Loving Ourselves and Stopping the Hate

Our society needs a little less hate, and a little more love.

The news needs a little less negativity, and many more smiles.

We should start to slow down, and stop rushing.

We need to remember to take deep breaths, instead of jumping to conclusions.

We need to love ourselves, and stop the hate.

http://indecisivewar.tumblr.com/ :)

Love

Our society needs a little less hate, and a little more love.

The news needs a little less negativity, and many more smiles.

We should start to slow down, and stop rushing.

We need to remember to take deep breaths, instead of jumping to conclusions.

We need to love ourselves, and stop the hate.

http://indecisivewar.tumblr.com/ :)

If You're Ever Going To Love Me

I remember reading this poem in an Ann Landers column when I was in my teens. Just as true now as it was then and it is how I try to approach showing others they matter to me. I've found no copyright, so author is still unknown.

If You're Ever Going To Love Me

If you're ever going to love me

love me now, while I can know

All the sweet and tender feeling

which from real affection flow.

Love me now, while I am living;

do not wait till I am gone

And then chisel it in marble--

warm love words on ice-cold stone.

If you've dear, sweet thought of me,

why not whisper them to me?

Don't you know 'twould make me happy

and as glad as glad could be?

If you wait till I am sleeping,

ne'er to waken here again,

There'll be walls of earth between us

and I couldn't hear you then.

If you knew someone was thirsting

for a drop of water sweet

Would you be slow to bring it?

Would you step with laggard feet?

There are tender hearts all round us

who are thirsting for our love;

Why withhold from them what nature

makes them crave all else above?

I won't need your kind caresses

when the grass grows o'er my face;

I won't crave your love or kisses

in my last low resting place.

So, then, if you love me any,

if it's but a little bit,

Let me know it now while living;

I can own and treasure it.

(Author Unknown, though many have claimed authorship)

Maybe We Need A Lullabye

I sat down to work on some algebra but my thoughts kept turning to the violence the past week has brought:

A school shooting here in my community of Omaha, NE that left 2 dead and one injured .

A shooting in a shopping mall in Tucson, Arizona that left 8 dead.

The shooting of a Congresswoman who mere days before took the oath of office and that took the lives of a child, a judge, and many others.

Suspicious packages detonated in Maryland.

What a way to begin a new year that a mere 9 days ago held hope for peace, freshness, love and kindness.

In the face of events such as these, perhaps it is only human nature to ask why, to look for reasons, to lay blame on society's ill (of which there are many) and to spin like a web answers to those questions that may never have answers.

Large scale violence shakes us to our souls and invites introspection. We question upbringing, influences, availability of guns, emotional scars and many times we wonder what we as a society or an individual have done to contribute to these occurences. Have we extended love and understanding to another? Have we turned a blind eye to the outsider and the inconvenient reminders of poverty, homelessness, age or neglect? We vow to change, to be kinder and to pay more attention. Sometimes we pray more, we hug our children more, say "I love you more" and even cry more. Pain is palpable, even if those affected were not a part of our own families. We vacillate between anger, disappointment, fear, love for those who lives were lost or forever changed in an instant. We wish for comfort.

Perhaps we need a lullabye. Oh, how I can hear the pooh-pooing of that suggestion already. "Psshhhhhh only children need lullabies". I say we all need lullabyes. After all, what is a lullabye? We sing lullabies to small children as we rock them to sleep, to calm them when they fall and get scraped up and when they're scared. Yet as adults, we fall and get scraped up, we hurt emotionally, we get upset and we keep going and going. We try all manner of things to quell the pain - tears, writing, alcohol, tobacco, exercise - the list goes on and on. Yet maybe what we need most is a gentle touch and a lullabye. A "there, there. It will be OK". Because perhaps it really is that simple.

Perhaps all the broken hearted people need a calming song, a change in the frenetic soundtrack that is our lives and a chance to hum a new tune. A song, a melody or a harmony to reset the metronome differently. Think about it.

