family

got this email from micheal and it truly reflects how we often treat our parents and family far less than the way we treat strangers and our friends. i guess it is true that the longer you know some people, the more often we tend to take them for granted. we should never question why they are there hovering over us. they were specially chosen by God to be our parents. we have no say in that, but God knows best. whatever circumstances we go through, it is definitely to make us better people. after all, these are the people who were there for our first cry, our first crawl, our first step, our first day at school, our first holiday without them...... and our family? they are there at our most unglamourous (at home, esp in the morning) and they are the ones that we are most comfortable showing our "ugly" selves to. today, let's resolve to show more love to the ones nearest to our heart...


= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =



FAMILY

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said good-bye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger,
Common courtesy you use,
But the family you love,
You seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly
Not to spoil the surprise,
You never saw the tears
That filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."

I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."


FAMILY
Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company
that we are working for could easily replace us in
a matter of days.
But the family we left behind will feel the loss
for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more
into work than into our own family,
an unwise investment indeed,
don't you think?
So what is behind the story?

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU