REFLECTIONS ON LIFE

LIFE IS LIKE A TRAIN RIDE... We get on, We ride, We get off.  There are accidents and there are delays. At certain stops there are surprises. Some of these will translate into great moments of joy; some will result in profound sorrow.  When we are born and we first board the train, we meet people whom we think will be with us for the entire journey. Those people are our parents!  Sadly, this is far from the truth...Our parents are with us for as long as we absolutely need them. They too have journeys they must complete. We live on with the memories of their love, affection, friendship, guidance and their ever presence. There are others who board the train and who eventually become very important to us, in turn. These people are our brothers, sisters, friends and acquaintances, whom we will learn to love, and cherish. Some people consider their journey like a jaunty tour. They will just go merrily along. Others will encounter many upsets, tears...

The author Facundo Cabral  wrote what you might call “a story about life” In fact it has happened to almost all of us, maybe everybody, however this poem should be music to our ears, especially when we are going through difficult situations. Enjoy it!  You are not depressed, you are distracted... Distracted from the life that inhabits you. You have a heart, a brain, a soul, a spirit, so how can you feel poor and wretched? Distracted from the life that surrounds you: dolphins, forests, seas, mountains, rivers…   Don't be like those who suffer for one human being  when there are more than 7 billion and living alone is not so bad, I have a good time, deciding what I want to do at each instant, and thanks to the solitude I know myself, which is essential in order to live. Don't be like those who feel old at 70, forgetting that Moses directed the exodus at 80 and Rubinstein could play Chopin at 90 better than anyone, just to m...

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, ...

If I die before you do, Do me a favor. Cry as much as you want, but don't be mad at God for taking me... If you don't want to cry,  don't do it... If you can't cry, don't worry. If you want to laugh... Laugh... If some friends tell you stories about me,  listen to them and believe what they say... If the praise me too much... Correct the exaggeration, If they over criticize me, defend me. If they want to make me a saint only because I die, Tell them I had some holiness in me,  but I was far from being the saint they say. If they want to make me a horrible person, show that I maybe had some bad as well, but that all my life I tried to be good. A nd on top of everything, I always tried to be a better person.  If you feel sadness and you want to pray for me, you can do it, perhaps I need your prayer. If you want to talk to me... Talk to God and  I will listen, I hope to be with him enough time to continue to be useful to ...

One day a very wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country for the sole purpose of showing his son how it was to be poor. They spent a few days and nights on the farm what would be considered a very poor family. After they return from the trip, the father asked his son how he liked the trip. "It was great, Dad" the son replied. "Did you see how poor people can be?" The father asked. "Oh yeah" said the son. "So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four, we have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end" And he added: "We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon" Before his father could say anything, he continued: "We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond o...

There was  a father and his young son who were walking through the mountains. Suddenly, the son fell, hurting his leg on a rock. He screamed, 'AAhhhh!' To his surprise, he heard a voice repeating, 'AAhhhh!'  This made him even more curious. So, he yelled, 'Who are you?' Back came the same answer, 'Who are you?' Feeling a bit perturbed by this response, he yelled out, 'Coward!' Back came the same reply, 'Coward!' He looked at his father and asked: 'What's going on?' His father smiled and said: 'Son, pay attention.' Looking across the valley, his father yelled to the mountain, 'I admire you!' The voice answered: 'I admire you!' Again the man cried out: 'You are a champion!' The voice replied, 'You are a champion!' The boy was amazed, but he was very confused. So, his father explained... 'You are only hearing an echo, the sound of our voices bouncing back fr...