Today is Teachers’ Day. So if I am still teaching, I will be having a break today. I sent out a mass message to all my teaching friends this morning, wishing them a happy Teachers’ Day and urging them to savour this long-awaited break. There should be a Teacher’s Day once every month (except for the June and December holidays), then teachers can take a break for one day every month. Although just a break of one day every month is probably not even enough, judging from the type of work they have to do.
Our government just launched a “Yellow Ribbon” project, to give all the ex-convicts a second chance to fit in with the society. It is about time. This reminds me of the song “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Around The Old Oak Tree”, where she ties a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree outside her home to signify to her husband that she forgives him and allows him back. Ex-convicts will now be able to find work and be treated equally. Their past deeds will not hinder them from mingling in with society if they prove to be truly repentant. More and more companies are encouraged to give these ex-convicts a new lease of life.
Forgiveness really is a virtue. How often do we find ourselves bearing grudges over petty matters? Imagine if someone accidentally killed the person dear to you, and now we have to learn to forgive that person and give him a second chance. I have to constantly remind myself to let go of hurts and forgive all those who have hurt me in one way or the other. Let me risk quoting a biblical reference here, but Jesus, despite the betrayal by one of his own disciples, torment and crucified by the Romans, still declared his forgiveness to all who had harmed him before he died. The greatest act of forgiveness is not to forgive your friends for the petty things they hurt you with, but your enemies who hate you and want to harm you. Living a life that matters is not who you are, but what you choose to do.
I received the following email from my friend in England yesterday. It is so meaningful and ties in with the topic of discussion that I simply must share it.
“Ready or not, someday it will come to an end.
There will be no sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you are owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from, or what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin colour will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you BUILT
Not what you got, but what you GAVE.
What will matter is not your success, but your SIGNIFICANCE
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you TAUGHT
What will matter is every act of INTEGRITY, COMPASSION, COURAGE or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your CHARACTER
What will matter is not how many people you know,
but how many will feel a LASTING LOSS when you are gone.
What will matter is not your memories
but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered,
by whom and for what.
So, choose to live a life that matters.”
Our government just launched a “Yellow Ribbon” project, to give all the ex-convicts a second chance to fit in with the society. It is about time. This reminds me of the song “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Around The Old Oak Tree”, where she ties a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree outside her home to signify to her husband that she forgives him and allows him back. Ex-convicts will now be able to find work and be treated equally. Their past deeds will not hinder them from mingling in with society if they prove to be truly repentant. More and more companies are encouraged to give these ex-convicts a new lease of life.
Forgiveness really is a virtue. How often do we find ourselves bearing grudges over petty matters? Imagine if someone accidentally killed the person dear to you, and now we have to learn to forgive that person and give him a second chance. I have to constantly remind myself to let go of hurts and forgive all those who have hurt me in one way or the other. Let me risk quoting a biblical reference here, but Jesus, despite the betrayal by one of his own disciples, torment and crucified by the Romans, still declared his forgiveness to all who had harmed him before he died. The greatest act of forgiveness is not to forgive your friends for the petty things they hurt you with, but your enemies who hate you and want to harm you. Living a life that matters is not who you are, but what you choose to do.
I received the following email from my friend in England yesterday. It is so meaningful and ties in with the topic of discussion that I simply must share it.
“Ready or not, someday it will come to an end.
There will be no sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you are owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from, or what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin colour will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you BUILT
Not what you got, but what you GAVE.
What will matter is not your success, but your SIGNIFICANCE
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you TAUGHT
What will matter is every act of INTEGRITY, COMPASSION, COURAGE or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your CHARACTER
What will matter is not how many people you know,
but how many will feel a LASTING LOSS when you are gone.
What will matter is not your memories
but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered,
by whom and for what.
So, choose to live a life that matters.”
5 comments:
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'Accidental' killing is one thing.
'Planned' killing is another thing.
I know. That's why I feel for "planned" killing, the murderer must be sentenced to death. I'm talking about convicts with more petty crimes here.
Hi, that's a good ..saying or email from your friend. Thanks for sharing it.
Reminds us time and again that Some memories are best kept and some are best let go.
And that it will do us do good at all times, (well, mostly anyway :))
Very true what you said there! :-)
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