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The most destructive habit..............................Worry
The greatest Joy.............................................Giving
The greatest loss......................Loss of self-respect
The most satisfying work....................Helping others
The ugliest personality trait....................Selfishness
The most endangered species........Dedicated leaders
Our greatest natural resource....................Our youth
The greatest "shot in the arm"...........Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome......................Fear
The most effective sleeping pill.........Peace of mind
The most crippling failure disease................Excuses
The most powerful force in life..........................Love
The most dangerous pariah......................A gossiper
The world's most incredible computer.......The brain
The worst thing to be without......................... Hope
The deadliest weapon.............................The tongue
The two most power-filled words................."I Can"
The greatest asset.........................................Faith
The most worthless emotion......................Self-pity
The most beautiful attire................................SMILE!
The most prized possession....................... Integrity
The most powerful channel of communication.......Prayer
The most contagious spirit....................Enthusiasm

Daddy

Her hair was up in a ponytail 
Her favorite dress tied with a bow.
 Today was Daddy's Day at school,
And she couldn't wait to go.
But her mommy tried to tell her,
That she probably should stay home.
Why the kids might not understand,
If she went to school alone.
But she was not afraid;
She knew just what to say.
Of why he wasn't there today.
But still her mother worried,
For her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again,
She tried to keep her daughter home.
But the little girl went to school,
Eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees
A dad who never calls.
There were daddies along the wall in back,
For everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently,
Anxious in their seats.
One by one the teacher called,
A student from the class.
To introduce their daddy,
As seconds slowly passed.
At last the teacher called her name,
Every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
For a man who wasn't there.
"Where's her daddy at?"
She heard a boy call out.
"She probably doesn't have one,"
Another student dared to shout.
And from somewhere near the back,
She heard a daddy say,
"Looks like another deadbeat dad,
Too busy to waste his day."

The words did not offend her,
As she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher,
Who told her to go on.
And with hands behind her back,
Slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child,
Came words incredibly unique.
"My Daddy couldn't be here,
Because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be,
Since this is such a special day.
And though you cannot meet him,
I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
And how much he loves me so.
He loved to tell me stories
He taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink roses,
And taught me to fly a kite.
We used to share fudge sundaes,
And ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him,
I'm not standing here alone.
Cause my daddy's always with me,
Even though we are apart
I know because he told me,
He'll forever be in my heart"
With that, her little hand reached up,
And lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,
Beneath her favorite dress.
And from somewhere in the crowd of dads,
Her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
Who was wise beyond her years.
For she stood up for the love
Of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
Doing what was right.
And when she dropped her hand back down,
Staring straight into the crowd.
She finished with a voice so soft,
But its message clear and loud.
"I love my daddy very much,
He's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here,
But heaven's just too far.
You see he was a fireman
And died just this past year
When airplanes hit the towers
And taught Americans to fear.
But sometimes when I close my eyes,
It's like he never went away."
And then she closed her eyes,
And saw him there that day.
And to her mother's amazement,
She witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children,
All starting to close their eyes.
Who knows what they saw before them,
Who knows what they felt inside.
They saw him at her side.
"I know you're with me Daddy,"
To the silence she called out.
And what happened next made believers,
Of those once filled with doubt.
Not one in that room could explain it,
For each of their eyes had been closed.
But there on the desk beside her,
Was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.
And a child was blessed, if only for a moment,
By the love of her shining bright star.
And given the gift of believing,
That heaven is never too far
They say it takes a minute
to find a special person,
an hour to appreciate them,
a day to love them,
but then an entire life to forget them.
Send this phrase to the people you'll never forget, remember to send it Also to the person that sent it to you. It's a short message to let them Know that you'll never forget them. If you don't send it to anyone, it means you're in a hurry and that you've forgotten your friends.
Take the time...to live and love.
Until eternity. God bless.

When the willow whispered to me,

he asked how all this was meant to be,

He whispered sweet words of truth which no one speaks here,

And he whispered softly a song which was music to my ears.

He sang about the trees and the flowers and the bees,

he sang about the stars, the moon, and the seas.

But he said some words that make so much more sense now

he said live your life happily but make sure you know how.

That's what the willow whispered to me on that windy day so softly....

From Secrets about Men
With thanks to Elizabeth

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.

Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

      ~ Author Unknown ~

Friends are blessings that come into our life originally disguised as
strangers.

She rocks another baby...
hums an age old lullaby
She hopes no one is watching
as with thanks, she starts to cry
Remembering the time
when the babies were her own
And her mother told her gently
too soon they would be grown
Lots of bedtime stories,
skinned knees, and tears to dry
Teddy bears, toy trucks and dolls
and kites up in the sky
First days of school, first loves,
first cars the proms, the wedding days
Sand castles and snowball fights
and teaching them to pray
Now, as she holds her grandchild
and gives thanks unto the Lord
She knows to be a Grandma
is motherhood's reward!

  If the world was blind,
     maybe then we'd see
     the true side of beauty,
     deep within you and me.

     No one could judge us
     by our outer looks,
     like the fancy covers
     on expensive books.

     We'd see with our hearts,
     and not just our eyes,
     and what we discover
     might be a surprise.

     There would be no need
     to try to impress,
     with the way we look,
     or the way that we dress.

     The only thing that would matter
     is the way we would feel,
     not phony or cheap,
     but truthful and real.