My adult lullabies are Dire Straits' "Why Worry"
Elvis "Walk A Mile in My Shoes"
Blind Boys of Alabama "Give A Man A Home"
K D Lang "Hallelujah"
Susan Boyle "Don't Dream It's Over"
Bee Gees (yes, I'll admit to liking them) "Gotta Get A Message to You"
Ben Harper "There Will Be A Light"
Timothy Schmit "Secular Praise"
Elvis "You'll Never Walk Alone"
Anne Murray "A Little Good News"

And with each tune, we are reminded of something different - hope, vulnerability, kindness, love, faith, compassion and so much more. We gather the strong to go on, for that is really what the lullaby does. Maybe that's all we need.

One More Walk Around The Garden

"One more walk around the garden."
by Bob Perks

"Our time together is now measured in seasons," he said as
they sat on their front porch.

Walking is the best exercise for you. Not only in the physical
sense. But also for your mental and spiritual well being. This
walk is one I will never forget.

Up the hill behind my home runs a path that at one time would
take you into a beautiful wooded area. But in recent years
someone plowed down the trees and built their little piece of
the world. Oh, you can still get to the wooded area, but now
you must cut through the development or walk up through the
cemetery. If I want scenery I go through the development. If I
want to remind myself how blessed I am, I go through the cemetery.

Today's walk took me through the development.

There's a beautiful old stone house that I have admired since
moving here more than 10 years ago. I have spoken to an
older retired couple working in their yard nearly every time I
passed there. They must work long and hard in the garden
because their home is beautifully landscaped. Among the
bountiful flowers and bushes I could see Greek statues and
bird baths. There are trees whose names I am not familiar
with and lush ground cover of deep greens that remain that
way well into winter.

But in this past year I have noticed a change.

The bushes have grown beyond their earlier, well manicured
size. Many of the smaller trees have taken over their spots
as branches hang lower nearly covering the flower beds below.
This once pristine garden spot has become a reflection of the
condition of it's care takers.

They have grown too physically old to keep up with it.

"How are you today my friends?" I asked as I passed by their
front porch.

"We are as fine as can be expected, sir," the gentleman replied.

There they sat on the front porch of their home. He had on a
warm woolen jacket, open at the front revealing a blue sweater vest.
In spite of the fact that they hardly go any where, he wore a tie
as always.

She sat in an old wooden rocker wrapped from head to toe in a
beautiful autumn quilt. Beneath, she appeared to have a heavy
sweater and woolen pants. In contrast I was wearing a t-shirt
and jeans. At their age even the slightest chill requires warmer
clothing.

"Are you ready for winter?" I asked.

"In past years we looked forward to cold winter days. Our
fireplace and enclosed porch out back was a haven from the
heaviest storms. And a great place for a cup of tea and a good
book. Have you written another one yet?" he asked.

"Not yet published, but I have written stories along the way that
will be put into a collection very soon. I promise to bring one to
you," I said.

"I hope we are here to read it," he said.

"Are you leaving the area?" I asked.

"No my friend. Like the season we now find so beautiful, we are
in the Autumn of our lives. Our time together is now measured in
seasons. I pray that we survive the winter," he said.

Then turning toward his wife he said, "My love is not doing very well.
My heart aches for her. I am not sure that we will..." He began to cry.

I nervously brushed the leaves on the sidewalk with my feet not knowing
whether to say something or permit him to continue.

"I once loved the beautiful display Autumn created in our yard. I guess
I should be thankful that it has given us at least one more spectacular
show. But as the leaves begin to fall I see my wife's spirit begin to fade."

"I don't know if I ever told you this. But your beautiful handy work, your
gift for bringing life to the world in the form of breathtaking flowers and
trees, has lifted my spirits many times just when I needed it. For years
now I have walked by your home and paused long enough to be refreshed.
It must give you great satisfaction to see the fruits of your labor," I said.

"Yes, it has. Except for this year. We could do little because of my wife's
failing health. I always knew that I would be able to recognize when

our time together was coming to an end," he said.

Then as he stepped carefully off the porch he pointed to the garden

path that began nearby and wrapped the entire house.

