the races!”

I couldn't believe it! And then Sarah said, "I had an advantage.”

Ahh! I knew it. I thought she must have been given a head start... some kind of physical advantage. But again, before I could say anything, she said, "Daddy, I didn't get a head start... my advantage was I had to try harder!”

- Stan Frager

A lesson in heart

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 was not possible. Roebling convinced his son, Washington, an upandcoming engineer, that the bridge could be built. The two of them conceived the concept of how it could be accomplished, and how to overcome the obstacles. Somehow they convinced bankers to finance the project. Now with unharnessed excitement and energy, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project was only a few months under way when a tragic on-site accident killed John Roebling and severely injured his son. Washington was severely brain-damaged, unable to talk or walk. Everyone thought that the project would have been scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who understood how the bridge could be built.
Though Washington Roebling was unable to move or talk, his mind was as sharp as ever. One day, as he lay in his hospital bed, an idea flashed in his mind as to how to develop a communication code. All he could move was one finger, so he touched the arm of his wife with that finger. He tapped out the code to communicate to her what she was to tell the engineers who continued building the bridge. For 13 years, Washington tapped out his instructions with one finger until the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge was
finally completed.

The miracle bridge

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 the ball, threw it into the air and said to himself, "I'm the greatest baseball player ever!" He swung at the ball again, and again he missed. He paused a moment to examine the bat and ball carefully. Then once again he threw the ball into the air and said, "I'm the greatest baseball player who ever lived." He swung the bat hard and again missed the ball.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "What a pitcher!”

Covering all the bases

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 many other interesting stories.
Sad to say, there are times when I'm sitting next to someone who just wants to vent his spleen on a captive audience for 600 miles. It was one of those days. I settled in, resignedly, as my seatmate began his disquisition on the terrible state of the world with, "You know, kids today are..." He went on and on, sharing vague notions of the terrible state of teens and young adults, based on watching the six o'clock news rather selectively.
I gratefully disembarked the plane and bought a local paper on the way to the hotel. There, on an inside page, was an article that I believe ought to have been the front-page headline news.

The article wrote about a 15-year-old boy with a brain tumor. He was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments. As a result of those treatments, he had lost all of his hair. I remember how I would have felt about that at his age - I would have been mortified!
This young man's classmates spontaneously came to the rescue: all the boys in his grade asked their family if they could shave their heads so that Brian wouldn't be the only bald boy in the high school. There, on that page, was a photograph of a mother shaving off all of her son's hair, with the family
looking on approvingly.
No, I don't despair about kids today.

- Hanoch McCarty

I don't despair about kids today

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.
Perseverance pays off. Every important puzzle went together bit by bit, piece by piece.
When one spot stops working, move to another. But be sure to come back later.
Establish the border first. Boundaries give a sense of security and order.
Don't be afraid to try different combinations. Some matches are surprising.
Anything worth doing takes time and effort. A great puzzle can't be rushed.
Take time to celebrate your successes, even little ones. They will encourage you to go ahead.

Lessons from a jigsaw puzzle

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 with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. "Guess what, Mum," he shouted, and then said those words that remain a lesson to me: "I've been chosen to clap and cheer.”

- Marie Curling

Roles - and how we play them

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 flames.
Neighbors called the fire department, then stood helplessly by, unable to enter the house because flames blocked all the entrances. The little girl appeared at an upstairs window, crying for help, just as word spread among the crowd that firefighters would be delayed a few minutes because they were all at another fire.

Suddenly, a man appeared with a ladder, put it up against the side of the house and disappeared inside. When he reappeared, he had the little girl in his arms. He delivered the child to the waiting arms below, then disappeared into the night.
An investigation revealed that the child had no living relatives, and weeks later a meeting was held to determine who would take the child into their home and bring her up.
A teacher said she would like to raise the child. She pointed out that she could ensure her a good education. A farmer offered her an upbringing on his farm. He pointed out that living on a farm was healthy and satisfying. Others spoke, giving their reasons why it was to the child's advantage to live with them. Finally, the town's richest resident arose and said:
"I can give this child all the advantages that you have mentioned here, plus money and everything that money can buy.”
Throughout all this, the child remained silent, her eyes on the floor.
"Does anyone else want to speak?" asked the meeting chairman.
A man came forward from the back of the hall. His gait was slow and he seemed in pain. When he got to the front of the room, he stood directly before the little girl and held out his arms. The crowd gasped. His hand and arms were terribly scarred.
The child cried out:
"This is the man who rescued me!”
With a leap, she threw her arms around the man's neck, holding on for dear life, just as she had that fateful night. She buried her face on his shoulder and sobbed for a few moments. Then she looked up and smiled at him.
"This meeting is adjourned," said the chairman.

Where I’m belonging

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 wonderful thing happened. The woman, unaware anyone was behind her, did a quick and graceful dance step - back, shuffle, slide.

As she reached the door to the dining salon, she re-assembled her dignity, and stepped soberly through.
Younger people often think folks my age are beyond romance, dancing or dreams. They see us as age has shaped us; camouflaged by wrinkles, thick waists and gray hair.
They don't see the people who live inside.
No one would ever know that I am still the skinny girl who grew up in a leafy suburb of Boston. Inside, I still think of myself as the youngest child in a happy family headed by a mother of great beauty and a father of unfailing good cheer.
And I am still the romantic teenager who longed for love, the young adult who aspired to social respectability - but whom shall I tell?
We are all like the woman in the ship's passageway, in whom the music still echoes. We are the sum of all the lives we once lived. We show the grownup part, but inside we are still the laughing children, the shy teens, the dream-filled youths. There still exists, most real, the matrix of all we were or ever yearned to be.
In our hearts we still hear "Begin the Beguine" - and when we are alone, we dance.

