Shimmer and Shine

In a land not so far away, in a time not too long ago, there was a little boy named Abraham. He lived with his mother and father in a place that was not unlike many others. Abraham’s world was full of love. He had friends and relatives that adored him, a cat, a dog, and plenty of toys. Abraham had everything that a little boy could have, but for some reason he felt like something was missing. To him, his life was like a bowl of vanilla ice cream with no syrup. Despite his somewhat bland predicament, he had faith that he would find the excitement that he craved. He knew that one day he would find a land of shimmer and shine that was waiting just for him. 
On Abraham’s eighteenth birthday he decided to begin his quest to fulfill his destiny. “Mother”, he said, “I am going to fulfill my destiny.” Her eyes were heavy as she replied “But you have family and friends that love you very much. Why are you not happy here Abraham?” When he left, his mother cried for three days and three nights.
Abraham felt exhilarated as his plane took flight. “Finally”, he thought, “I am going to fulfill my destiny. I will not let anything stop me. I will never quit.” While looking out the window he wondered how his family would do without him there. “They must understand,” he thought, “I am a man who needs to follow his heart. I am sure that they will be fine.” 
When Abraham put his feet upon soil once again, he felt like an adventurer conquering a new unexplored land. He had never seen a place so exotic. There were lush green fields, beautiful flowers, and picturesque mountains. The island was enclosed by a powerful ocean whose waves crashed upon the shore repeatedly, like a metronome supplied by Mother Nature. “I will be happy now that I am surrounded by all of this beauty”, thought Abraham. He spent the next few weeks seeing all that his new home had to offer. He danced in the green fields, smelled the beautiful flowers and climbed the picturesque mountains. 
Soon Abraham began to feel like something was missing. He thought about how nice it would be to share all of this beauty with someone special. It was not too long before he met Mina. She had golden skin and long flowing black hair that looked like onyx. “Why do you look so sad?” asked Mina. “I am not sad”, replied Abraham, “I am living my destiny.” He thought about how happy he would be now that he had met Mina. They had wonderful times together. She showed him special places on the island that he never knew existed. “You are so lucky to have grown up in such a paradise”, he said. “To me,” she said, “It is just home”. 
As time passed Abraham was faced with many of life’s enduring realities; one of them being the need for money. “We have no money”, cried Abraham. “We have everything that we need”, replied Mina, “we have food, water, and most importantly, we have each other.” While Abraham did love Mina, he knew that there was something more for him. He left to find work and earn his way. Mina cried for two days and two nights.
Abraham realized that there was not much work to be had on the island, so he used what little money he had left to buy a plane ticket to a big city. He searched relentlessly hoping to find a good job with a fair wage. Finally he came across a small bakery with a help wanted sign in the window. Petre, the owner, decided to take a chance on him despite his lack of experience. 'I will be very happy now that I have a job,' thought Abraham. He proved to be a very efficient baker. Petre found that with his new assistant, he could produce many more baked goods than before. Consequently, his business became much more profitable and he rewarded Abraham handsomely. Petre was also very happy because he would now be able send his three daughters to college.
Abraham enjoyed his job and was appreciative of the raise that he had been given, but sometimes his hands would hurt at the end of a long day. At times he wondered if he was deserving of a more glamorous career. He would look at the patrons of the shop and wonder how they could afford to spend money on expensive pastries and exotic coffee’s. One day, while Abraham was kneading dough, a strange man walked into the shop. He was well manicured, handsomely dressed, and could obviously buy this little store if he had wanted. “Why do you work so hard boy?” he asked Abraham. “Because I need to make my fortune”, he replied. The man told Abraham that he could teach him to make his fortune and that his hands would not have to hurt anymore. Later that day Abraham told his boss that he would be leaving. Petre cried for one day and one night. 
As it turned out, the strange man had some rather strange ways of making money. For instance, he would never work on a rainy day or in the same town twice. He would sell watches of gold for prices that were far less than could be found anywhere. He taught Abraham how to sell watches to people who didn’t even want them. Soon thereafter the young fortune seeker became the best salesman that the strange man had ever had. One day, after Abraham had sold watches to three brothers, there was an unexpected rain storm. To the brothers’ amazement, the gold watches were not gold anymore. They beat Abraham and took almost all of his fortune. When Abraham left, the strange man did not cry.
On his bus ride home his thoughts journeyed back over his past adventures. He thought of Mina, Petre, the strange man, and the three brothers. He then thought of his mother, his family and his friends back home. He felt a warmth in his heart that he had not felt since he was a little boy. It was very early in the morning when his bus pulled into its destination and the morning dew still blanketed the town. It shimmered and shined like nothing that Abraham had ever seen. It shimmered and shined just for him.

