Short love quotes
Love is not soured by injustice, nor crushed by men’s contempt. — A. S. London
Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If
you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one,
not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little
luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or
coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark,
motionless, airless–it will change. It will not be broken; it will
become unbreakable, impenetrable, iredeemable. To love is to
be vulnerable. — C. S. Lewis
It is easier to love humanity than to love one’s neighbor. — Eric Hoffer
We are shaped and fashioned by what we love. — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
There is no remedy for love but to love more. — Henry David Thoreau
The love of one’s country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border? — Pablo Casals. Cellist, conductor, composer 1876-1973
So long as we love we serve;
So long as we are loved by others,
I would almost say that we are indispensable;
And no one is useless while they have a friend.
— Robert Louis Stevenson. Scotish poet/author
One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love. — Sophocles
Before I heard the doctors tell the dangers of a kiss, I had considered kissing you the nearest thing to bliss. But now I know biology and sit and sigh and moan; Six million mad bacteria, and I thought we were alone.
Source unknown
Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they’ll love you back! Don’t expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart but if it doesn’t, be content it grew in yours. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.
Love squared = gold
Love + one = family
Love – one = mourning
Love halved = heartache
Love divided by one = commitment
Love divided by many = friendship
Love times zero = loneliness
Love times two = faithfulness
Love times infinity = God
Listen For Love
There are times when we are timid and shy about expressing the love
we feel. For fear of embarrassing the other person, or ourselves, we
hesitate to say the actual words “I love you.”; So we try to communicate the
idea in other words.
We say ‘take care’ or ‘don’t drive too fast’ or ‘be good.’ But
really, these are just other ways of saying ‘I love you,’ ‘you are important
to me,’ I care what happens to you,’ ‘I don’t want you to get hurt.’ We are
sometimes very strange people. The only thing we want to say, and the one
thing that we should say, is the one thing we don’t say.
And yet, because the feeling is so real, and the need to say it is so
strong, we are driven to use other words and signs to say what we really
mean. And many times the meaning never gets communicated at all and the other
person is left feeling unloved and unwanted.
Therefore, we have to LISTEN FOR LOVE in the words that people are
saying to us. Sometimes the explicit words are necessary, but more often,
the manner of saying things is even more important. A joyous insult carries
more affection and love than the sentiments which are expressed
insincerely. An impulsive hug says I LOVE YOU even though the words might be
saying very different. Any expression of a person’s concern for another says
I love you. Sometimes the expression is clumsy, sometimes even cruel.
Sometimes we must look and listen very intently for the love that
contains. But it is often there, beneath the surface.
A mother may nag her son constantly about his grades or cleaning his
room. The son may hear only the nagging, but if he listens carefully, he will
hear the love underneath the nagging. His mother wants him to do well, to be
successful. Her concern and love for her son unfortunately emerge in her
nagging. But it is love all the same. A daughter comes home late, way past
her curfew, and her father confronts her with angry words. The daughter may
hear only the anger, but if she listens carefully, she will hear the love
under the anger. “I was worried about you ” the father is saying. Because I
care about you and I love you. You are important to me’
We say I love you in many ways- with gifts, and little notes, with
smiles and sometimes with tears. Sometimes we show our love by just keeping
quiet and not saying a word, at other times by speaking out, even brusquely.
We show our love sometimes by impulsiveness. Many times we have to show our
love by forgiving someone who has not listened to the love we have tried to
express.
The problem is listening for love is that we don’t always understand
the language of love which the other person is using. A girl may use tears or
emotions to say what she wants to say, and her boyfriend may not understand
her because he expects her to be talking his language. Thus, we have to force
ourselves to really listen for love.
The problem with our world is that people rarely listen to each
other. They hear the words, but they don’t listen to the actions that
accompany the words or the expression on the face. Or people listen only for
rejection or misunderstanding. They do not see the love that is there just
beneath the surface, even if the words are angry.
We have to listen for love in those around us. If we listen intently
we will discover that we are a lot more loved than we realize. Listen for
love and we will find that the world is a very loving place, after all.
