Too Busy for a Friend?

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down... It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers. That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments. No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on. Several years later, one of the students was killed in Viet Nam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature. The church was packed with his friends One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked.... She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.' After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon.. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher. 'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.' Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him 'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said... 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.' All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.' Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.' 'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary' Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists' That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again. The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

The World is Mine

Today, upon a bus, I saw a very beautiful woman
And wished I were as beautiful.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
But as she passed, she passed a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two legs; the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy.
The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
"I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you.
You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two eyes; the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child I knew.
He stood and watched the others play,
but he did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join them dear?"
He looked ahead without a word.
I forgot, he couldn't hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two ears; the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I'd go..
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.

8 Steps to Bridge between Work and Home

Just as children need “re-entry” time when they come home from school, parents need similar adjustment time when they return home from work. All family members can be wound up from the day’s mental and social pressures. Most families know the signs of family stress at the end of the day-hyper-activity, moodiness and tempers. Here are some family strategies to bridge these transitions between work, school and home.


1. Be proactive-develop a relaxation routine for re-entry into the family. On the way home from work, listen to soothing music. The goal is to calm the brain, so if music doesn’t calm you, find what does. One of my clients who took the commuter train home, kept on her phone photos of her favorite vacation pictures of beaches and birds. There is no one right answer for everyone - just keep the goal in mind of shifting from overdrive to third gear - the driving gear that nicely hums along.


2. Exercise before work or at lunchtime. A weekly schedule of aerobic activity, three to five times a week is another way to calm the brain. Exercise reduces depression, increases brain function and makes you feel better and happier.


3. Take control of loose ends at work. Develop a solution before you leave. Limit your time on the cell phone managing work issues on the way home

.

4. Don’t walk in the house angry. If you have an unresolved work problem, a great way to get another “set of eyes” on the issue is to explain it to someone else - like your spouse. The person with the work problem has to focus and organize, and the listener tends to ask questions that spark new ideas. Some of my couples, for example, set aside “work brainstorm” sessions with each other. The extra benefit is the couple feels close, and they establish a sense of mutual help and respect for each other’s issues.


5. Get proactive with household responsibilities. If you are a stay-at-home parent, don’t do all your errands and shopping on one day. Spread them out. Don’t create a laundry day. Instead, spread loads out and assign some of the task to older children. The goal is not to be exhausted from one or two big tasks so that when you take time to relax, you collapse instead. Reserve time for yourself such as 20 minutes or more to do something for you, including exercise. The good news is that you can divide up the exercise into two separate 20-minute sessions and still get the emotional and physical benefits.


6. Establish routines and traditions with your children. For example, cut up fruit to munch on when they come home and use that time to create the ritual of talking to your kid. Tell funny stories from the day or celebrate a good grade on homework.


7. Hug and kiss. Families, including teens, need a sense of warmth and welcome. Be affectionate. And let’s not forget sex with your spouse. Some couples “schedule” sex on nights that for whatever reason are calmer. Scheduling does not take away that sense of joy and excitement. In good relationships, just the anticipation of being together starts that engine.


8. Finally, give up the notion of perfection. The house shouldn’t look like a cyclone hit it, but not everything has to perfect and people don’t have to be perfect either. There will always be instances when grumpiness doesn’t fade easily.



by Dr. LeslieBeth Wish

Memorial Day is coming

Remember






It is the VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.


It is the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.


It is the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.


It is the VETERAN,


not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.




It is the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.






It is the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

The Power of Words

Why Do I Like Retirement !!!

 And They Ask:

Question:  How many days in a week? 

Answer:  6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday

 

Question:  When is a retiree's bedtime? 

Answer:  Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.
 
 
Question:  How many retirees to change a light bulb? 

Answer:  Only one, but it might take all day.


 
Question:  What's the biggest gripe of retirees? 

Answer:  There is not enough time to get everything done.
 
 
Question:  Why don't retirees mind being called Seniors? 

Answer:  The term comes with a 10% discount.


 
Question:  Among retirees what is considered formal attire? 

Answer:  Tied shoes.

 
Question:  Why do retirees count pennies? 

Answer:  They are the only ones who have the time. 


 
Question:  What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire? 

Answer:  NUTS!
 
 
Question:  Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic or garage? 

Answer:  They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there.


 
Question:  What do retirees call a long lunch? 

Answer:    Normal   .
 
 
Question:  What is the best way to describe retirement? 

Answer:  The never ending Coffee Break.
 
 
Question:  What's the biggest advantage of going back to school as a retiree? 

Answer:  If you cut classes, no one calls your parents.


 
Question:  Why does a retiree often say he doesn't miss work, but misses the people he used to work with? 

Answer:  He is too polite to tell the whole truth.


 
And, my very favorite.... 

QUESTION:  What do you do all week? 

Answer:  Monday through Friday, NOTHING..... Saturday & Sunday, I rest. 



-----------------
SERENITY



Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked,
'How old was your husband?' '98,' she replied...
'Two years older than me'
'So you're 96,' the undertaker commented..
She responded, 'Hardly worth going home, is it?
-------------------------
SERENITY

Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman:
'And what do you think is the best thing
about being 104?' the reporter asked..
She simply replied, 'No peer pressure.'
------------------------
SERENITY




The nice thing about being senile is
you can hide your own Easter eggs

and have fun finding them.
----------------------
SERENITY



I've sure gotten old!
I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement,
new knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes.
I'm half blind,
can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine,
take 40 different medications that
make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts.
Have bouts with dementia.
Have poor circulation;
hardly feel my hands and feet anymore.
Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92.
Have lost all my friends. But, thank God,
I still have my driver's license.

---------------------

SERENITY

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape,
so I got my doctor's permission to
join a fitness club and start exercising.
I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors.
I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But,
by the time I got my leotards on,
the class was over.
-----------------------
Serenity


An elderly woman decided to prepare her will and
told her preacher she had two final requests.
First, she wanted to be cremated, and second,
she wanted her ashes scattered over Wal-Mart.
'Wal-Mart?' the preacher exclaimed.
'Why Wal-Mart?'
'Then I'll be sure my daughters visit me twice a week'

-------------------------------
Serenity


My memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
-----------------------------
Serenity


Know how to prevent sagging?
Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

-------------------------------------
 Serenity

It's scary when you start making the same noises
as your coffee maker.
--------------------------------
Serenity

These days about half the stuff
in my shopping cart says,
'For fast relief.'

Pictures of Space

 Centaurus A

Centre of the Milky Way

Globular Cluster Omega Centauri

Glowing Stellar Nurseries

Helix Nebulas

Horse Head Nebulas

 Panorama view of Milky way

NGC 2264 Christmas Tree Cluster

Orion Nebula