Gliding Toward a Dream

The ice whispers against my blades. I stroke, faster and faster. I turn and glide as I ready myself for the jump just seconds away. And... I empower myself into the air, climbing up. I snap into position, trying to count my rotations but I'm spinning so fast in the air that I can't. And I land! I land... holding the double flip triumphantly. My coach smiles, beckons me. "Do it again," she says, with the barest hint of a laugh in her voice. I look over at the side of the rink, smiling, where my eight year old sister, Claire, hangs gaping over the wall and my dad holds a videotape in his hands, ushering me to do it again. Coach Hark dismisses me a few minutes later, turning her attention to a small girl trying her crossovers for the first time. I try again and catch my toe on the ice, tripping but I manage to land. I recount everything I did wrong: my pull in was rather fast, I closed in rather slowly, and my hip was open. I scribble them down in my 12 page long double flip tips, and try again. It just occurs to me-I'm going to have soaked pants after this. I change pants, grimacing behind a locked bathroom stall. It feels good to have dry pants. I come out to meet my dad and my sister, who are hugging and dancing and smiling, smiling, smiling. "Your first time! Double flip! We can add that into your program, too!" My program... Oh, I almost forgot. My program for my competition. My mom chooses that moment to come back from Starbucks. Claire rushes up and blurts out everything in five seconds. My mom, looking crestfallen, says, "why do I always miss your jumps?" "I have the video!" My dad says, showing her the jump over and over and over again. I'm overwhelmed. A year... A year of hard work. And today, January 17, is the day. Coach Hark is working on my program today. Time flies by and before I know it, I'm performing my program. One day, I'm doing double flips- the next, I'm rehearsing my program. "It's about time to learn your choreography, Melissa. Let's hear your music again..." We practice and dance for the next half hour until 4:30, then the skaters file off the ice, cramming through the door. My mom drives me home, where my dad is cooking. Not many dads can cook, but my dad can. It smells savory and I can't help but let my mind wander, wandering to books, comics, movies, ice skating. Ice skating. How many times have I thought that word? Said it? It means so much to me. I've been skating for six years, ever since I was five. I wonder and wonder until my hand, moving on it's own, completes its easy work. I replace my homework and go upstairs to find a book to read. I read Rangers Apprentice-9-Halt's Peril until dinner and go downstairs to eat. Tomorrow... another morning, another skate. Turn. And glide. And tap. And cross. And spin.... And then my heart races for the double flip coming up. I gain speed, race for the end of the rink, hear the wind whooshing past... I jump and fail, instead landing hard on the ice. I get up and start skating again- no time to brush off. I dance and spin until the music stops, and a little wearily, I play it again. Coach Hark frowns for the sixteenth time and says impatiently, "Melissa, you just landed your double flip the day before yesterday! If you landed it then, you should be able to land it now. Your hip is opening- see you're like this..." I'm not listening. Well, I am, but only halfheartedly. I'm thinking about why I can't land the double flip anymore and how I can't and maybe next time I can land it. Coach Hark tells me to repeat the jump and I do, falling down hard. Coach Hark frowns for the seventeenth time, and I think maybe I am losing hope. Which is crazy, since I landed it only yesterday, but...still. "Competition day in a month, Melissa," my mother calls. What?! A month is not long, considering all the scrapes and scratches on my program. "Claire! Could you-" whatever my mom was going to ask my sister, was interrupted by the phone ringing and my mom answering it, nodding, saying this, that, blah, blah, blah. After awhile she hops into her car and drives away. I turn back to my drawings and doodle, but my thoughts are elsewhere. Competition. Going against everybody your level..that was pretty hard, considering all the talented people out there. And we were going to Regionals, for goodness sake! I look down at my picture to find little skates and medals decorating it, people skating and skating dresses. I smile and stand up, the paper sliding into my bin where I keep all my drawings. This flip problem was getting serious. The next day I tried one again and ended up bruising my ankle. Can you believe it?! It was slight, though, and I was back on the ice in no time...but to Coach Hark, it was an eternity. "We need to get caught up on your program!" She gasps, and hurries me away. "Yes...no...sure..." I mutter as my mom flips through pictures of ice skating dresses. My mind is not on the dress for the competition, but on the competition. Tomorrow we're going skating and I'm excited. I can fix all the things that are wrong, practice more, and...practice more, I