LOVE is a happy thing.
It makes us laugh.
It makes us sing.
It makes us sad
It makes us cry.
It makes us seek the reason why.
It makes us take.
It makes us give.
Above all else it makes us LIVE.
It is not the presence or absence of people that makes the difference
because a person need not be lonely even if he is alone. Sometimes it is good
to be alone. But that does not make us lonely. It is not a matter of being
present WITH someone. It is a matter of being present TO someone.
So remember… if you love someone, tell them. Remember always to say
what you mean. Never be afraid to express yourself. Take this opportunity to
tell someone what they mean to you. Seize the day and have no regrets. Most
importantly, stay close to your spiritual friends and family, for they have
helped make you the person that you are today and are what it’s all about
anyway.
The 10 secrets of love
THE FIRST SECRET —-
The Power of Thought.
Love begins with our thoughts. We become what we think about. Loving
thoughts create loving experiences and loving relationships.
Affirmations can change our beliefs and thoughts about ourselves and
others. If we want to love someone, we need to consider their needs and
desires. Thinking about your ideal partner will help you recognize him
or her when you meet him or her.
THE SECOND SECRET —-
The Power of Respect.
You cannot love anyone or anything unless you first respect them. The
first person you need to respect is yourself. To begin to gain
self-respect ask ourselves: “What do I respect about myself?” To gain
respect for others, even those you may dislike, ask yourself: “What do
I respect about them?”
THE THIRD SECRET —-
The Power of Giving.
If you want to receive love, all you have to do is give it! The more
love you give, the more you will receive. To love is to give of
yourself, freely and unconditionally. Practice random acts of kindness.
Before committing to a relationship ask not what the other person will
be able to give to you, but rather what will you be able to give them.
The secret formula of a happy, lifelong, loving relationship is to
always focus on what you can give instead of what you can take.
THE FOURTH SECRET —-
The Power of Friendship.
To find a true love, you must first find a true friend. Love does not
consist of gazing into each other’s eyes, but rather looking outward
together in the same direction. To love someone completely you must
love them for who they are, not what they look like. Friendship is the
soil through which love’s seeds grow. If you want to bring love into a
relationship, you must first bring friendship.
THE FIFTH SECRET —-
The Power of Touch.
Touch is one of the most powerful expressions of love, breaking down
barriers and bonding relationships. Touch changes our physical and
emotional states and makes us more receptive to love.
THE SIXTH SECRET —-
The Power of Letting Go.
“If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you it’s yours,
if it doesn’t it never was.” Even in a loving relationship, people need
their own space. If we want to learn to love, we must first learn to
forgive and let go of past hurts, and grievances. Love means letting go
of our fears, prejudices, egos and conditions. “Today I let go of all my
fears, the past has no power over me-today is the beginning of a new
life.”
THE SEVENTH SECRET —-
The Power of Communication.
When we learn to communicate openly and honestly, life changes. To love
someone is to communicate with them. Let the people you love know that
you love them and appreciate them. Never be afraid to say those three
magic words: “I Love You.” Never let an opportunity pass to praise
someone. Always leave someone you love with a loving word – it could be
the last time you see them. If you were about to die but could make
telephone calls to the people you loved, who would you call, what would
you say and. . . why are you waiting?
THE EIGHTH SECRET —-
The Power of Commitment.
If you want to have love in abundance, you must be committed to it, and
that commitment will be reflected in your thoughts and actions. Commitment is
the true test of love. If you want to have loving relationships, you
must be committed to loving relationships. When you are committed to
someone or something, quitting is never an option. Commitment
distinguishes a fragile relationship from a strong one.
THE NINTH SECRET —-
The Power of Passion.
Passion ignites love and keeps it alive. Lasting passion does not come
through physical attraction alone, it comes from deep commitment,
enthusiasm, interest and excitement. Passion can be recreated by
recreating past experiences when you felt passionate. Spontaneity and
surprises produce passion. The essence of love and happiness are the
same; all we need to do is to live each day with passion.