"That trellis covered with roses was designed to look like the

gates of Heaven. I envisioned that one year we would enter those

gates one last time and walk along the garden path together. I knew

there would come a time when she would not be able to stand for

long periods."

He stopped for a moment and looked at her. She sat quietly never

saying a word and smiled her heavenly smile whenever their eyes made contact.

"I vowed to never walk that path alone. She has been by my side forever."

I walked over to the gate and looking at the surroundings I asked,

"Have you walked through it this year?"

"No. That is why it is in such disrepair," he replied. "But it is our

dream to see April together once more. And have one more walk along..." he stopped.

"Oh, my Lord," he said. "That is our favorite song."

"I'm not familiar with it. What's it called?"

"One more walk along the Garden" written by Lerner. It is from

a musical. It seems so very appropriate now. I guess we knew the

day would come and the longing for one more walk would leave us

cold like the winter," he said.

Then the thought came to me. You know where thoughts like these

come from.

"Do you have a wheel chair?" I asked.

"Yes. On the back porch. We only use it down stairs. I

couldn't maneuver her outside. The pathway is not paved," he said.

"Yes, but I can. Tell your wife we're going for a walk. I'll get the chair."

Picture for a moment the three of us outside the Gates of Heaven...

their Heaven. We carefully wrapped her in the quilt and added a

warm hat. He stood to her left along side the chair holding her

mitten clad hand. We began the journey together. Perhaps one last time. But with one stipulation.

"Forget that I am here," I said. "I want this to be your moment together.

I will remain quiet and out of the picture. Think of me as the hands of

God supporting her."

I tell you as sure as I am writing this, I did indeed feel invisible. It

was perhaps more in my mind than reality. But the second we

crossed through the gate, I could see her standing there beside him.

I was witness to a remarkable moment when he began to sing softly

to her. We had stopped for a moment and he knelt down in front of

her. It almost looked like he was about to propose. He sang
"One more walk along the garden, one more stroll along the shore."

Caressing his face, she leaned over and kissed him.

I have no idea how long it took. I wish it could have been forever.

One day it will be.

"Thank you! You have no idea what you have done for us," he said.

"You have no idea what you have done for me," I replied. "With

your permission this is a story for my next book."

Then his wife reached up, and touching my hand smiled at me. From

under her quilt she pulled out a small dried out rose she had plucked

along the way. She gestured for me to take it. Pausing for a moment

I grabbed her hand and placed it in his.

"He should have the last rose of summer. A flower to remind you both

that April is waiting for you."

In all of my remaining days I will forever be grateful that I had taken

that walk. You see I walked through Heaven's gate for "One more

walk along the Garden."

In closing I need to share this with you. After hearing him sing I

realized that I was familiar with that song. I have a CD by

Michael Feinstein. It is called the "Burton Lane Songbook Vol 1"

I share some of the words here with you.

"One more walk along the Garden"
by Alan Jay Lerner from the stage musical Carmelina (1979)

That old April yearning
Once more is returning
And I have a longing to wander

The leaves may be falling
But April is calling.
And the prim roses beckon me yonder

For one more walk along the garden
one more stroll along the shore.
One more memory I can dream upon
Until I dream no more.
For one more time perhaps the dawn will wait
And one more prayer it's not too late
To gather one more rose
before I say goodbye and close the garden gate.

"I wish you enough!"

J

Bob Perks

I encourage you to share my stories but
I do ask that you keep my name and contact
information with my work.

If you would like to receive Bob's Inspirational
stories, please visit http://www.IWishYouEnough.com

and submit your email address.

"I Wish You enough!"
© 2001 Bob Perks

P.O. Box 1702

Shavertown, Pa. 18708

Contact Bob 2believe@comcast.net

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear
much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye."

