Chain Letters

Instructions For Life 1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. 2. Memorize your favorite poem. 3. Don't believe all you hear. 4. Don't spend all you have. 5. Don't sleep all you want. 6. When you say, "I love you", mean it. 7. When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye. 8. Be engaged at least six months before you get married. 9. Believe in love at first sight. 10. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. 11. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely. 12. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling. 13. Don't judge people by their relatives. 14. Talk slowly, but think quick. 15. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?" 16. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 17. Call your parents. 18. Say, "God bless you," when you hear someone sneeze. 19. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. 20. Remember the three R's: respect for self; respect for others; responsibility for all your actions. 21. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. 22. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 23. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice. 24. Marry a person you love to talk to. As you get older, his or her conversational skills will be as important as any other. 25. Spend some time alone. 26. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values. 27. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. 28. Read more books and watch less TV. 29. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time. 30. A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil, harmonious home. 31. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with a current situation. Don't bring up the past. 32. Read between the lines. 33. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality. 34. Be gentle with the earth. 35. Never interrupt when you are being flattered. Say, "Thank you." 36. Mind your own business. 37. Don't trust a person who doesn't close his or her eyes when you kiss them. 38. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before. 39. If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction. 40. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes stroke of luck. 41. Learn the rules, then break some. 42. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other. 43. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. 44. Remember that your character is your destiny. 45. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Natural Highs Falling in love.**Laughing so hard your face hurts.**A hot shower.**No lines at the Super Walmart.**A special glance.**Getting mail.**Taking a drive on a pretty road.**Hearing your favorite song on the radio.**Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.**Hot towels out of the dryer.**Finding the sweater you want is on sale for half price.**Chocolate milkshake.**A long distance phone call.**A bubble bath.**Giggling.**A good conversation.** The beach.**Finding a $20 bill in your coat from last winter.**Laughing at yourself.**Midnight phone calls that last for hours.**Running through sprinklers.**Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.**Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.**Laughing at an inside joke.**Friends.**Falling in love for the first time.**Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.**Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.**Your first kiss.**Making new friends or spending time with old ones.**Playing with a new puppy.**Late night talks with your roommate that keep you from sleeping.**Having someone play with your hair.**Sweet dreams.**Hot chocolate.** Road trips with friends.**Swinging on swings.**Watching a good movie cuddled up on a couch with someone you love.**Wrapping presents under the Christmas tree while eating cookies and drinking eggnog.**Song lyrics printed inside your new CD so you can sing along without feeling stupid.**Going to a really good concert.**Getting butterflies in your stomach every time you see that one person.**Making eye contact with a cute stranger.** Winning a really competitive game.**Making chocolate chip cookies!**Having your friends send you homemade cookies!**Spending time with close friends!**Seeing smiles and hearing laughter from your friends...**Holding hands with someone you care about.**Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad)never change.**Discovering that love is unconditional and stronger than time.**Riding the best roller coasters over and over.**Hugging the person you love.**Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you**Watching the sunrise.**Getting out of bed every morning and thanking God for another beautiful day**

Box of Kisses The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy." He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He yelled at her, "Don't you know when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside it?" The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty, I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy." The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness. An accident took the life of the child only a short time later and it is told that the man kept that gold box by his bed for many years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there. In a very real sense, each of us as humans, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, friends, and family. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

Always Remember Facts Of Life 1. At least 5 people in this world, love you so much they would die for you. 2. At least 15 people in this world love you, in some way. 3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you, is because they want to be just like you. 4. A smile from you, can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you. 5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep. 6. You mean the world to someone. 7. Without you, someone may not be living. 8. You are special and unique, in your own way. 9. Someone that you don't know even exists, loves you. 10. Even when you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it. 11. When you think the world has turned it's back on you, take a look. You most likely turned your back on the world. 12. When you think you have no chance at getting what you want, you probably won't get it. If you believe in yourself, though, you probably will get it sooner or later. 13. Always remember compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks. 14. Always tell someone how you feel about them. You will feel much better when they know. 15. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

Against Everything It's funny how I look at you and see myself-when we are two different people with two different minds and two different hearts... Our differences are endless, but that's not the reason we're friends. We're friends because we're the same. I can tell you anything and be at peace with myself...I can trust you with my ambitions and dreams and not feel judged. Even though we see the world through different eyes, we see each other through the same eyes...eyes of friendship...eyes that see through all physical appearance, and find your soul~~in one glance. Distance is not an option...our love can travel around the world, and beyond. I take a little part of you with me where ever I go. You are in my life for a reason. There's something God thought you needed to teach me. And sometimes, if I squint my eyes, I can see the faint outline of your wings. And when I feel them rustle when you brush up against me...I know that you really ARE my angel. Truth is what we hold...bonds are what we make...futures are what we mold...laughs are what we create~~no matter how far...friends are what we are. Against everything..I am with you always. I am here.

The Doll and a White Rose I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep through Christmas. But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys. And wondered if the grandkids would even play with them. I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about 5 holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll was for. I watched him turn to a woman and he called his aunt by name and said, “Are you sure I don't have enough money?” She replied a bit impatiently, “You know that you don't have enough money for it.” The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere that she had to go get some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she left the aisle. The boy continued to hold the doll. After a bit I asked the boy who the doll was for. “It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it.” I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it. “No, Santa can't go where my sister is...I have to give the doll to my Mamma to take to her.” I asked him where his sister was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said "She was gone to be with Jesus. My Daddy says that Mama is going to have to go be with her." My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said, "I told my Daddy to tell Mama not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store". Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to. He pulled out some pictures he'd had taken at the front of the store. "I want my Mamma to take this with her so she don't ever forget me. I love my Mama so very much and I wish she did not have to leave me. But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister." I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so very quiet. While he was not looking I reached into my purse and pulled out a handful of bills. I asked the little boy, "Shall we count that money one more time?" He grew excited and said "Yes, I just know it has to be enough". So I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it. Of course it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, “Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money.” Then the boy said, “I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Mama can take it with her to give to my sister. And he heard my prayer. I wanted to ask him for enough to buy my Mama a white rose, but I didn't ask him, but he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Mama. She loves white roses so very, very much.” In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away. I could not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story. Two days later I read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home where the young woman was. And there she was holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store. I left there in tears, my life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sister and his mother was overwhelming. And in a split second a drunk driver had ripped the life of that little boy to pieces.

If you have any of these, e-mail them to me, and I'll add them on.