Love

...whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.

Making sandcastles

hot sun. salty air. rhythmic waves.

a little boy is on his knees scooping and packing the sand with plastic shovels into a bright blue bucket. then he upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it. and, to the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is created.

all afternoon he will work. spooning out the moat. packing the walls. bottle tops will be sentries. popsicle sticks will be bridges. a sandcastle will be built.

big city. busy streets. rumbling traffic.

a man is in his office. at his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments. he cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers. numbers are juggled and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made.
all his life he will work. formulating the plans. forecasting the future. annuities will be sentries. capital gains will be bridges. an empire will be built.

two builders of two castles. they have much in common. they shape granules into grandeurs. they see nothing and make something. they are diligent and determined. and for both the tide will rise and the end will come.

yet that is where the similarities cease. for the boy sees the end while the man ignores it. watch the boy as the dusk approaches.

as the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. there is no sorrow. no fear. no regret. he knew this would happen. he is not surprised. and when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. he smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father's hand, and goes home.

the grownup, however, is not so wise. as the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified. he hovers over the sandy monument to protect it. he blocks the waves from the walls he has made. salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide.

"it's my castle," he defies.

the ocean need not respond. both know to whom the sand belongs...
i don't know much about sandcastles. but children do. watch them and learn. go ahead and build, but build with a child's heart. when the sun sets and the tides take - applaud. salute the process of life and go home .

Never shake a baby

if a baby is shaken with force in a moment of anger, it can lead to a lifetime of effects:


shaking can damage a child's brain.


shaking can cause blindness, paralysis, hearing loss, speech and learning difficulties, problems with memory and attention, mental retardation, or seizures.


shaking can even cause death.


children less than 1 year old are particularly at risk. older children can also be seriously injured if they are shaken violently.


no child, at any age, should be shaken.

Panghele kay Eman

a-b-c-d-e-f-g, h-i-j-k-l-m-n- o-p,
q-r-s-t-u-v, w-x-y & z
now i know my "abc's",
next time won't you sing with me.






bahay kubo kahit munti, ang halaman duon ay sari-sari
singkamas at talong, sigarilyas at mani, sitaw, bataw, patani
kundol, patola, upo't kalabasa at saka meron pa labanos mustasa
sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya sa paligid-ligid ay puno ng linga.






leron, leron, sinta, buko ng papaya, dala dala'y buslo sisidlan ng sinta;
pagdating sa dulo'y nabali ang sanga, kapos kapalaran humanap ng iba.


halika na neneng, tayo'y manampalok, dalhin mo ang buslo, sisidlan ng hinog
pagdating sa dulo'y iinda-indayog kumapit ka neneng, baka ka mahulog.


halika na neneng at tayo'y magsimba, at iyong isuot ang baro mo't saya
ang baro mo't sayang pagkaganda-ganda kay ganda ng kulay -- berde, puti, pula.


ako'y ibigin mo, lalaking matapang, ang baril ko'y pito, ang sundang ko'y siyam
ang lalakarin ko'y parte ng dinulang, isang pinggang pansit ang aking kalaban

Desiderata

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, it is as perennial as the grass.


take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. but do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.


beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. you are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. and whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.


therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.


with all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. be cheerful. strive to be happy. Max Ehrmann

Through the eyes of a child

the innocence of a child's soul
is what makes them seem so whole.


so peaceful and trusting as they reach out.
full of life and rarely a doubt.


skipping along while holding your hand,
knowing that you will take their stand.


loving you entirely for who you are,
seeing the beauty of your soul with no scar.


as we grow older and more serious in age,
we become fearful and oft full of rage.


we begin to lose things that once made us feel loved.
somewhere in our souls are things that are shoved....


that we try to forget and leave sitting inside.
we forget how to live and just go with the ride.


if only we could look through our eyes as a child,
into the soul that we once possessed undefiled.


to enjoy the wind and the moon and the stars,
with a soul which has not gained any scars.


to see the beauty in all that we touch.
to see through the eyes of a child would mean so much.


God grant us the gift to look back as a child,
to trust and to love with a soul undefiled.


looking once more through the eyes of a child. Brenda Race






children come into this world with fresh eyes to see all that is beautiful, embrace all that is joyful,
and love unconditionally with open hearts and minds.

Children are natural zen masters

children are natural zen masters;
their world is brand new in each and every moment.



children are curious and are risk takers.
they have lots of courage.


they venture out into a world that is immense and dangerous.
a child initially trusts life and the processes of life.



children will not remember you for the material things you provided
but for the feeling that you cherished them.

Do not confine your children to your own learning

do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.


tell the children the truth.


your children need your presence more than your presents.


only the best is good enough for a child.