Stories Around the World – Page 37 – Sugar And Spice… Among Other Things

Christian, Personal Musings, Photography Art, Stories Around the World

The Basket of Apples

Posted on October 15, 2018September 29, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Autumn mornings are the best in October with smell of the crisp rosy apples in the air. With the apple tree in the backyard in full bloom, it is reminiscent of both the harvest and blue skies.

From the initial days, man has always been fascinated with apples. Myths, folklore and feasts have been held in the honor of apples. No Halloween is complete without the traditional game of apple bobbing. From the bedtime tales to children especially the fairy tales of Snow White and The Juniper Tress, to the famous phrase of “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, apples have been an essential part of the childhood years. As we grow up, the apple tree features in Newtonian physics and then either we become a part of adult world (The Big Apple) or we end up owing an Apple product.

Interestingly although the fruit that Adam and Eve had eaten from the forbidden tree was never named, by popular tradition it is often pictorially represented as an apple. Thus by the Old Testament, the apple stood for the symbol of knowledge, temptation, fall of man and sin. On the other hand artistic renderings portray Christ holding an apple, signifying that the apple is an emblem of the redemption from the fall of man. Whereas in Norse mythology, the apple tree is sacred and is the symbol for rebirth and beauty. The Celtic meaning of the apple tree deals with many things, including wholeness, purity, goodwill, and even motherhood.

For me, the apple tree has been linked to a story I heard during my days in Sunday School. It was based on giving the Lord our apples to let Him shine them. I f you haven’t read or heard of it before, do read on.

A Simple Story of Apples and an Apple Basket

One day an elderly man entered into a hospital. He was grumpy from being on medication and the nurses thought him to be insane, as he yelled for his wife to get the apple basket. By the time they had checked him into his room the nurses were exhausted from the fight he was putting up.
“Sir you have to calm down we are doing everything we can for you” they would try to explain.
“I don’t need your help” the grumpy man would yell “I want my apple basket”. He finally slept. The nurses sighed with relief and talked among themselves whether they should call the hospital psychologist about the old man and his obsession with the apple basket.
As they talked and laughed about the situation the wife came in carrying the basket of apples. They looked kind of stunned as she asked if she could see her husband and deliver his basket. Sure, they agreed as they watched her slip past into his room. Curiosity consumed them over the next few weeks as they tended to the elderly man. He was eaten with cancer and the doctors had given him no hope of survival. He turned out to be a very calm, happy man once he had his basket. His wife, they noticed, would come in with apples and go out with apples and the curiosity grew even more till one nurse couldn’t stand the suspense.
One night as he was nearing the end, the nurse sat down in a chair by the wife.” May I ask why do you have that apple basket? I just don’t understand the significance.”
“I am an apple farmer by trade he sighed. From the time I was 20 till the day I do die I will forever have my apples.” The nurse nodded thinking she understood. He just likes his work, she thought, assured now he was a little bit crazy.
As she started to leave, the old man asked her to sit down. “At age 20 I was saved, I accepted the Lord as my Savior.” Oh no, the nurse thought. Here comes the lecture on religion. The old man continued. “The day I accepted the Lord as my Savior I got this basket, and each time I had a problem or concern that I could not handle, I put an apple in the basket un-shined.”
“Why?” the nurse said shaking her head.
“Because it reminded me to give those problems to the Lord for him to shine. See my basket now,” he stated. “As my problems disappear so do the apples. As I get new problems, ones I cannot handle alone, I put an apple in.”
The humble nurse looked into the basket…only one apple was there……..
With that, he took a big breath and grabbed his wife by the hand and faded into eternal sleep. The wife paused for a moment and got up from her place to take from the basket the last remaining apple. She whispered in his ear that his reward awaits him in heaven.
The nurse stayed still and asked with tears in her eyes, “what do you think his riches will be?” The wife knew what they were, eternal life with Jesus Christ. But she could see the concern and sadness upon the young nurses’ face and handed her the apple and said “the biggest apple pie you can imagine!”
That was the day the young nurse was saved, and from that day on she always had a basket by her bed.

While we may or may not be a fan of apples, the sure thing is that all our problems can’t be solved by us alone. Sometimes we have to hand them over to the Divine Grace for sorting them and help us navigate through choppy waters so that we reach the shore safe and sound.