THE TENTH SECRET —-
The Power of Trust.
Trust is essential in all loving relationships. Without it one person
becomes suspicious, anxious and fearful and the other person feels
trapped and emotionally suffocated. You cannot love someone completely
unless you trust them completely. Act as if your relationship with the
person you love will never end. One of the ways you can tell whether a
person is right for you is to ask yourself: “Do I trust them completely
and unreservedly?” If the answer is “no”, then you must think very
carefully before you make any type of a commitment.
— Gita Besnos
I love you anyway
The fear of rejection may be one of the most basic fears of the human experience.
This is borne out by the story about the man who finally mustered up enough courage to ask for a raise. This was on Friday morning.
He told his wife what he planned to do. Throughout the day, he was nervous and apprehensive. Late in the afternoon, he finally approached the man who unexpectedly agreed.
He arrived home that evening to find a beautiful table set with the best china. His wife had prepared a group of his favorite dishes and even had the candles burning.
He figured that somebody must have called and tipped her off as to what had happened. But he said nothing, just hugged her and told her the good news.
Sitting down to this delightful meal, he found a card next to his plate which read:
“Congratulations, darling! I knew you’d get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you.”
On his way into the kitchen to help wash up afterwards, he noticed a second card that had fallen from his wife’s apron pocket.
This one read:
“Don’t worry about not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you.”
Her love for him was not based on success at work. What a delightful companion she was.
Acorn barnacle
The acorn barnacle is a small, shelled creature that lives in water. Few people give it much thought. However, the barnacle has one remarkable ability: It knows how to stick to things. Its secret? It makes a glue so strong that a film a mere 3/10,000 of an inch (0.00762 mm) thick has a “shear strength” of 7,000 pounds per square inch (493 kg/sq cm)! Anyone who has tried to pry a barnacle from its chosen mooring will testify to the strength of its powerful bonding agent.
Can love be unconditional?
Dick and Jane have been married for almost 20 years. But Jane has discovered that her husband has committed adultery, and Dick wants to continue the relationship. He also wants his wife to accept it and continue the marriage.
What does real love mean for Jane in this situation?
If she loves him unconditionally, won’t she accept her husband on his terms as an expression of her love?
Or will genuine love require Jane to say, “It’s either me or her”?
Authentic love requires conditions.
A mother is having a test of wills with her two-year-old. The young boy wants to continue playing, but it is time for bath and bed. Mom has already given him a five-minute grace period. Now she insists he will do as she says.
If the child could speak articulately, he might say, “If you really loved me, you’d let me do what I want.” As adults, we can identify with Mom here. She is expressing love, but is it unconditional?
Yes, in the sense that she will love her son even if he disobeys. But no, in the sense that she is requiring conditions.
Children answer: What does love mean?
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year old children: “What does love mean?” Below is a selection of their answers.
——————
When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love. — Rebecca – age 8
When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth. — Billy – age 4
Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other. — Karl – age 5
Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your french fries without making them give you any of theirs. — Chrissy – age 6
Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired. — Terri – age 4
Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK. — Danny – age 7
If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend whom you hate. —
Nikka – age 6
There are two kinds of love. Our love. God’s love. But God makes both kinds of them.
— Jenny – age 4
Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday. — Noelle – age 7
Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well. — Tommy – age 6
My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night. — Clare – Age 5
Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken. — Elaine – age 5
Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford. — Chris – age 8
Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day. — Mary Ann – age 4
I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones. — Lauren – age 4
I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her. — Bethany – age 4
When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you. — Karen – age 7
Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross. —
Mark – age 6
You really shouldn’t say “I love you” unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget. — Jessica – age 8
Affection – Human need
One fundamental daily human need is for affection. Affection
comes in many forms:
A smile of delight
A word or message of sincere praise
A favor or an acknowledgment for a favor rendered
A warm hug or placing a hand on another’s shoulder
A short handwritten note, or an E-mail simply saying: “You are on
my mind and I’m glad.”
