:friends:

 

 

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming

that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd

gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was

not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most

beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud

and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

 

 

 

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said,

"Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and

the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly,

but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and

other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were

several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges

where whole pieces were missing. The people stared -- how can he

say his heart is more beautiful, they thought?

 

 

 

The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and

laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with

mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears."

 

 

 

"Yes," said the old man, "yours is perfect looking but I would never

trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have

given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and

often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place

in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough

edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared.

 

 

 

Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person

hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges

-- giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they

stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and

I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting.

So now do you see what true beauty is?"

 

 

 

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He

walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful

heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with

trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart

and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the

wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were

some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect

anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's

heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.

 

 

Give A Piece of Your Heart Away This Valentine's Day!

 

 

You've Touched My Heart

You've given me a reason

For smiling once again,

You've filled my life with peaceful dreams

and you've become my closest friend.

 

You've shared your heartfelt secrets

And your trust you've given me,

You showed me how to feel again

To laugh, and love, and see.

 

If life should end tomorrow

And from this world I should part,

I shall be forever young

For you have touched my heart

 

***************************************************************************************************************************

 

 

We meet very few people in this lifetime

Who touch us as deeply as those who...

Listen to us without judgment

unconditionally encourage us

Support our hopes and

believe in our dreams

Fill our lives with so much joy

 

 

And when I hear others

speak so excitedly

about such friends...

 

I immediately think of you!

 

So I want you to enjoy

this special Valentine bouquet

 

Because I cherish our friendship

each and every day.

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

 

God Bless,

Love n Hugs,

Jan

 

Believe in Miracles and SOAR

 

 

The Greatest Love I have in my life is that from GOD

 

Remembering Valentine's Day, by Steve Brumfield

 

 

Okay, guys, stay with me here. I understand and am well aware that

nobody wants advice, but would like to offer up some thoughts about my

favorite holiday ... Valentines Day. I know, this is dangerous

territory for guys, since many consider Valentine's Day to be a holiday

created for women and by women. But my experience is a little

different, but it really is my favorite holiday.

 

For a number of years, I would get my wife candy and flowers. Sue liked

the candy. However, she did not like the cut roses. After all, they

were cut -- they were just dead flowers to her, plus they charge twice

as much for the "dead ones" as they do for live ones. So about ten

years prior to her death, I started doing silly things ... small

things.

 

For about ten years, I had gotten Sue a stuffed singing something --

most of these were simple stuffed animals that "sang" a classic song of

some kind. One year it was a mouse dressed up in an evening gown with a

little wig and microphone singing "Fever." Another year it was a

Gorilla that sang "WILD THING." And on and on I had selected a new

stuffed animal for each. It was challenging to come up with a new one

each year, but fun at the same time. (Hint: I got most of these from

Walgreen's.)

 

I don't know what more I would have done.

 

Sue liked some better than others; however, we saved them all. In

February of 2007, I went to a Michael's crafts store in Cool Springs

and got a bunch of stuff to decorate our mantle. I got all the singing

stuffed things out from previous years and put them on the mantle -- I

was sneaking around the house to do this at 2 or 3 in the morning.

Then, I put the latest addition, a dog that sang "I Can't Stop Loving

You" beside the coffee pot and a note telling her to go in and play cut

six on the CD, a John Denver song, "For You." I also got a white shoe

polish pencil so I could write things on the mirror in the bathroom and

over the window above the kitchen sink.

 

Perhaps you have a routine, perhaps not. My experience suggests that

women appreciate thoughtfulness more than big gifts ... at least this

was true in my case. So on Valentine's Day of 2008, I thought back with

fondness on my precious wife and our life together, realizing that if I

had known Valentine's Day 2007 would have been our last one, I don't

know what more I would have done.

 

Guys, let's not take for granted the preciousness of the ones we love

and remember them in simple ways that say, "I love you!"

 

---------

 

The above reminded me how we need to take life a second at a time, we never know when we will be called home, take each day to let those in your life know how much you appreciate and love them. I read this and it reminded me of my journey of 2003. I have tried since that journey to let everyone know how much I love them. Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest of these is LOVE.

 

Enjoy today. Love n Hugs, Jan