guess. "Melissa!" My mom says sharply. "Is this dress good? If you're a peacock, you need to have a dress with feathers...hmmm... Cutouts may work too..." And within minutes my mind drifts away again. I can't do the jump. Don't ask why. I just-can't. Because what if I bruise my ankle again or hurt myself or reopen a wound? What if I break a leg or an arm or something? Perhaps it's because I'm scared of what will happen. So scared I almost want to fall. And I know that I will fail when I try the jump again because I am convinced I will fail, and so I will. And of course, I do. I'm so jumpy. Two weeks until the most important competition of my life. That double flip was in my grasp and slid right out. My music is up. I start it and dance, hoping as I always do, that this time, this one time, everything would be right. Whenever I have to do the jump, I don't jump. I underotate. I don't try to land. I open up. I avoid it at all costs. I really have given up hope. It seems like everything is about the competition; at school, my teacher asks me to write a two page long journal about it, my mom constantly urges me to do my program off the ice, my dad does the countdown, and Catherine is always assuring me that I will do great. I wish time would hurry up and get this over with. I never thought that this moment would actually happen- the competition is staring me in the face now, and there's no way I can deny it. The competition- tomorrow. In Seattle... I hope, hope, hope that this one time will go right. "Melissa," my mother says, and looks me deep into my eyes, "you will land your double flip tomorrow. Ok? Say yes." "Yes," I mutter, wanting to believe her but knowing I can't. The bright lights are blazing down ferociously and it takes a moment to adjust to them. It all feels like a dream...the crowds roaring their approval, the cameras all trained at me, the announcers booming words, the rink, the light from outside, everything. I strike my beginning pose and hold my breath as I recount as much as I can in a matter of minutes. Double flip, I thought, here I come. Don't disappoint me. The excitement and nerves and everything jumpy hits me the moment I start and I almost stumble with the impact. And then the dream pops like a bubble and I finally realize that I'm competing in the most important competition of my life. It's so...awkward, retracing the steps that I have dug so deep in my memory on a foreign ice. But then that thought vanishes as the double flip looms closer and I consider not doing it at all. But then I chide myself for thinking that as a possibility when the flip is upon me. Believe, I say in my mind. Believe you can. I force myself to concentrate and I turn, jump, rotate, force the landing to come out. Just because I landed the jump before doesn't mean I could land it now. When that thought stole into my mind, I nearly choke and want to come down as I had previously but my leg forces its way out and I land. I land. I land. I feel like crying but of course there's no time. I know I'm safe now, and I can hear an enormous cheer from the bottom left stands. I jump and spin with renewed vigor instead of postponed dread, and I end with a triumphant smile on my face and my arms splayed out in a confident way. I clear the ice and I am engulfed by many arms and legs hugging me, embracing me, congratulating me. I bounce about like a frog who's clearly had too much sugar, but that seems mild compared to my sister. She's jumping here and there, squealing and running about like a wild baby pig. You would've thought that it was her who landed a double flip and completed a perfect program. My parents are more contained, but parents always are contained. Otherwise they would be bad role models. But they couldn't resist from beaming and hugging me, words forgotten. Me neither. This day would be remembered forever, emblazoned like a name plate in my mind. The scores are up and my heart is hammering, though my program is long over. I've draped a jacket over my shaking shoulders and untied my skates. I reach the poster where a rather out-of-breath runner posted it, then ran off again. A crowd has gathered around it and their voices carry clearly across the short distance to my ears. "Look! Ok, Tiffany, you got second...' 'Smile, Grace!' 'Oh look, Melissa Flocker is first... " I can't believe my ears. Is it true? My dad stands to the side, grinning. Probably because he just got a cup of coffee. And I'm first, there, in big letters and clear as day, though it's trying hard to reach me through the thick fog of uncertainty and disbelief. And then it hits me like it hits me when I do my program: I'm first. I've won. And my dad is grinning huger than before. I run into his arms, my wide-open mouth curving up at the corners. It wasn't the coffee, I think. He knew. Wearing my medal, I admire it, turning it in the sunlight. It glints and sparkles like a jewel. I was right to believe, wrong to not believe. It pays well to believe in yourself, I think. The sun shines down in blinding rays, like it agrees with me. I smile for the millionth time and hurry after my family.