A token of affection in the form of a small gift
A listening ear and an appropriate response
It is in generously giving of our affection that we not only sustain
others, but we also sustain ourselves.
“Does a plastic heart have love in it?”
This question was sent by seven-year-old Linda Griggs of Pittsburgh to the famed heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey.
DeBakey replied: “Yes, a plastic heart has love in it, a great deal of love.
“The love in a plastic heart comes from many people who love other people, and don’t want them to die.
“So these people work all day and often all night to build a heart that will make people live longer.
“If you think of how much love there would be in hundreds of hearts, then that is how much love there is in a plastic heart.”
Emperor Frederick II
The Emperor Frederick II, who ruled the Holy Roman Empire in the 13th century, thought it would be a useful experiment to discover what our original language was – Hebrew, Greek, Latin or whatever.
So he decided to isolate a few infants from the sound of any human voice. He reasoned that, if so isolated from anything prejudicial, when they spoke, it would be in the universal, natural tongue of the human species.
Wet nurses were obtained to care for these infants. But they were sworn to absolute silence and could not engage in any socializing with these infants in any way. From the moment they were born, these infants never heard the sound or hum or song of a human. Within a year they were all dead.
— Earl A. Loomis, Jr. M.D., The Self In Pilgrimage, New York: Harper, 1960, p. 54.
Grand child
Perfect love sometime does not arrive until your first grandchild.
Touch of a twin
Kyrie and Brielle Jackson were born on 17 October 1995 at the Massachusetts Memorial Hospital in Worcester, MA. Each of the twins weighed all of two pounds at birth. Though Kyrie was putting on a bit of weight in the days following her arrival, Brielle was not doing as well. She cried a great deal, leaving her gasping and blue-faced.
Brielle was having a particularly bad day. NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit) nurse Gayle Kasparian tried everything to calm her. She held her. She had her dad hold her. She wrapped her in a blanket. She suctioned her nose. Nothing worked.
Then, she remembered hearing about a procedure done in Europe. She put Brielle in the incubator with her sister Kyrie. Almost immediately, Brielle snuggled up to Kyrie. Her blood-oxygen saturation levels, which had been frighteningly low, soared. She began to breathe more easily. The frantic crying stopped and her normal pinkish
color quickly returned. Over the next weeks, her health improved steadily in her new, less lonely quarters.
The children survived their rocky beginning and in time went home with their parents. When last heard from, Brielle and Kyrie were healthy preschoolers. The media attention brought about by their story and the now-famous photo caused their parents, Heidi and Paul Jackson of Westminster, to change their telephone number.
And famous that photo became. Besides being circulated on the Internet, it has run in Life magazine and Reader’s Digest. The photo was taken by Chris Christo of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
The Jackson girls made history at Memorial. According to that hospital’s web page, “The first co-bedding of twins occurred as an innovation from a staff nurse, Gayle Kasparian, RN.”
Another method used to stabilize preemies is “kangaroo care,” a term for prolonged skin-to-skin contact with parents and other caregivers.
The technique, so named because of its resemblance to the way pouched animals care for their young, involves skin-to-skin contact between parent and baby. Often the child, wearing only a diaper and covered by a blanket, is placed against the parent’s bare chest.
The method is especially effective with premature babies, who are extremely fragile and have almost tissue-thin skin when born. Proponents say the method can have amazing effects: a steadier heart rate, better breathing, greater contentment, deeper sleep.
“Everybody in the world knows you can take a crying baby and pick him up and he’ll stop crying,” Susan Ludington, professor of maternal and child health nursing at the University of Maryland at Baltimore, says. “You put him down he starts crying again. Babies, and they give us the message quite clearly, prefer to be held. Now we’re just finding out that when they are held, there are all these tremendous physiological benefits.”
Love has similar properties to gold
Malleable (soft), will stretch to cover things, like sins, mistakes, errors.
1 cubic inch of gold will cover up to 7000 square feet of surface when beaten into gold leaf.