May You Always Feel Loved

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world
You may not always understand.
May the pain you have known and conflict you have experienced
Give you the strength to walk through life
Facing each new situation with courage and optimism.
Always know that there are those whose love and understanding
Will always be there, even when you feel most alone.
May you discover enough goodness in others
To believe in a world of peace.
May a kind word, a reassuring touch, a warm smile be yours
Every day of your life,
And may you give these gifts as well as receive them.
Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.
Teach love to those who know hate,
And let that love embrace you as you go into the world.
May the teaching of those you admire become part of you,
So that you may call upon them.
Remember, those whose lives you have touched
And who have touched yours are always a part of you,
Even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.
It is the content of the encounter that is more important than it's form.
May you not become too concerned with material matters,
But instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.
Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world around you.
Realize that each person has limitless abilities,
But each of us is different in our own way.
What you may feel you lack in one regard
May be more than compensated for in another.
What you feel you lack in the present
May become one of your strengths in the future.
May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.
May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself,
And not be dependent on another’s judgment of your accomplishments.
May you always feel loved.

The Yellow Shirt

The yellow shirt had long sleeves, four extra-large pockets trimmed in black thread and snaps up the front. It was faded from years of wear, but still in decent shape. I found it in 1963 when I was home from college on Christmas break, rummaging through bags of clothes Mom intended to give away..

'You're not taking that old thing, are you?' Mom said when she saw me packing the yellow shirt. 'I wore that when I was pregnant with your brother in 1954!'

'It's just the thing to wear over my clothes during art class, Mom. Thanks!' I slipped it into my suitcase before she could object. The yellow shirt be came a part of my college wardrobe. I loved it.

After graduation, I wore the shirt the day I moved into my new apartment and on Saturday mornings when I cleaned.

The next year, I married. When I became pregnant, I wore the yellow shirt during big-belly days. I missed Mom and the rest of my family, since we were in Colorado and they were in Illinois . But, that shirt helped. I smiled, remembering that Mother had worn it when she was pregnant, 25 years earlier.

That Christmas, mindful of the warm feelings the shirt had given me, I patched one elbow, wrapped it in holiday paper and sent it to Mom. When Mom wrote to thank me for her 'real' gifts, she said the yellow shirt was lovely.. She never mentioned it again..

The next year, my husband, daughter and I stopped at Mom and Dad's to pick up some furniture. Days later, when we uncrated the kitchen table, I noticed something yellow taped to its bottom. The shirt!

And so the pattern was set.

On our next visit home, I secretly placed the shirt under Mom and Dad's mattress. I don't know how long it took for her to find it, but almost two years passed before I discovered it under the base of our living-room floor lamp. The yellow shirt was just what I needed now while refinishing furniture. The walnut stains added character.

In 1975 my husband and I divorced. With my three children, I prepared to move back to Illinois . As I packed, a deep depression overtook me. I wondered if I could make it on my own. I wondered if I would find a job. I paged through the Bible, looking for comfort. In Ephesians, I read, 'So use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will be standing up.'

I tried to picture myself wearing God's armor, but all I saw was the stained yellow shirt. Slowly, it dawned on me.. Wasn't my mother's love a piece of God's armor? My courage was renewed.

Unpacking in our new home, I knew I had to get the shirt back to Mother. The next time I visited her, I tucked it in her bottom dresser drawer .

Meanwhile, I found a good job at a radio station. A year later I discovered the yellow shirt hidden in a rag bag in my cleaning closet.

Something new had been added. Embroidered in bright green across the breast pocket were the words 'I BELONG TO PAT.'

Not to be outdone, I got out my own embroidery materials and added an apostrophe and seven more letters.

Now the shirt proudly proclaimed, 'I BELONG TO PAT'S MOTHER.' But I didn't stop there. I zig-zagged all the frayed seams, then had a friend mail the shirt in a fancy box to Mom from Arlington , VA. We enclosed an official looking letter from 'The Institute for the Destitute,' announcing that she was the recipient of an award for good deeds..

I would have given anything to see Mom's face when she opened the box. But, of course, she never mentioned it..