The Stolen Watch

Today is David's birthday and he is very excited. David invited his 3 best friends. They are: Russell, Fred and Ryan. When they came they all brought lots of presents for David. After playing with his friends he went to open all of his presents. He got a very expensive watch from Russell. Two movies from Ryan and a pair of headphones from Fred. David's favourite one was the watch. It was time for him to cut the cake so he put all of his presents beside his cake. But before cutting his cake he went to the washroom for a minute. When he comes back he finds that his watch is not beside the cake anymore. He asks his mom if she put the watch somewhere but she says that she didn't. David asked Ryan what he was doing while he was in the washroom and Ryan said he was just washing his hands because he accidentally touched the cake. Then David asked Russell and Russell replied that he had brought the watch so why would he take it back. Then David asked Fred and he replied that he was helping his mom set the table. David's mom said that if he wanted another watch then she would buy him one but David said he didn't want one because he had solved the case! David knew Ryan took it because David put his watch beside the cake and when Ryan tried to take it he accidentally touched the cake. That's why he went to wash his hand. Finally Ryan gives David back his watch and apologizes a lot.

Secrets of Happiness

A man and his fiance were married. It was a large celebration. All of their friends and family came to 

see the lovely ceremony and to partake of the festivities and celebrations. A wonderful time was had 

by all.

The bride was gorgeous in her white wedding gown and the groom was very dashing in his black tuxedo. Everyone could tell that the love they had for each other was 

true.

A few months later, the wife comes to the husband with a proposal: "I read in a magazine, a while ago, about how we can strengthen our marriage." She offered.

"Each of us will write a list of the things that we find a bit annoying with the other person. Then, we can talk about how we can fix them together and make our lives happier together."

The husband agreed. So each of them went to a separate room in the house and thought of the things that annoyed them about the other. They thought about this question for the rest of the day and wrote down what they came up with.

The next morning, at the breakfast table, they decided that they would go over their lists.

"I'll start," offered the wife. She took out her list. It had many items on it. 

Enough to fill 3 pages, in fact.

As she started reading the list of the little annoyances, she noticed that tears were starting to appear in her husbands eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Nothing" the husband replied, "keep reading your list."

The wife continued to read until she had read all three pages to her husband. 

She neatly placed her list on the table and folded her hands over top of it.

"Now, you read your list and then we'll talk about the things on both of our lists." She said happily.

Quietly the husband stated,"I don't have anything on my list. I think that you are perfect the way that you are. I don't want you to change anything for me. 

You are lovely and wonderful and I wouldn't want to try and change anything about you."

The wife, touched by his honesty and the depth of his love for her and his acceptance of her, turned her head and wept.

Listen to the prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him when he said: 

'No believing man should hate a believing woman; if he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another.”

This saying shows how humble and kind the husband is, he might dislike one of his wife’s characteristics, but he will do his best to find another quality in her which he may like and so, he will not care so much about what he dislike in his wife.

IN LIFE, there are enough times when we are disappointed, depressed and annoyed. We don't really have to go looking for them.

We have a wonderful world that is full of beauty, light and promise.

Why waste time in this world looking for the bad, disappointing or annoying things when we can look around us, and see the wondrous things before us?

I believe that WE ARE HAPPIEST when we see and praise the good and try our best to forget the mistakes of our spouse. Nobody's perfect but we can find perfection in them to change the way we see them. It is necessary to understand the difficulties and be a helping hand to each other....THAT BRIGHTENS THE RELATIONSHIP.