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Personal Musings, Photography Art, Random Thoughts, Stories Around the World

Drizzle to Rain

Posted on October 12, 2018October 5, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

In the hustle of the morning rush hour on the road, there was a crowd of people on the sidewalk waiting to cross the road. Unfortunately there were not standing anywhere near the zebra crossing. Most of the vehicles sped up even on seeing them standing there to reach before the next traffic light turned red. Yet despite the rush, few of the vehicles did slow down to allow them to pass through. On watching the whole scene from the bus, I was wondering among them might be a few people who would be able to make it to time for work, while others would be able to head home after a long night. Yet come what may, they were able to cross the road because some vehicles had stopped to give a free path.

In the midst of the chaos of the modern life, we often wonder why do something kind and unselfish; as nobody really bothers and we don’t get anything in return. Yet the fact is that one small random kind act will influence somebody who will continue the change and eventually the chain will grow longer and bigger. Then the small difference becomes a momentous change which will affect and benefit a huge cause.

This reminded me of a story I had once read about the boy and the starfish. For those of us who haven’t heard about it, it as follows.

A man walked along the shore and suddenly saw a boy who raised something from the sand and threw it into the sea. The man came closer and saw that the boy was lifting the stars from the sand. They surrounded him from all sides. It seemed that on the sand – millions of sea stars, the shore was literally strewn with them for many kilometers.
“Why are you throwing these starfish into the water?” Asked the man, coming closer.
“If they stay on the shore until tomorrow morning, when the ebb tide begins, they’ll die,” the boy answered, continuing his occupation.
“But that’s just stupid!” Cried the man.
– Look around! There are millions of sea stars here, the shore is just strewn with them. Your attempts will not change anything!
The boy picked up the next starfish, thought for a moment, threw it into the sea and said:
– No, my attempts will change very much … for this star.
Then the man also picked up the star and threw it into the sea. Then one more.
By the night on the beach there were a lot of people, each of whom picked up and threw a star at sea. And when the sun rose, there was not a single soul left on the beach.

Likewise being a part of a bigger community, there is so much that we can do. Organizing small clean up drives in the public park, mowing lawns for the elderly, help in reading sessions in the town library, helping someone to load or carry groceries and so on. The list is endless.

A small act of kindness and goodwill doesn’t take much time or effort on our part. All it requires us is to keep our eyes wide open and be empathetic. While we may not be able to make a huge difference by a small act, it will make a change for one person. While one drop may not alone make an ocean, it contributes to the beginning of more drops and finally the ocean is there.

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Life, Personal Musings, Reflections, Stories Around the World

Alta Alatis Patent

Posted on October 9, 2018September 24, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Last night being movie night for my husband and I, it felt pretty good to be watching “The Pursuit of Happyness” again. There are some movies which never fade in time and this is one of them. Based on the life of Chris Gardner, the C.E.O and founder of Christopher Gardner International Holdings ; it is an essentially an biographical film. The story revolves around a troubled childhood, failed marriage, monetary problems and difficult times; which I guess is a little of something that has happened to everyone at some point of time. But what makes the film adorable is that despite all the hardships, you find your own happiness. There may be many movies along similar lines, but to put them down from ‘reel’ to ‘real life’ may be difficult. Yet some of the real stories show us that although it’s difficult, it’s possible to rise from the ashes.

In fact, there are many more real-life people who have echoed similar times in their lives. The creator of Mickey Mouse was fired by a newspaper editor for lack of imagination and good ideas. Years later, many animation pictures and other movies start off with “Walt Disney” logo. Even Steven Spielberg was rejected from his university of choice. Nevertheless that never affected his talent nor skills, and he rose to become one of the greatest directors and producers of all time.

There are many more people who have gone through similar struggles. Some of them we may have only seen in papers, some heard of while others may be there who live in our own neighbourhood. If we look up our old high school friends or seniors and even juniors, we then realize how some of them have risen from their roots and have found their own happiness.

Although all these people have become legends today, at one point of time they have gone through the struggle and the toil. Immense courage and faith in oneself is required to rise from the ashes and build the dream. As said in Latin, “Alta alatis patent”, i.e. the sky is open to those who have wings.

We all have our own set of wings. We just need to find them, strengthen them, train them then look ahead with keen foresight and fly sky high.

