How about the wishes the Cambodian way?
On Dec 21, 10:41 am, PuppyXpress <[email protected]> wrote: > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Gaffar Peang-Meth <[email protected]> > Date: Tue, Dec 21, 2010 at 10:32 AM > Subject: Finding comfort in simple truths > To: > > *PACIFIC DAILY NEWS > *December 22, 2010 > > *Finding comfort in simple truths > * > By A. Gaffar Peang-Meth > > Merry Christmas to my Christian friends and readers, and happy holiday > season to > all! As usual, as the holiday season marks the end of another year and the > new > year is anticipated, some sweet memories are replayed in my mind -- some > bring a > smile, and some are not so sweet, which I would rather leave "homeless." > > With Thanksgiving still fresh when my loved ones gathered, I like to keep > this > holiday season as a time of joy, renewed hope and purposeful reflection. > > Over the weekend, two of my grandchildren, ages 9 and 11, who told us we > must > need their help to put up this year's Christmas tree, spent the night at our > > house to do exactly that. They helped grandma cook dinner for the four of > us, > and watched an On Demand family Christmas movie before bedtime. I woke > up Sunday > > morning to find my granddaughter, with a Calvin and Hobbes book in hand. She > > smiled and told me I should listen to her read episodes about Calvin's > Machiavellian misdemeanors -- a precious time I added to my memory bank. > > We thank the almighty for his grace and compassion for what we have. > > I like to spend time during the waning days of the year to read inspirational > > words that uplift the spirit and boost morale, nudge me to move in the > direction > I want, assure me when feelings of doubt stare me in the eye, and move me > away > from being stuck and toward pursuing my passions. > > I pulled out e-mails and links, from people I knew, others from those I > didn't > know, that I store on my computer. Recently a chain e-mail, "I Believe," > that I > received some time ago from overseas, reappeared, this time accompanied by > beautiful photos sent from my high school alma mater in Ohio. > > From there, I printed and posted as a reminder: "I believe ... That our > background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are > responsible for who we become," and "That it's taking me a long time to > become > the person that I want to be." > > More often, I Google "Think_It_Over" to watch a slide show by > inlibertyandfreedom.com, a link someone e-mailed me as we entered the new > year > 2005. Accompanied by music, 10 slides of color photos, each inscribed with > simple truths, help me keep perspective. > > "Today we have higher buildings and wider highways, but shorter temperaments > and > narrower points of view," read words on one slide. > > "We have more knowledge, but less judgment. We have more medicines, but less > > health," read words on another. > "We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk much, > we > love only a little, and we hate too much." > "We reached the moon and came back, but we find it troublesome to cross our > own > street and meet our neighbors. We have conquered the outer space, but not > our > inner space." > > "We have higher income, but less morals. ... These are times with more > liberty, > but less joy. ... With much more food, but less nutrition." > > "These are days in which two salaries come home, but divorces increase. > These > are times of finer houses, but more broken homes." > > Here's where the West meets the East in "Think_It_Over." Eastern thinkers > generally counsel us to live well in goodness now, at this moment, today; > "Think_It--Over" also counseled that from today onward, be mindful that > "Every > day, hour, and minute are special." Hence, don't keep anything for a special > > occasion, because every day is a special occasion. And stop talking about > "One > of these days," or "someday." > > The slide show asserts boldly: "Life is a chain of moments of enjoyment; it > isn't only survival." > > "Just remember that 'one of these days' can be very far away, and you may > not be > there to see it." The words on the slide show's last photo -- of New York > City > where the Twin Towers are shown standing. > > In 2009, several people e-mailed me a powerpoint presentation of 30 photos > with > words of wisdom entitled "Some Tips That May Bring You A Beautiful Life!" > You > can Google to see. > > "No one is in charge of your happiness except you," words on one slide read. > > "However good or bad a situation is, it will change," read the words on > another. > > "Make peace with your past, so it won't mess up the present," one slide > prods. > "Life is too short to waste time hating anyone." "You don't have to win > every > argument. Agree to disagreements." "Life isn't fair, but it's still good." > > And I printed and posted the following to remind me: > > "Don't compare your life with others'. You have no idea what their journey > is > all about." > > "Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn, pass all your > tests. > Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like > algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime." > > I read and find comfort in those words -- platitudes, I suppose -- during > the > holiday season. > > As they help me, I am sharing them and my thoughts with you and wish you and > > yours a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season! > > *A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam. Write > him > at **[email protected]* <[email protected]>*.* > > http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201012220400/OPINIO...- > Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. 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