Mutual Love

It is Chinese New Year, the year of the ox.

We are ready to celebrate it.

Though the economy has slowed down, we make up our mind not to be too thrifty on this special occasion. We spend quite a bit and everyone in the family has all their desires and requests satisfied.

We spend time and effort cleaning and decorating the house. We deem it is inappropriate for us to overdo on the decorations since my mom has just left us few months ago. Anyway the house looks decent and we are ready to celebrate the year of the ox.

As usual, we have many visitors from different races and backgrounds. Some even come with gifts. We have a great time eating, drinking, and sharing with one another, dwelling on all topics under the sun. It was indeed happy hours filled with joy and love for one another. They really brightens up the house.

Even since we have our own home 10 years ago, we always remind ourselves to make more friends and to develop better and deeper understanding with one another. We learn to avoid foolish arguments, meaningless chatters, selfish strife and quarrels. We strive to cultivate good relationships with our families, relatives, neighbors, and friends.

We realize the fact that we will have fewer relatives and friends as we grow older. Some of them may have stayed away because of misunderstandings, arguments, quarrels and strife. Some of them may have passed away. Others may have migrated far away. If we remain aloof and unaffected for long, we will be a loner in no time.

It really takes courage to leave the gate wide opened during the festival. But it is a good indication of how we fare on mutual love. A large and cheerful crowd indicates that we are successful while a dwindling crowd should alarm us to make amend as soon as we can.

I believe it is high time we examine on the issue of mutual love.

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When the tide turns against you

Maybe it doesn't matter to you when you turn away sour-faced when someone wants to speak to you.

Maybe it doesn't matter to you to speak so harshly to others after they have wronged you.

Maybe you feel very pleased with yourself when you dominate a situation, and you sneer and curse the one you step on and trample.

Maybe you feel that the world hasn't been fair to you all this while. So you make up your mind to do the same to others.

I feel sorry for you because you don't know what you are doing and what you have missed.

You are so self-righteous. You think you can never make any single mistake. Time will tell how true it is, when the tide turns against you.

You are so arrogant, so imposing and so unforgiving, and you don't even give a second chance to others to make amends. And you are so judgmental in everything you say. Time will tell how bitter you will be, when the tide turns against you.

I wish you are not like that because I can see that your friends are slowly leaving you and avoiding you. You are hurting everyone including yourself. And you seem not to care at all.

I stand from afar and watch. I can see you are lonely. I don't know how to console you. You really have to change your attitude.

We all need to live together in peace, justice, mutual respect and love. We must be more tolerating and kind toward one another.

Come, my friend... Show a little kindness and make this world a better place... for everyone and especially for you.

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Please Calm Down

Some of us can stay calm and cool in our life. This virtue is the result of a long and patient effort in self-control. When we have ripened our experiences and have a deep knowledge of our thoughts, we become calm and strong.

When we are calm, we know how to govern ourselves and we know how to adapt ourselves to others, and we revere and rely on our God more.

The calmer we are, the greater is our success, our influence, and our power for doing good.

Calm people are always loved and revered. Who doesn't love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, and a balanced life? Calm people are always sweet, serene, and strong.

Some people sour their lives, and ruin all that is sweet and beautiful by explosive tempers. But calm people control and purify their thoughts and makes the winds and the storms of their souls obey them.

Remember my friends: self-control is strength, right thought is mastery, and calmness is power.

"Be Still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10)

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Love Is Blind?

They told me that...

• Love is blind because when you are in love, it doesn’t matter what the world says to you; to you, he/she is the world. Even when your friends tell you that he/she is ugly, you will say otherwise and claim that he/she is the most handsome man/beautiful girl that you have ever seen. Even if he/she has a bad attitude, you will choose not to see it anymore.
• Love is blind because it encourages you to say or to do things that you would never say or do under normal circumstances.
• Love is blind because you would normally concentrate on the physical attributes or sexual attractions of the person and overlook all other imperfections and his/her past.
• Love is blind because you get very emotional rather than logical in your relationships.
• Love is blind because your lover is your very close friend who watches over you when you are going through a bad break up.

But I presume...

• Love is not blind when you see something in him/her that other people don't usually see or know. You see something in him/her that make you want to marry and love him/her.
• Love is not blind when love is knowing him/her for whatever he/she is and accepting it with no regrets.

I believe lovers should take more time and effort to understand one another before they get married. It is said that love covers all sins. True love will only grow with time and effort. And as love grows, the blind lovers begin to undersand how their relationship has developed and mature over the years.... And so they say to themselves, "Till death shall we part."
What do you think?