Rare: All the gold ever-mined in history of man will only fill a moderately
sized barn.
Not affected by outside influences: dental gold is that way. Touch a foreign object to such a filling and there would be no reaction.
Germ Free: Will not accommodate growth of bacteria.
Will not tarnish: Our love for truth will not tarnish either.
Love in computer terms
Yet another customer service phone call…….
Service Rep: Hello, you have reached the Heart Systems Software Company help desk. How may I help you?
Customer: I just received your latest program, LOVEv4.0…you know….the freeware. I don’t understand it. Can tell me how to install it?
Service Rep: Sure thing ma’am. Do you have the installation disk and instructions with you?
Customer: Yes I do, but first can you tell me what the program does?
Service Rep: Sure thing ma’am. LOVE is a unique program, there is no other like it in the world. LOVE attaches to your operating system and runs silently in the background, you will never see LOVE on your monitor or your toolbar, but you will notice its affect on every application you may have. It makes the good programs run smoother and greatly restricts and/or deletes the bad ones.
Customer: Wow! That sounds great. How does LOVE make my machine run
smoother?
Service Rep: Well, good sound files, like COMPLIMENT.WAV, ENCOURAGEMENT.WAV, and KINDWORD.WAV will play frequently. Also, FORGIVENESS.EXE will be invoked every time there is an external violation, including the ever-popular syntax errors. Also, all those aggravating errors that say “unable to connect” will be avoided. LOVE allows for a smooth connection with external devices, regardless of what country it is manufactured in, the brand name, or the age of the model.
Customer: That’s exactly what I need, my machine has been isolated for too
long. But what about the bad programs?
Service Rep: Good question. LOVE searches your memory for programs like HATE.COM, BITTERNESS.EXE, SELFISH.COM, and SPITE.EXE. These programs cant be entirely deleted off your hard drive, but LOVE overpowers those programs. LOVE stops their commands from being executed and runs its own instructions. You will no longer hear INSULT.WAV and you wont be able to write with the fonts “BADWORDS12” or “HARSHNESS10”.
Customer: That’s a fantastic program you have. Are the upgrades free too?
Service Rep: They sure are ma’am.
Customer: How do I get the upgrades?
Service Rep: That’s easy. Once you have LOVE installed and running, it automatically copies a module, or a piece of itself, to every external Hard drive Email And Remote Terminal (HEART) that it comes in contact with. In turn, those external devices run whatever version of LOVE they have and return a module to your HEART. You will be upgraded with each and every module that you receive. But you have to remember, to receive the upgrades you have to be running LOVE and you have to come into contact with other computers while it is running.
Customer: I can do that. I’m not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first?
Service Rep: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART ma’am?
Customer: Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?
Service Rep: What programs are running ma’am?
Customer: Let me see….I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now.
Service Rep: No problem. LOVE will automatically erase PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma’am?
Customer: I don’t know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?
Service Rep: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, I’m done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?
Service Rep: Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message?
Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?
Service Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEART’s in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Oops…I have an error message already. What should I do?
Service Rep: What does the message say?
Customer: It says “ERROR 412 – PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS”. What does that mean?
Service Rep: Don’t worry ma’am, that’s a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but In non-technical terms it means you have to “LOVE” your own machine before it can “LOVE” others.
Customer: So what should I do?
Service Rep: Can you find the directory called “SELF-ACCEPTANCE”?
Customer: Yes, I have it.
Service Rep: Excellent, you are getting good at this.
Customer: Thank you.
Service Rep: You’re welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the “MYHEART” directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC, SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT, and GOODNESS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELFCRITIC.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with really neat files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART!
Service Rep: Then LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go…
Customer: Yes?
Service Rep: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you.
Customer: I will. Thank you for your help.
Love is blind in many languages
Love is blind. — English.
Nobody’s sweetheart is ugly. — Dutch.
People in love think other people’s eyes are out. — Spanish.
Faults are thick where love is thin. — Welsh.
To love and to be wise is impossible. — Spanish.
