What would you have done if your house is on fire and you are trapped on the second storey? Probably you would have done exactly what 81 years old Jim Hodkins did, he broke out of his second storey window and jumped out. According to the fire crews at the scene, Jim broke his leg in the jump and yet he crawled back into the house to save his wife. According to the Examiner, they are both expected to be okay. I am just glad that both of them are okay. That was truly a remarkable act by Jim and I hope that couples can be inspired by such timeless love.
A friend of mine would say that this is only a rare cases as he recently went through a divorce. I told him that there are many such cases around me as well as from many comments left previously on this blog and on Symphony of Love’s page in Facebook of happy marriages. He simply brushed off what I said and said that a lot of people are hypocrite; they only act loving in front of others.
There are always two sides to a coin and yet when one’s foot is firmly on one of the sides, one would only see his/her side of the coin.
Do you still remember the story of the blind men who came to an elephant? They each touched a different part of an elephant and each gave his description of the elephant. The one who only touched the leg said the elephant is like a pillar. Another man said, ‘The elephant is like a husking basket.’ This person had only touched its ears. Similarly, he who touched its trunk or its belly talked of it differently.
So who gave a right description of an elephant? As much as we might be tempted to say they were all wrong, we have to admit that they were, in fact, all right in each own way. How you are looking at marriage now, depend on which side of the coin you are standing in. If you are standing on the same side as my friend, you would believe that marriage doesn’t work out, Well, you are right and you will probably notice all the stories and examples around you to support your viewpoint that marriage doesn’t work out.
What I sincerely hope is for you to have an open mind and view the elephant from another perspective. Og Mandino once said, “Love doesn’t sit there like a stone, it has to be made, like bread: remade all the time, made new.”
This is the same for marriage. To be frank, marriage can be boring; imagine living with the same person every day for the rest of your life? Many found that marriage wasn’t as sweet as they have thought it was. Marriage never mentioned sweetness for the rest of our lives. Remember the vow … in good times and bad times? Yes, there are ups and downs in marriage and we have to constantly re-make love to create new sparks and fires to rekindle the connection with our spouses. It is supposed to be hard yet enjoyable work. If you are not ready for this part of the package, don’t get marry. And if you are, start re-making love! Marriage is just the start of the exciting race together, and we are not even talking about children yet! Buckled up!
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Photo by sraburton
A random act of happiness by an elderly couple from Iowa at Mayo Clinic goes viral in Youtube and made more than 6 million people smile. And that, say Francis and Marlow Cowan, is what keeps them young. No need for the botox or all the vitamins, this is the ‘secret!’ They sure made me smile! And guess what, they are married for more than 62 years!
Someone shared this video with me about two weeks ago and it wasn’t till now that I am making the time to share this with you. Thank you for sharing this with me and pardon me for taking so long to share this gem with you.. The video was written and directed by Malcolm Green; cinematography by Daniel Trapp and produced by Simon Goodman. It was part of Jewish Care’s Pearls of Wisdom campaign, which aims to highlight the value and importance of older people in today’s ageing society. This video is a wonderful reminder of the wisdom of elderly around us. From a Chinese Proverb, “Having an elderly at home is akin to having a treasure at home.”
Random Wisdoms from the video: (as presented in the video)
With Valentine’s Day just two weeks away, many businesses are gearing up for one of the most commercialise holidays. I see Valentine’s Day packages and special deals almost everywhere I go, listen or read; different hotels are tying up with banks to allure you with their Valentine’s Day Hotel packages and deals. One is throwing in a 5-course dinner by their hotel poolside rooms by their star chef. Not only that, it is topping up that dinner by welcoming you with chocolate pralines, bouquet of roses and personalised him/her bathrobes. Are you not tempted enough?
Then, there are other hotels that pamper you with complimentary spa with sparkling wine. If you are a very family person and want to share this joy with your children, they are even willing to include complimentary breakfast and extra bed.
And since Valentine’s Day falls on the weekend this year, some of you may be planning for a short weekend getaway. A trip to a beach resort or warmer location may be good. Or how about a weekend cruise? Whatever you may have in mind, I believe you will be able to find great Valentine’s Day travel deals and packages.
With much focus on Valentine’s Day these days, we are truly spoiled for choices – but only if we allow ourselves to be caught up in all the marketing buzz. How are you spending your Valentine’s Day in 2010? Would it just be quiet moments with your loved one? Or would it be a day with your family or friends?
However, beyond the plan you may have, what is most important is how are we loving our loved ones.
Take Valentine’s day as a day to retake love vows for each other. Find the magic in saying, “I’d marry you all over again.” And it can also be a day to show gratitude for the good times and bad times you and your loved one had weathered together.
From just a traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other, Valentine’s Day has evolved and extended that expression of love to both family and friends too. The question is, “Are we showing enough love and appreciation to our families and friends?” It is not difficult for us to show our love and appreciation to our families and friends on Valentine’s Day since it is only a day’s affair. The challenge is showing the love and appreciation to them throughout the year.
Let us remember to regularly show our love and appreciation to those we love. We must learn to shower our loved ones, families and friends with gratitude so they will always feel loved and appreciated. We do not have to wait for a special day like Valentine’s Day. Do it every day.
Photo by Billy Frank Alexander
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What would you have done if your house is on fire and you are trapped on the second storey? Probably you would have done exactly what 81 years old Jim Hodkins did, he broke out of his second storey window and jumped out. According to the fire crews at the scene, Jim broke his leg in the jump and yet he crawled back into the house to save his wife. According to the Examiner, they are both expected to be okay. I am just glad that both of them are okay. That was truly a remarkable act by Jim and I hope that couples can be inspired by such timeless love.
With Valentine’s Day just two weeks away, many businesses are gearing up for one of the most commercialise holidays. I see Valentine’s Day packages and special deals almost everywhere I go, listen or read; different hotels are tying up with banks to allure you with their Valentine’s Day Hotel packages and deals. One is throwing in a 5-course dinner by their hotel poolside rooms by their star chef. Not only that, it is topping up that dinner by welcoming you with chocolate pralines, bouquet of roses and personalised him/her bathrobes. Are you not tempted enough?