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Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, Stories Around the World

True Purpose of Education

Posted on October 5, 2018September 29, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Today, October 5 would be the 24th year of the International Teachers Day ( a.k.a World Teacher’s Day). Initially established in 1994, this day focuses on the appreciation of educators especially teachers and even university professors as well as their role played in the development of students; thus giving an immense contribution to society. Although in some countries it may be celebrated on different days, many nations have given importance and appreciation to the role of the teachers in the society.

With generations of teachers in the family, everyone strongly believes that education is beyond the blackboards and the books. During my high school days, I had chanced to read the “Letter to His Son’s Teacher” , a letter Abraham Lincoln had allegedly wrote to his son’s school teacher on the first day of class. Though the letter is every parent’s wish that their children would learn, sources and citations are insufficient to claim that the letter was originally written by Abe Lincoln.

In spite of the query of authenticity, this letter holds additionally to subject or textbook learning what teachers and educators should make sure their students learn. For those of us, who haven’t read it, the letter is as follows.

“My son starts school today. It is all going to be strange and new to him for a while and I wish you would treat him gently. It is an adventure that might take him across continents. All adventures that probably include wars, tragedy and sorrow. To live this life will require faith, love and courage.

So dear Teacher, will you please take him by his hand and teach him things he will have to know, teaching him – but gently, if you can. Teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend. He will have to know that all men are not just, that all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero, that for every crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader.

Teach him if you can that 10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar found. In school, teacher, it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to learn how to gracefully lose, and enjoy winning when he does win.

Teach him to be gentle with people,tough with tough people. Steer him away from envy if you can and teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Teach him if you can – how to laugh when he is sad, teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success. Teach him to scoff at cynics.

Teach him if you can the wonders of books, but also give time to ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hill. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tell him they are wrong.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone else is doing it. Teach him to listen to every one, but teach him also to filter all that he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him to sell his talents and brains to the highest bidder but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul. Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind, in God.

This is the order, teacher but see what best you can do. He is such a nice little boy and he is my son.”

Life as we all know isn’t restricted to books alone or to the hard facts of knowledge. It is a blend of learning, thinking, emotional and social responsibilities with innate faith in God and oneself. To live a life of meaning will require us to look beyond the desk of assignments and grades alone. They are indeed essential in order to dream of aims, ambitions and to reach them as well. Yet there is a world out there beyond that, which every parent wishes their child would learn so as to eventually would carve a niche for themselves in it.

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Family and Society, Reflections, Stories Around the World, Work

Plant the Worry Tree

Posted on October 3, 2018October 2, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

In the present day, almost everyone holds a job. For instance, in a family of four, many a time both the husband and wife may be employed (or sometimes just the husband) or teenagers would be working part-time in order to contribute to their college fund. Even stay-at-home mothers have enough and more on their plate. Which or how ever may be the scenario or the reason, most of us hold jobs for certain hours everyday, after which we each return to our respective homes, either back to our families or shared quarters. The pressing question is how many of us bring our work with it’s own share of problems, back to our home ?

If we honestly answer, it would be an affirmative reply for many of us. Some of us may bring back our physical or actual work, others may bring back the problems and the mental as well as emotional difficulties faced that day, back with them while others may bring back both. Either way we lose out in our time at home with the family or our relaxation time for a whole load of stress again. The worst part is that we get up the next day to start the whole cycle of “work-stress-work” again. For those of us who work in the areas that we like or have a keen interest in may disagree with the stress, by saying that work for them was never stressful. However, the fact is by bringing the work with or without the problems home; we are losing “family time” or “me-time” to recoup.

In my early days of college, there was a story told in one of my lectures, which I would like to share.

The carpenter who was hired to help a man restore an old farmhouse had just finished his first day on the job and everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. First of all, on his way to work he had a flat tire that cost him an hour’s worth of pay, then his electric saw broke, and after work his old pickup truck refused to start. His new boss volunteered to give him a lift home and the whole way to his house the carpenter sat in stone silence as he stared out his window. Yet on arriving, he invited his boss in for a few minutes to meet his family. As they walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When he opened the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was one big smile as he hugged his two small children and kissed his wife.