True love never grows heavy. Who would be loved must love. Love warms more than a thousand fires. Love rules without law. Love is master of all arts. — Italian.
Love subdues all but the ruffian’s heart. — French.
LOVE Versus INFATUATION
INFATUATION is instant desire. It’s one set of glands calling to another.
LOVE is friendship that has caught fire. It takes root and grows one day at a time.
INFATUATION is marked by a feeling of insecurity. You are excited and eager but not genuinely happy. There are nagging doubts. Unanswered questions. Little bits and pieces about your beloved that you would just as soon not examine too closely. It might spoil the dream.
LOVE is the quiet understanding and mature acceptance of imperfection. It is real. It gives you strength and grows beyond you to bolster your beloved. You are warmed by his/her presence, ever when he/she is away. Miles do not separate you. You want him/her near, but, near or far, you know he/she is yours and you can’t wait.
INFATUATION says, “We must get married right away. I can’t risk losing him/her.”
LOVE says, “Be patient. Don’t panic. He/she is yours. Plan your future with him/her.”
INFATUATION has an element of sexual excitement. If you are honest, you will admit it is difficult to be in one another’s company unless you are sure it will end in intimacy.
LOVE is the maturation of friendship. You must be friends before you can be lovers.
INFATUATION lacks confidence. When he’s/she’s away, you wonder if he’s/she’s cheating. Sometimes you even check.
LOVE means trust. You are calm, secure and unthreatened. He/she feels that trust, and it makes him/her even trustworthier.
INFATUATION might lead you to do things you’ll regret later but LOVE never will.
LOVE is an upper. It makes you look up. It makes you think up. It makes you a better person than you were before.
— author unknown
Love you, not the car
I once read about a man who was driving to work, when a woman motorist, passing too close, snagged his fender with hers. Both cars stopped. The young woman surveying the damage was in tears. It was her fault, she admitted. But it was a new car — less than two days from the showroom. How was she ever going to face her husband?
The man was sympathetic but explained they must note each other’s license number and automobile registration. She reached into the glove compartment to retrieve the documents in an envelope … and on the first paper to tumble out, in a heavy masculine scrawl, were these words: “In case of accident, remember, Honey, it’s you I love, not the car.” — Paul Harvey — “For What It’s Worth,” p. 31.
Medicine
A wise physician said to me, “I have been practicing medicine for 30 years and I have prescribed many things. But in the long run I have learned that for most of what ails the human creature, the best medicine is love.”
“What if it doesn’t work?”, I asked.
“Double the dose”, he replied.
A perfect heart
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
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. How sad it must be to go through life with a whole heart.
A report in Science News Letter, January 2, 1954 showed that even rats are affected by touch. The scientists experimented with baby rats, holding them close daily and stroking them. A test group had no such special care.
The baby rats responded by growing larger bones, were heavier and less fearful of new surroundings than their untouched counterparts.
After growing to adulthood, both groups were put to an extreme test. They were held immobile for 48 hours without food or water.
The “touched” rats showed much less damage than the control group.
There’s a classic children’s tale about a discussion between two toys in a child’s toy box. The new toy is a shiny velvet rabbit and he is speaking with an old nearly worn-out cloth horse.
Rabbit asks Horse: “What is REAL? Does it mean having things that buzz inside of you and a stick-out handle?”
“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become REAL.”
“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.
“Sometimes,” said the Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are REAL you don’t mind being hurt.”
“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” rabbit inquired, “or bit by bit?”
“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
The Beauty of Love
The question is asked, “Is there anything more
beautiful in life than a boy and a girl clasping clean hands
and pure hearts in the path of marriage? Can there be
anything more beautiful than young love?”
And the answer is given. “Yes, there is a more
beautiful thing. It is the spectacle of an old man and an
old woman finishing their journey together on that path.
Their hands are gnarled, but still clasped; their faces are
seamed, but still radiant; their hearts are physically
bowed and tired, but still strong with love and devotion for
one another. Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than
young love. Old love.”
