(This is forwarded mail..Just want to share…)
This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):
I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.
The last class I had to take was Sociology..
The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called, ‘Smile.’
The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.
I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald’s one crisp March morning.
It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.
I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.
As I turned around I smelled a horrible ‘dirty body’ smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.
As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was ‘smiling’
His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God’s Light as he searched for acceptance
He said, ‘Good day’ as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.
I held my tears as I stood there with them.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.
He said, ‘Coffee is all Miss’ because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).
Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.
That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman’s cold hand.
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, ‘Thank you.’
I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, ‘I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope’
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, ‘That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope..’
We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.
We are not church goers, but we are believers.....
That day showed me the pure Light of God’s sweet love.
I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.
I turned in ‘my project’ and the instructor read it.
Then she looked up at me and said, ‘Can I share this?’
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.
She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald’s, my son, the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:
UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE
Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to
LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS -
NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Letter from a Wife who lost her Husband; a Mother who lost her Daughter
Two months ago I considered myself as one of those blessed and happiest
people on earth. Why not? I married a guy who was an epitome of
kindness. A guy who worshipped even the footsteps I made. More
importantly, our union blessed us with a daughter who not only became
the main source of our happiness... .more so; she was the center of our
lives.
We're simple folks who led a simple life. We felt the happiest even
about mundane things and inconsequential ones that most people would
only take for granted. Our joy mostly revolved on simple pleasure like a
sudden trip to Jollibee or a late night marauding of the fridge for any
leftovers. A perfect family with simple delights, dreams and
aspirations. .........until that fateful night on December 5, 2008.The
day my husband and daughter were taken away from me in a very violent
way. That Friday night on December 5, 2008 marked the beginning of all
the terror, anguish and misery in my life.
In keeping with my ritual or "panata" on every first Friday of every
month, I went to Quiapo Church on the above mentioned date to pay homage
and respect to the Almighty One. My husband and daughter were supposed
to pick me up in Pasay City after which we planned on giving our
daughter a treat to Jollibee. While riding the jeep, I tried to call my
husband to tell him that I'm on my way to our meeting place.
But despite all the calls I made, my husband remained silent. A very
unusual occurrence inasmuch as he seldom missed my calls. Despite my
trepidation and wonder, I took the next jeep going home and prayed that
everything was alright. I even promised to myself that I will forgive my
husband for not answering my calls and for forgetting to pick me up.
I felt relieve when near our place my phone rung. Such relief was
somehow only momentary... .in fact the phone call I got was the bearer
of the worst news in my entire life. My helper called, only to tell me
that my husband and daughter were shot to death by "men in uniform". The
same men who were sworned to protect innocent people from bad guys
brutally slained the two most important persons in my life. They were
the same men whose sacred duty was to preserve the lives of the public
against all harm and danger. Yet.......they were the same men who
murdered my love ones in the most cruel, savage and inhuman way.
My husband's face was unrecognizable because he was shot in the head at
close range while he was kneeling with his head bowed down. My
daughter's young body was riddled with bullets, one hit her head,
blowing her brains out., all from too powerful guns and ammunitions
fired by the "men in uniform" to two innocent and defenseless persons.
The "men in uniform" were allegedly on a mission to take some gang of
robbers victimizing people at large. The police shot the crosswind van
my husband and daughter were riding Based on some witnesses'
narration, the police sprayed bullets into the van despite the lack of
provocation or shots coming from the crosswind van. In his last effort
to save their lives, my husband grabbed my bloodied daughter and
shielded her with his body while trying to run away from the police and
tried to get cover from a parked jeepney My husband and daughter were
so defenseless. How can you mistake a child for a robber? How can you
shot at someone who was already kneeling with head bowed, an indication
of helplessness.
My husband and daughter are gone.......forever. The pains I feel for
their lost is too much too bear. And the only thing that motivates me to
go on with life is the mission to seek justice for their senseless
killing. If the people who were responsible for their death will be
punished, if I could bring them the justice they so richly deserve, my
pains would be alleviated. The misery I will live by will be lessened.
My husband and daughter will be vindicated and I will learn to live the
remaining years of my life in peace.