Two years later, in 1978, I remarried. The day of our wedding, Harold and I put our car in a friend's garage to avoid practical jokers. After the wedding, while my husband drove us to our honeymoon suite, I reached for a pillow in the car to rest my head. It felt lumpy. I unzipped the case and found, wrapped in wedding paper, the yellow shirt. Inside a pocket was a note: 'Read John 14:27-29. I love you both, Mother..'

That night I paged through the Bible in a hotel room and found the verses: 'I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives.. So don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really love me, you will be very happy for me, for now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am.. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do, you will believe in me.'

The shirt was Mother's final gift. She had known for three months that she had terminal Lou Gehrig's disease. Mother died the following year at age 57.

I was tempted to send the yellow shirt with her to her grave. But I'm glad I didn't, because it is a vivid reminder of the love-filled game she and I played for 16 years. Besides, my older daughter is in college now, majoring in art. And every art student needs a baggy yellow shirt with big pockets.

The Real Gift

"The Real Gift"
By Bob Perks

Over the next few days you will...
laugh a little more,
smile at strangers,
welcome family,
employ a little courtesy to others,
be thankful for what you get,
get more out of what you give,
believe more than you might otherwise,
hope more than usual,
try harder to do the right thing,
pray, although you might not always,
find peace in a moment,
and joy in a day.

It wasn't just that on this day a baby was born.
It isn't just that in believing in Him we are
promised life eternal.

By His coming we have learned to live the way
God planned. Not just this one day. This is
the way we should live every day of our lives.

Go back now and read the first 12 lines.

That is the real message. This is "The Real Gift."
"I wish you enough!"
J
Bob Perks

I encourage you to share my stories but
I do ask that you keep my name and contact
information with my work.

"I Wish You enough!"
© 2001 Bob Perks
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear
much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye."

I encourage you to share my stories but
I do ask that you keep my name and contact
information with my work.

P.O. Box 1702
Shavertown, Pa. 18708
Contact Bob 2believe@comcast.n

If you would like to receive Bob's Inspirational
stories, please visit http://www.IWishYouEnough.com
and submit your email address.

Need Some New Ways to Say I Love You?

"831 means 'I Love You'
8 letters
3 words
1 meaning."

"You made me love you, by just being you."

"I love you and that's the beginning of everything."

"Of all that this life has to offer, the thing I long for is to wake up in your arms...safe, secure, and above all, loved -- without love, the moment means nothing."

Missing you is like being lost in a black and white
world; everything seems so faded and lonely."

"I don't want to dream of you anymore. I want you for real."

"Saying I love you isn't half as important as meaning it."

"For yesterday's memories, today's love, and tomorrow's dreams I love you."

"If there's time for only three words in my lifetime, it would be, I love you."

"It's not my fault I love you. You're the one who started it." Sure happy you did!

"Man loves money, bees love honey, flowers love dew, and I love you!"

"Kissing you is like eating my favorite dessert. Once I start, it is hard to stop."

"If you're asking if I need you, the answer is forever. If you're asking if I will leave you, the answer is never. If you're asking what I value, the answer is you. If you asking if I love you, the answer is I DO."

"My love for you is like the air I breath. I can't see it, but I always feel it, and most importantly...I can't live without it."

"Love gives you courage, being loved gives you strength."

"The best part of life is happiness whereas the best part of happiness is love."

"You have given and taken a lot of things from me. You gave me a reason to smile, and took away my ability to love anyone else. "

"Love me when I least deserve it, because that's when I need it most."

"Never regret anything that made you smile."

"Love makes the strongest man weak and the weakest heart strong."

"I'd rather be missing you than loving someone else."

"The passions of love ignite, the emotions of love kindle, but the actions of love set the heart ablaze."

"When I wake up, turn over, and see you lying next me, I can't help but smile; it will be a good day simply because I started it with you."

"It doesn't make me feel as though you are quite as far away from me when we are looking at the same moon "

"Thinking you are in love is torture; knowing you are in love is comforting; feeling you are in love is to truly be alive."

"Love is like diving headfirst into the unknown, and yet not being afraid to hit the pavement."