Afterwards, the man walked his boss to his car to say thank you. Now on their way out of the house, the boss’ curiosity got the best of him so he had to ask the man about the tree on the front porch. He said, I noticed when you came up on the porch before going into your house you stopped and touched the tree, why? “Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t stop from having troubles out on the job, but one thing’s for sure – my troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.” “Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick ‘em up, they aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”

We all have encountered our own share of troubles and struggles, some of us deal with it by bringing them with wherever we go, some might ignore it hoping it would go away somehow while others try to deal with their problems while their heads are still above water. The idea of hanging the problems on a “worry tree” or a ‘‘trouble tree” outside the door isn’t a bad one, in fact we can find our own modifications on dealing with the stresses. I have been successful in dealing with my own share of problems and worries by laying them down at the feet of the Lord. “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. (Psalm 55:22)”

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Life, Reflections, Stories Around the World

The Price of Over-Thinking

Posted on September 28, 2018September 26, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

One of the drawbacks to man is that we over-think a lot or to put it simply, we do a lot of speculations. The biggest disadvantage to this is that we unnecessarily work ourselves up, creating a whole lot of stress; not just to ourselves but even to those around us. Some of us may heard about the story “Want to borrow a jack ?”. It tells about over-speculation and the trouble it had created. For those of us who haven’t heard of the story; it is as follows.

“Want to borrow a jack?”

“A fellow was speeding down a country road late at night and BANG! went a tire. He got out and looked but he had no jack. Then he said to himself. ‘Well, I’ll just walk to the nearest farmhouse and borrow a jack.’ He saw a light in the distance and said, ‘Well, I’m in luck; the farmer’s up. I’ll just knock on the door and say I’m in trouble, would you please lend me a jack? And he’ll say, why sure, neighbor, help yourself, but bring it back.’ He walked on a little farther and the light went out so he said to himself, ‘Now he’s gone to bed, and he’ll be annoyed because I’m bothering him so he’ll probably want some money for his jack. And I’ll say, all right, it isn’t very neighborly but I’ll give you a quarter.And he’ll say, do you think you can get me out of bed in the middle of the night and then offer me a quarter? Give me a dollar or get yourself a jack somewhere else.’

“By the time he got to the farmhouse the fellow had worked himself into a lather. He turned into the gate and muttered. ‘A dollar! All right, I’ll give you a dollar. But not a cent more! A poor devil has an accident and all he needs is a jack. You probably won’t let me have one no matter what I give you. That’s the kind of guy you are.’

“Which brought him to the door and he knocked angrily, loudly. The farmer stuck his head out the window above the door and hollered down, ‘Who’s there? What do you want?’ The fellow stopped pounding on the door and yelled up, ‘You and your stupid jack! You know what you can do with it!’” There are many variations of the same story, “borrowing the jack” but the essence is the same.

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This is what often happens to many of us. In our life, we often land into problems that we can actually easily handle. Instead of facing them with calm and patience keeping a positive attitude; we behave with blind anger thinking of imagined wrongs and make enemies of people who may actually help us. The sad truth is we don’t realize it until someone else asks us with what actually happened. It only then we realize that we having been making a mountain out of a molehill.

So at the end of the day, it’s easier to go with the flow than to over-think and end up being disappointed. In fact, less of speculations may result in us getting a lovely surprise instead.

Christian, Life, Personal Musings, Stories Around the World

Take the Battle to the Sky

Posted on September 25, 2018September 19, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Among the birds of prey, the eagle has it’s own special place in the wildlife kingdom. Besides soaring the skies, it fiercely protects its young and preys on the smaller land creatures especially snakes. Ever wondered how the eagle kills the deadly poisonous snake?

The eagle usually hunts from a high perch or from the skies, scanning the land below for prey with its’ sharp eyes. When it sees a snake, it swoops down, seizes the reptile behind the head and crushes the spine with its talons and beak. If it loses the advantage of a surprise attack and the snake turns on it, the eagle will flap its wings to try and induce the snake to spend its’ venom and energy reserves before moving in for the kill.

Another way for the eagle to kill the snake is not fight it on the ground. Instead it picks it up into the sky with its’ heavily scaled claws; thus changing the battle ground. Then it releases the snake from the sky. Unlike the eagle; the snake lacks power and balance in the air. It is weak and vulnerable in the air, whereas on the ground where it is powerful wise and deadly.

Why the talk about the eagle and the snake? The scriptures quotes eagles many a time. There is are many references to the eagle, but the one that I want to quote is from the book of Isaiah. “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Take the fight with the evil into the spiritual realm by praying and there God will takes over the battles. Don’t fight the enemy in their comfort zone, change the battle grounds through prayers and His Word. Let God take charge; for then the clean victory will be ours.