Thus: I'm asking and begging everyone who will come across this
letter/e-mail to forward the same to all your relatives, friends, and
acquaintances. Help me bring my cause to the eyes of the people capable
of steering the wheel of justice to the right direction. Help me make
the loudest cry worthy of attention by those people in-charge in
rendering justice to those who deserve it..
Strength comes in numbers; it is where the impossible becomes possible.
It is also where the unattainable becomes achievable.
My heartfelt gratitude for everyone who will take a moment in their too
busy lives and forward this letter/e-mail to everyone they know.
May God always protect you and your love ones from all harm.
Lilian de Vera
people on earth. Why not? I married a guy who was an epitome of
kindness. A guy who worshipped even the footsteps I made. More
importantly, our union blessed us with a daughter who not only became
the main source of our happiness... .more so; she was the center of our
lives.
We're simple folks who led a simple life. We felt the happiest even
about mundane things and inconsequential ones that most people would
only take for granted. Our joy mostly revolved on simple pleasure like a
sudden trip to Jollibee or a late night marauding of the fridge for any
leftovers. A perfect family with simple delights, dreams and
aspirations. .........until that fateful night on December 5, 2008.The
day my husband and daughter were taken away from me in a very violent
way. That Friday night on December 5, 2008 marked the beginning of all
the terror, anguish and misery in my life.
In keeping with my ritual or "panata" on every first Friday of every
month, I went to Quiapo Church on the above mentioned date to pay homage
and respect to the Almighty One. My husband and daughter were supposed
to pick me up in Pasay City after which we planned on giving our
daughter a treat to Jollibee. While riding the jeep, I tried to call my
husband to tell him that I'm on my way to our meeting place.
But despite all the calls I made, my husband remained silent. A very
unusual occurrence inasmuch as he seldom missed my calls. Despite my
trepidation and wonder, I took the next jeep going home and prayed that
everything was alright. I even promised to myself that I will forgive my
husband for not answering my calls and for forgetting to pick me up.
I felt relieve when near our place my phone rung. Such relief was
somehow only momentary... .in fact the phone call I got was the bearer
of the worst news in my entire life. My helper called, only to tell me
that my husband and daughter were shot to death by "men in uniform". The
same men who were sworned to protect innocent people from bad guys
brutally slained the two most important persons in my life. They were
the same men whose sacred duty was to preserve the lives of the public
against all harm and danger. Yet.......they were the same men who
murdered my love ones in the most cruel, savage and inhuman way.
My husband's face was unrecognizable because he was shot in the head at
close range while he was kneeling with his head bowed down. My
daughter's young body was riddled with bullets, one hit her head,
blowing her brains out., all from too powerful guns and ammunitions
fired by the "men in uniform" to two innocent and defenseless persons.
The "men in uniform" were allegedly on a mission to take some gang of
robbers victimizing people at large. The police shot the crosswind van
my husband and daughter were riding Based on some witnesses'
narration, the police sprayed bullets into the van despite the lack of
provocation or shots coming from the crosswind van. In his last effort
to save their lives, my husband grabbed my bloodied daughter and
shielded her with his body while trying to run away from the police and
tried to get cover from a parked jeepney My husband and daughter were
so defenseless. How can you mistake a child for a robber? How can you
shot at someone who was already kneeling with head bowed, an indication
of helplessness.
My husband and daughter are gone.......forever. The pains I feel for
their lost is too much too bear. And the only thing that motivates me to
go on with life is the mission to seek justice for their senseless
killing. If the people who were responsible for their death will be
punished, if I could bring them the justice they so richly deserve, my
pains would be alleviated. The misery I will live by will be lessened.
My husband and daughter will be vindicated and I will learn to live the
remaining years of my life in peace.
Thus: I'm asking and begging everyone who will come across this
letter/e-mail to forward the same to all your relatives, friends, and
acquaintances. Help me bring my cause to the eyes of the people capable
of steering the wheel of justice to the right direction. Help me make
the loudest cry worthy of attention by those people in-charge in
rendering justice to those who deserve it..
Strength comes in numbers; it is where the impossible becomes possible.
It is also where the unattainable becomes achievable.
My heartfelt gratitude for everyone who will take a moment in their too
busy lives and forward this letter/e-mail to everyone they know.
May God always protect you and your love ones from all harm.
Lilian de Vera
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