"Love is not about finding somebody who is flawless. Love is about finding somebody with a good many flaws and loving each and every flaw as if it were a quality. "

"When you say you love me, the world stops for a moment, the stars stop shining, the moon stops glowing, the earth stops breathing, all that's alive is our love ... I love you."

"I love you more today than yesterday but far less than tomorrow."

"When I think of you...my heart smiles. "

"Love gives us a reason to go after what we want most."

"I'm all bruised up because I keep falling for you."

"I love you more than my teddy bear, but please, don't tell him . ."

Love Like The Sun and The Moon

I truly wish that I was young and before I entered into an abusive relationship, someone would have shared this information with me, but I share it now with all of you.

"Love like the sun and the moon"
By Bob Perks

There is a wonderful, romantic line in a movie that
has been used over and over...

"You complete me!"

It is a sweet thing to say to someone you love.

I am not so sure it's true.

This came to me when someone told me that they were
nothing without love in their life.

They had written:

"I want to love and be loved after all that is
what gives meaning to life"

I thought about that. Yes, to love and be loved
is important, but it is not all that gives meaning
to life.

I replied:

"Love does not give meaning to life. You need to
put life in your love for living."

First loving life itself acknowledges your most
important relationship...the one with God.

So, "you complete me," implies that God created
something incomplete.

You can find a good example of relationships in the
natural world. Like the sun and the moon.When one is down the other rises to the occasion.

You can depend on them both to always be there.

Even though there is a great distance between them,
the light from one shines on the other.

Each is complete on its own, serving the purpose God
intended.

Love is not completing but complimenting.

My wife adds to who I am. Together we are more
than we were separately. That is incredible.

Don't try to find love to fill what you see as an
empty spot. Love wraps around like a blanket,
it's not just to fill holes in your life.

Look for someone who will add to your
life and you to theirs.

If you feel incomplete, ask God to help you see
how complete you are already.

May the light of love shine upon you always.

"I wish you enough!"

J

Bob Perks

I encourage you to share my stories but
I do ask that you keep my name and contact
information with my work.

If you would like to receive Bob's Inspirational
stories, please visit http://www.IWishYouEnough.com
and submit your email address.

"I Wish You enough!"
© 2001 Bob Perks

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear
much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye."

P.O. Box 1702

Shavertown, Pa. 18708

Contact Bob 2believe@comcast.net

Frederick Wentworth Poem

From Jane Austen: A good read for those times when couples reach a point that reading one another is difficult.

I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes?

I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in F. W.

LOVE NOTES

All stories copyright 2009 Bob Perks
Today's message:

"Love Notes"
By Bob Perks

It's that time of year again when the
pressure to find love, give love, express
love is all measured in dollars and cents.

I was at a local florist this morning and
saw a bouquet of roses in a plain vase for
$99.

I am sure some of you will be quick to say
that's a bargain. I understand some areas
that same dozen would be so much more.

I must ask why a single rose was just $2.50
a few weeks ago and now, now love costs more.

My friend, I am writing to tell you love costs
nothing.

While speaking to an older couple recently,
I asked how they stayed in love for so long.

"Love notes," she replied.

"Oh, you leave each other little notes?" I followed.

They looked at each other and smiled.

"Not written notes. She looks at me and I note
that it means, "I love you!"

"He touches my hand and I note that after all this
time we still hold hands."

"She calls my name and like notes of music I hear
her love song."

"He lies next to me in bed at night and I note his
heart beats only for me."

They both laughed, smiled and he put his arm
around her.

I noted how much in love they really are.

How much does love cost? Hold hands, smile,
call their name.

Are you taking notes?

"I believe in you!"
Bob

I encourage you to share my stories but
I do ask that you keep my name and contact
information with my work.

If you would like to receive Bob's Inspirational
stories, please visit http://www.IWishYouEnough.com
and submit your email address.

*****************

"I Wish You enough!"
© 2001 Bob Perks

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear
much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye."

