| Prior Date | Back to Archive Index | Next Date |
|
WITandWISDOM(tm) - November 20, 2001 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "Mediocrity is a region bounded on the north by compromise, on the south by indecision, on the east by past thinking, and on the west by lack of vision." - John Mason By Neil Eskelin in Neil Eskelin's Daily Jump Start(tm), Copyright (c) 2001, http://www.neileskelin.com Subjects: Mediocrity, Compromise, Indecision ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: A THANKSGIVING STORY By Andrea Nannette Mejia (c) 1995 It was the day before Thanksgiving – the first one my three children and I would be spending without their father, who had left several months before. Now the two older children were very sick with the flu, and the eldest had just been prescribed bed rest for a week. It was a cool, gray day outside, and a light rain was falling. I grew wearier as I scurried around, trying to care for each child: thermometers, juice, diapers. And I was fast running out of liquids for the children. But when I checked my purse, all I found was about $2.50 – and this was supposed to last me until the end of the month. That's when I heard the phone ring. It was the secretary from our former church, and she told me that they had been thinking about us and had something to give us from the congregation. I told her that I was going out to pick up some more juice and soup for the children, and I would drop by the church on my way to the market. I arrived at the church just before lunch. The church secretary met me at the door and handed me a special gift envelope. "We think of you and the kids often," she said, "and you are in our hearts and prayers. We love you." When I opened the envelope, I found two grocery certificates inside. Each was worth $20. I was so touched and moved, I broke down and cried. "Thank you very much," I said, as we hugged each other. "Please give our love and thanks to the church." Then I drove to a store near our home and purchased some much-needed items for the children. At the check-out counter I had a little over $14.00 worth of groceries, and I handed the cashier one of the gift certificates. She took it, then turned her back for what seemed like a very long time. I thought something might be wrong. Finally I said, "This gift certificate is a real blessing. Our former church gave it to our family, knowing I'm a single patent trying to make ends meet." The cashier then turned around, with tears in her loving eyes, and replied, "Honey, that's wonderful! Do you have a turkey?" "No. It's okay because my children are sick anyway." She then asked, "Do you have anything else for Thanksgiving dinner?" Again I replied, "No." After handing me the change from the certificate, she looked at my face and said, "Honey, I can't tell you exactly why right now, but I want you to go back into the store and buy a turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie or anything else you need for a Thanksgiving dinner." I was shocked, and humbled to tears. "Are you sure?" I asked. "Yes! Get whatever you want. And get some Gatorade for the kids." I felt awkward as I went back to do more shopping, but I selected a fresh turkey, a few yams and potatoes, and some juices for the children. Then I wheeled the shopping cart up to the same cashier as before. As I placed my groceries on the counter, she looked at me once more with giant tears in her kind eyes and began to speak. "Now I can tell you. This morning I prayed that I could help someone today, and you walked through my line." She reached under the counter for her purse and took out a $20 bill. She paid for my groceries and then handed me the change. Once more I was moved to tears. The sweet cashier then said, "I am a Christian. Here is my phone number if you ever need anything." She then took my head in her hands, kissed my cheek and said, "God bless you, honey." As I walked to my car, I was overwhelmed by this stranger's love and by the realization that God loves my family too, and shows us his love through this stranger's and my church's kind deeds. The children were supposed to have spent Thanksgiving with their father that year, but because of the flu they were home with me, for a very special Thanksgiving Day. They were feeling better, and we all ate the goodness of the Lord's bounty – and our community's love. Our hearts were truly filled with thanks. From Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Aubery and Nancy Mitchell. Submitted by Larry Reed Subjects: Thanksgiving, Benevolence ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: HOW OLD ARE GRANDMA AND GRANDPA? One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events. He asked what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general. The grandma replied, and I quote; Well, let me think a minute .. I was born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill. There was no radar, credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens. Man had not invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, well the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man hadn't yet walked on the moon. Your granddad and I got married first, and then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother, and every boy over 14 had a rifle that his dad taught him how to use and respect. And they went hunting and fishing together. Until I was 25, I called every man older than I, 'Sir '- and after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, 'Sir.' Sundays were set aside for going to church as a family, helping those in need, and visiting with family or neighbors. We were before gay rights, computer dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy. Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions. Serving your country was a privilege; living here was a bigger privilege. We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent. Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started. Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends not purchasing condominiums. We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings. We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios. If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan' on it, it was junk. The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam. Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of. We had 5 & 10 cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents. Ice cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel. And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards. You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, but who could afford one? Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon. In my day, 'grass' was mowed, 'coke' was a cold drink, 'pot' was something your mother cooked in, and 'rock music' was your grandmother's lullaby. 'Aids' were helpers in the Principal's office, 'chip' meant a piece of wood, 'hardware' was found in a hardware store, and 'software' wasn't even a word. What do you think my minimum age would be to have enjoyed all these experiences? SCROLL DOWN ...... Grandma and Grandpa would have to be only 59 years old. Submitted by John L. Hoh, Jr., http://www.geocities.com/brandedhand/ Subjects: Aging, Tests ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Baby Bruno was sitting in his grandmother's kitchen, watching her prepare the Thanksgiving meal. "What are you doing?" Bruno asked. "Oh, I'm just stuffing the turkey," his grandmother replied. "That's cool!" Bruno said. "Are you going to hang it next to the deer?" Source: Kitty's Daily Mews, Copyright (c) 1997-2001 All rights reserved worldwide, http://www.katscratch.com/ Subjects: Thanksgiving, Turkeys ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: SOME MILK FACTS: Calcium and Vitamin D are the two ingredients of milk that make it such a healthy beverage. While calcium is a major nutrient for us that gives us strong bones and healthy teeth, Vitamin D is a nutrient that is needed by humans to produce healthy bones. While milk is being squeezed from the cow's udders, it leaves the cow's body at a high temperature of 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Then the milk is quickly cooled and stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to make 9 gallons of milk a day, a cow must drink 18 gallons of fresh, clean water (2 gallons of water for every gallon of milk). Doctors and nutritionists recommend that everyone should drink about 2 glasses of milk a day to stay healthy and prevent osteoporosis (the disease that causes the deterioration of our bones) The average cow produces 90 glasses of milk per day. Milk usually arrives at grocery stores about 2 days after is it pumped from the cow. Chocolate milk contains the same essential ingredients as white milk calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, high quality protein, and magnesium. The only difference between white and chocolate milk is that chocolate milk contains about 60 more calories because of the sucrose and other nutrient sweeteners that are added to it. Source: ArcaMax Trivia, http://www.arcamax.com For another perspective regarding milk you may visit: http://www.notmilk.com/ Subjects: Health, Diet |