- Beth Ashley

An ageless heart

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 spectacular flames that December night.

At the height of the fire, Edison's 24-year-old son, Charles, frantically searched for his father among the smoke and debris. He finally found him, calmly watching the scene, his red face glowing in the reflection, his white hair blowing in the wind.

"My heart ached for him," said Charles. "He was 67 - no longer a young man to start life when everything was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted, 'Charles, where's your mother?' When I told him I didn't know, he said, 'Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this as long
as she lives.'“

The next morning, Edison looked at the ruins and said, "There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.”

Three weeks after the fire, Edison managed to deliver his first phonograph.

Great value in disaster

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 congratulated him on his victory and then told him that her child was seriously ill and near death. She did not know how she could pay the doctor's bills and hospital expenses.

De Vincenzo was touched by her story, and he took out a pen and endorsed his winning check for payment to the woman. "Make some good days for the baby," he said as he pressed the check into her hand.
The next week, he was having lunch in a country club when a Professional Golf Association official came to his table. "Some of the boys in the parking lot last week told me you met a young woman there after you won that tournament." De Vincenzo nodded. "Well," said the official, "I have news for you. She's a phony. She has no sick baby. She's not even married. She fleeced you, my friend.”
"You mean there is no baby who is dying?" said De Vincenzo.
"That's right," said the official.
"That's the best news I've heard all week,” De Vincenzo said.

- The Best of Bits & Pieces

Good news

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 answered with a smile.

"Really," I said. "I have to say you don't look very discouraged.”

"Discouraged?" the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face. "Why should we be discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet.”

- Jack Canfield

Discouraged?

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 out of the kennel came five teeny, tiny balls of fur. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?”
The owner explained that it had no hip socket; it would always be lame. The little boy became excited. “That is the little puppy that I want to buy.”
The store owner said, “If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you. But I know you don’t want to buy that little dog.”
The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store owner’s eyes, and said, “I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for.”
The store owner advised, “You shouldn’t buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies.”
To this, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a metal brace. He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understand!”

- Dan Clark

Puppies for sale

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. As they walked, Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of trouble with his other subjects, and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.

Mark went home after dropping Bill at his house. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school, where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long-awaited senior year came.
Three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.

Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill.
“You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that
memorable moment and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life.”

- John W. Schlatter

A simple gesture

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 her. But Fromet was repulsed by his misshapen appearance.

When it came time for him to leave, Moses gathered his courage and climbed the stairs to her room to take one last opportunity to speak with her. She was a vision of heavenly beauty, but caused him deep sadness by her refusal to look at him. After several attempts at conversation, Moses shyly asked, “Do you believe marriages are made in heaven?”

“Yes,” she answered, still looking at floor. “And do you?”

“Yes I do,” he replied. “you see, in heaven at the birth of each boy, the Lord announces which girl he will marry. When I was born, my future bride was pointed out to me. Then the Lord added, “But your wife will be humpbacked. Right then and there I called out, ‘Oh Lord, a humpbacked woman would be a tragedy. Please, Lord, give me the hump and let her be beautiful.”

Then Fromet looked up into his eyes and was stirred by some deep memory. She reached out and gave Mendelssohn her hand and later became his devoted wife.

- Barry and Joyce Vissell

True love

I was received a beautiful bicycle as a birthday present. One day, when I took a ride on my bicycle in
the 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.

“Oh, I wish…”, he hesitated.

Of course I knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the boy said was unexpected to me:

“I wish,” the boy went on slowly, “that I could be a brother like that”. I saw his face full of determination. Then, he went to the bench behind me, where his little crippled brother was sitting and said:

“Someday, I’m gonna give you a wheelchair on your birthday.”

- Dan Clark

A brother like that!

A little girl was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a
blood 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 explained the situation to her little brother and asked him whether he was ready to transfer blood. He hesitated for only a moment, then took a deep breath and said, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will make my sister healthy.”

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in a bed next to his sister. He smiled as seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away? Please save my dear sister.”

Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood.

- Dan Millman

On courage

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 where you can finally tee off seems like more trouble than it’s worth. But many first-timers find, as they settle into their stance with the sun on their backs and get set to address the ball, that all that work and waiting seem justified.

You are a novice trying your first full round of golf. You’ve hooked, sliced, hacked, whacked, and mulliganed your way through so far. It hasn’t been pretty, but with some determination and after a little timely encouragement from your partner, you finally manage to sink the ball in the eighteenth hole. How do you feel now that you’ve completed the course?

Source: Kokology - The Game of Self-Discovery

Fore

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 the funny bone without either inflicting pain or injuring their own dignity. A good sense of humor is a rare commodity and consistently rates as the attribute most people look for in their partners and friends. Shared laughter brings people together and leaves a bond rooted in the knowledge that someone else out there got the joke.

You are making your debut as a stand-up comedian. You want to be a hit, but there is one person you definitely don’t want to show up to watch you perform. Who is that person?
What do you see as the single most important ingredient in determining success in the comedy business?
During your act, you made a single blunder. What kind of mistake was it, and how did you attempt to recover?
One member of the audience laughed harder and longer than anyone else. Who was this fan of yours?

Source: Kokology - The Game of Self-Discovery

Phoenix

Lady, are you rich?

What's really important?

Obstacles

A Shoulder to Cry On

A lesson in heart

The miracle bridge

Covering all the bases

I don't despair about kids today

Lessons from a jigsaw puzzle

Roles - and how we play them

Where I’m belonging

An ageless heart

Great value in disaster

Good news

Discouraged?

Puppies for sale

A simple gesture

True love

A brother like that!

On courage

Fore

Funny Business

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