Bob Perks, P.O. Box 1702, Shavertown, PA 18708-1702, USA

I Apologize

I Apologize...For all the mean things I might have said.
I Apologize...For all the things I did or didn't do.
I Apologize...If I ever ignored you.
I Apologize...If I ever made you feel bad or put you down.
I Apologize...If I ever thought I was better than you.
I Apologize...For everything wrong I've ever done.

I Care for You...Don't ever forget that!
Through bad times and good,
I'll always be here for you.

How Little in Me Is Not Touched By You

How little in me is not touched by you!
A friendship is a light that fills the heart,
Painting with its gold each darkened hue,
Providing warmth to each sequestered part.
You are the mirror of my better self,
Verifier of the best in me,
A bridge across the unsuspected gulf
Lodged between what can and ought to be.
Expectations can be wings, not bars,
Necessary to sustain our flight.
The faith of friends in us is wholly ours,
Incoming to uplift us to its height.
No soul can see itself, but must depend,
Each on each, upon a trusted friend.-nicholas gordon

According to Mr. Rodgers - Love

"The World According to Mr. Rodgers: Important Things to Remember".


Mutually caring relationships require kindness and patience, tolerance, optimism, joy in the other's achievements, confidence in oneself, and the ability to give without undue thought of gain. We need to accept the fact that it's not in the power of any human being to provide all these things all the time.

For any of us, mutually caring relationships will also always include some measure of discomfort and impatience, intolerance, pessimism, envy, self-doubt, and disappointment.

In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.

Letter to My Friends

Latin American writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez is attributed with having writing this farewell letter to his friend. I would like to say these things now before I have to say farewell (hopefully that is a long time away).

If God, for a second, forgot what I have become and granted me a little bit more of life, I would use it to the best of my ability.

I wouldn’t possibly, say everything that is in my mind, but I would be more thoughtful of all I say. I would give merit to things not for what they are worth, but for what they mean to express.

I would sleep little, I would dream more, because I know that for every minute that we close our eyes, we waste 60 seconds of light.

I would walk while others stop; I would awake while others sleep.

If God would give me a little bit more of life, I would dress in a simple manner, I would place myself in front of the sun, leaving not only my body, but my soul naked at its mercy.

To all men, I would say how mistaken they are when they think that they stop falling in love when they grow old, without knowing that they grow old when they stop falling in love.

I would give wings to children, but I would leave it to them to learn how to fly by themselves. To old people I would say that death doesn’t arrive when they grow old, but with forgetfulness.

I have learned so much with you all, I have learned that everybody wants to live on top of the mountain, without knowing that true happiness is obtained in the journey taken & the form used to reach the top of the hill.

I have learned that when a newborn baby holds, with its little hand,his father’s finger, it has trapped him for the rest of his life.

I have learned that a man has the right and obligation to look down at another man, only when that man needs help to get up from the ground.

Say always what you feel, not what you think. If I knew that today is the last time that that I am going to see you asleep, I would hug you with all my strength and I would pray to the Lord to let me be the guardian angel of your soul.

If I knew that these are the last moments to see you, I would say ‘I love you’. There is always tomorrow, and life gives us another opportunity to do things right, but in case I am wrong, and today is all that is left to me, I would love to tell you how much I love you & that I will never forget you.

Tomorrow is never guaranteed to anyone, young or old. Today could be the last time to see your loved ones, which is why you mustn’t wait;do it today, in case tomorrow never arrives.

I am sure you will be sorry you wasted the opportunity today to give a smile, a hug, a kiss, and that you were too busy to grant them their last wish.

Keep your loved ones near you; tell them in their ears and to their faces how much you need them and love them. Love them and treat them well; take your time to tell them ‘I am sorry’;’ forgive me’,'please’ ‘thank you’, and all those loving words you know.

Nobody will know you for your secret thought. Ask the Lord for wisdom and strength to express them. Show your friends and loved ones how important they are to you.

Send this letter to those you love. If you don’t do it today…tomorrow will be like yesterday, and if you never do it, it doesn’t matter either, the moment to do it is now.

For you,

With much love,

Your Friend,

Gabriel Garcia Marquez