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I'm Longing For Someone

... who loves me for who I am.
... who focuses on me in a crowd.
... who loves to laugh and can always make me laugh.
... who is family oriented.
... who always talks to me about our future.
... who always helps me with my chores.
... who I can hang out with and have a great time with.
... who is honest with me and I will do the same.
... who is just the right size to cuddle with on those cold nights.
... who is by my side the whole time to provide for each other's needs.
... who can share joy and sorrow together.
... who do provide space for one another.
... who always take more interest in me.
... who can make me so very happy.
... who has so many good qualities.
... who will stand by me always.
... who will never give me a dull moment when we are together.
... who is always ready with a smile on his face and who smiles to me a lot.
... who is full of kind words.
... who always make me look forward to another day God has let us.
... who has few friends, but has close family.
... who always make me feel the closeness together as the day goes on.
... who will give up everything just to make sure that I'm okay.
... who will pull out a handkerchief and hand it to me when I sneeze.
... who is my calm after a storm.
... who thinks of my preferences when making plans and accepting invites to things for us.
... who is genuine in everything says and does.

---Who love me the way I do. Amen.

Take Time To Love

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the Feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love.

One day it was announced to the Feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?

"Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"

"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by. So Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you." "Oh... Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.

It takes time to love someone we care

Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder.

So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going.

When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way.

Realizing how much she owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?"

"It was Time," Knowledge answered.

"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"

Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is."

Lessons:

• Of all Feelings, Love stays the longest.
• Richness has no space for Love.
• Vanity wouldn't take in Love.
• Sadness rejects Love.
• Happiness neglects Love.
• All others just past by Love.
  
• It takes Time to value Love.
  
• It takes Knowledge to reveal Love.
  

Please don't hesitate to Love. You may not realize how much you have lost if you're too late.

Sunday Morning Rain

Experiencing Love in the rain is so beautiful, feeling the water run down from your forehead to the tip of your toes, to have the rain drops passionately dried by the breath of a very special lover.

A spoil so deep that only he and I can touch, a spiritual connection that teaches us the true meaning of love, honesty and communication.

During the splendor of it all, we ran into a storm.

I praying that God will rekindle, renew, and restore all things.

Enhancing Relationships

Trust is a very important factor for all relationships.

When trust is broken, it is the end of the relationship.

Lack of trust leads to suspicion, suspicion generates anger, anger causes enmity and enmity may result in separation.

A telephone operator told me that one day she received a phone call.

She answered, "Public Utilities Board." There was silence.

She repeated, "PUB."

There was still no answer.

When she was going to cut off the line, she heard a lady's voice, "Oh, so this is PUB. Sorry, I got the number from my husband's pocket but I do not know whose number it is."

Without mutual trust, just imagine what will happen to the couple if the telephone operator answered with just "hello" instead of "PUB".

Changing One's Character

Many relationships fail because one party tries to overpower another, or demands too much.

People in love tend to think that love will conquer all and their spouses will change the bad habits after marriage.

Actually, this is not the case.

There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "It is easier to reshape a mountain or a river than a person's character."

It is not easy to change. Thus, having high expectation on changing the spouse character will cause disappointment and unpleasantness.

It would be less painful to change ourselves and lower our expectations.

Fall In Love and Fell Out Of Love

The Meaning Of Love

We can never understand why two people fall in love. Love is more than just words. It is more than the interests, attractions, concerns and attributes that two people share. When love comes, some fall in love while others fell out of love. We don't know why. Love just moves on and continue to bring blessings and sorrows to more and more people.

Love Is A Gift To Be Treasured

When we fall in love, we must take firm hold of it and celebrate it in all its beauty. It is our very dream comes true. And we must never stop to treasure every single moment of our love.

Love Is A Gift That May Not Stay

Some refuse to see love as a gift that comes and goes. When they fall out of love, they try desperately to reclaim the love that is lost, rather than accepting it as a gift, and quietly move on in their life. They try to find out what is wrong in them that makes the other person no longer love them. They try to make changes, thinking that if things were different, love would bloom once more. They blame their circumstances and decide that if they go on a long journey and start a new life, their love will grow again. They try anything and everything to give meaning to what has happened. But there is no meaning beyond the fact that love in itself is a gift that may not stay.

When Love Is Not Returned

If you find yourself in love with someone who does not love you, be gentle with yourself. There is nothing wrong with you. Love just refuses to rest in the other person's heart. If you find out that someone is in love with you but you don't love him back, feel honored that love came and called at your door, but gently refuse the love you cannot return. Do not take advantage; do not cause pain.

When Love Chooses To Leave

If you fall in love with another, and he falls in love with you, and then love chooses to leave, do not try to reclaim it nor to assess blame. Let it go. There is a reason and there is a meaning. You will know in time. Remember that you don't choose love. Love chooses you. All you can really do is to accept it for all its mysteries when it comes into your life. Feel the way it fills you to overflowing, then reach out and give it away. Give it back to the person who brought it alive in you. Give it to others who are poor in spirit. Give it to the world around you in any way you can.

Love Is A Gift To Be Shared, Not Possessed

Some people understand love only as a need. They see their hearts as empty places that must be filled by love, and they begin to look at love as something that flows to them rather than from them. They seek love but never generate love to others. They forget that love is a gift to be shared with others for the good of the world.

Love Is Always A Mystery

Love has its time, its season, and its reason for coming and going. We cannot bribe it or reason it into staying. We can only embrace it when it arrives and give it away when it comes to us. But if it chooses to leave, there is nothing we can do or should do. Love always has been and always will be a mystery. Be glad that love came to live for a moment in our life.