1. PUPPIES FOR SALE
A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read “Puppies for Sale”. Signs have a way of attracting children, and soon a little boy appeared at the store and asked, “How much are you gonna sell those puppies for?” The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.” The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. “I have $2.37, can I look at them?” The store owner smiled and whistled. Out of the back of the store came his dog running down the aisle followed by five little puppies. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy.
“What’s wrong with that little dog?” he asked. The man explained that when the puppy was born the vet said it had a bad hip socket and would limp for the rest of it’s life. The little boy got really excited and said “That’s the puppy I want to buy!” The man replied “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll give him to you.” The little boy got upset. He looked straight into the man’s eyes and said, “I don’t want you to give him to me. He is worth every bit as much as the other dogs and I’ll pay the full price. In fact, I will give you $2.37 now and 50 cents every month until I have him paid for.”
The man countered, “You really don’t want to buy this puppy, son. He’s never gonna be able to run, jump and play like other puppies.” The little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the man and said, “Well, I don’t run so well myself and the little puppy will need someone who understands.” The man was now biting his bottom lip. Tears welled up in his eyes… He smiled and said, “Son, I hope and pray that each and every one of these puppies will have an owner such as you.”
2. Who you are makes a difference
One night a man came home to his 14 –year-old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and he told me that he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being creative genius. The blue ribbon that says 'Who I am makes a difference'. Then he gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else special to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you.
My days are really hectic, and when I come home, I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting enough good grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Beside your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you".
The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said, through his broken tears, "I was planning on committing suicide tomorrow, Dad, because I didn't think you loved me. Now I don't need to do that."
-Helice Bridges
Love cures people – both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.
-Karl Menninger
3. Heaven and hell
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said,
'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'
The Lord led the holy man to two doors.
He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.'
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The holy man said, 'I don't understand.'
'It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.'
4. Lady, are you rich?
They huddled inside the storm door - two children in ragged outgrow 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.
5. NEVER TELL A LIE
On his deathbed, a father advised his son to always speak truth. The son promised that he would never tell a lie.
One day, while going to the city through a forest, he got surrounded by some robbers. One of them asked, “What do you have?”
The boy answered, “I have fifty rupees.”
They searched him but couldn’t find anything. When they were about to go, the boy called out, “I am not telling a lie. See this fifty rupee note which I had hidden in my shirt.”
The leader of the robbers felt pleased at the truthfulness of the boy, gave him hundred rupees as reward and went away.
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