STORY OF A HEART BREAK KID

Today someone asked me whether I am interested in someone else? By hearing that questions, tears trickled down from my eyes, yet there was a smile on my face . Do you know why? Because it’s reminded me about my crush Yap you caught right it’s not love it’s a crush .it’s better to say one sided love. As because the girl I love she loves another guy. I remember the day .that was 24th of February 2015.finnaly on that day I decided to tell her about my feelings regarding her. I was not prepared how can I handle this as because I was too much nervous at that time. Because this is the first time I was proposing a girl. I told my friends regarding this and they suggested me with their amazing ideas. but I was less of confidence at that time .watching my condition one of my friends just did a tricky, but I didn’t have much priority regarding this at that time’s was feeling as I am in top of the world .strangely my nervousness gone, at the recess time one of my friend called me said zombie (my crush, not her real name) is calling you. I got exited and went to the steers and saw she came up to me and said “say what’s up?” I replayed at a very low tone voice “I need to tell you something” with big eyes she stared at me and said “say what you want to say” I got nervous and thought a big right hand is coming to my face with some slokes. I said nothing somehow I ran way without saying her anything. All who are there in the corridor are now starring at me. My friends noticed me and they caught me at a manner as they are coughing a burglary thieve. One of them hold my hand few holding my legs and pulling me towards my crush.I don’t know where I got such super human power,I pushed all of them ,and ran in to the class .at this time my mind was of no man’s land .no thoughts were there .all I was thinking what I did ,and what will be the result of that. Then finally the final bell rings .as soon as the school was over I ride to my bicycle and went from the school towards home’s was nervous regarding what her. What she will think of my strange behavior. News spread to most of the students. On my way to home I notice it’s her van passing way and all were staring at me she looks and then turned away as I have made a serious crime. At night she came up in dreams and said some Sanskrit slokes. I didn’t able to hear it .as because a beeper sounds when she was delivering her words .its pretty much similar to the beeper which sounds on censored movies when some Sanskrit slokes were delivered. And then I lost in to her memories. The very next day I went to the school my sister told me that previous day my crush immediately went to her home and reported to her regarding my uncensored actions. My sister told to me that she loves another guy from the core of her heart. Suddenly a darkness came up in my eyes’ was brain stormed almost tears came up from my eyes but I somehow managed .because I don’t want to show my tears in front of my sister. So I got the answer without giving her my proposal. First time got broken so can’t able to think what to do what to not. I realized it was a dream to get hermits much like a day dream. I looked at myself . I questioned myself what I have? The answer was simple “nothing”. I don’t have attitude, I don’t have unbelievable talents nor do I have good looks. I said to my heart might I not liable to her. I tried every way to forget her but I can’t able to forget. I blocked her I have made her more over 120 sketches .I burned all of them I have shared all my feelings in too many papers ,I thrown some and some I blew in fire but I can’t able to forget her. Still my heart cries for her. But that wouldn’t change the fact that she doesn’t have precious feelings for me. Yep I have to erase all my thoughts and dreams .I cant but I have to. “THAT’S WHAT I ALWAYS SAY TOUGHEST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD IS JOURNEY IN TO A GIRL’S HEART IF YOU MAKE IT, FEEL UR SELF LUCKY”

Who is Happy? The Peacock and The Crow

That’s our problem too. We make unnecessary comparison with others and become sad. We don’t value what God has given us.  This all leads to the vicious cycle of unhappiness.  Learn to be happy in what you have instead of looking at what you don’t have.   There will always be someone who will have more or less than you have.  Person who is satisfied with what he/she has, is the happiest person in the world.

A crow lived in the forest and was absolutely satisfied in life. But one day he saw a swan. “This swan is so white,” he thought, “and I am so black. This swan must be the happiest bird in the world.”

He expressed his thoughts to the swan. “Actually,” the swan replied, “I was feeling that I was the happiest bird around until I saw a parrot, which has two colors. I now think the parrot is the happiest bird in creation.” The crow then approached the parrot. The parrot explained, “I lived a very happy life until I saw a peacock. I have only two colors, but the peacock has multiple colors.”

The crow then visited a peacock in the zoo and saw that hundreds of people had gathered to see him. After the people had left, the crow approached the peacock. “Dear peacock,” the crow said, “you are so beautiful. Every day thousands of people come to see you. When people see me, they immediately shoo me away. I think you are the happiest bird on the planet.”

The peacock replied, “I always thought that I was the most beautiful and happy bird on the planet. But because of my beauty, I am entrapped in this zoo. I have examined the zoo very carefully, and I have realized that the crow is the only bird not kept in a cage. So for past few days I have been thinking that if I were a crow, I could happily roam everywhere.”