Family in Love

Family in Love

Love is a decision not and not based on one’s likes or dislikes. We live in a world with billions of people. However, each person lives around limited number of people. For example: family, school, college, work-place, faith-community, colony and so on and so forth. It can be further narrowed down to family which is the very foundation of the society; one can also take it in a metaphorical sense for any close human relationships. The challenge here is to create an environment of love in the family.  

There are two obvious problems that occur in life: external and internal problems. The former applies to the sicknesses, financial difficulty, and misfortunes, while the latter refers to the misunderstanding, suspicion and breakdown in relationships. Human beings are more affected by the internal problems. When there is love among the family members, the external problems are easy to bear together. Today, most of the families become prey to the internal problems, in some way or the other.  There is misunderstanding between spouses, disrespect for parents, quarrel between parents and children, selfishness, and insincerity. In this atmosphere, no one is going to be truly happy. Can anyone who does not love his or her own family member love the other with whole heart? It is a difficult question. Nevertheless, if love begins from oneself and family, then joy and happiness is guaranteed even in the midst of suffering and hardships.

In simple acts of daily life, one can infuse love in and around his or her little world. Every person is different and special, so respecting the other in word and deed is a requisite in building good relationships. It is also important to give time to one another for in this way, one’s presence itself becomes a gift. People can manage their business but everyone needs a heart that listens without making any value judgement. Kind words, gentle encouragement, helping hand, and sensitivity will do well in contributing to the growth of love in the family.

Be in love...Create love wherever you are...Be the salt giving taste to life...Life is worth living when there is love...

Compassion

Good morning!

Let's be compassionate with ourselves as we journey towards progress in life. Failures make us human and compassion or mercy makes us divine. Do something to make yourself happy when you achieve something, and when you failed encourage yourself.

Loving oneself is necessary. If we know how to love ourselves we will also know how to love others.

Be compassionate and keep going.....A certain Great man said (I guess you know that person) "I desire mercy not sacrifice..."

Charity

Love  

This morning as I was glancing through the writing of Fulton J. Sheen on Charity, I was fascinated by the way he presented about Love. Here I will like to share with you the abstract of the Address delivered on February 4, 1945. Hope you too enjoy and gain some insight by it.  

“If, then, you bear a hatred toward anyone, overcome it by doing that person a favour. You can begin to like classical music only by listening to it, and you can make friends out of your enemies only by practising charity. The reason you love someone else is because that person supplies your lack or fills up your void. You find in the other something you do not have: beauty, wealth, virtue, kindliness, etc.  

But God does not love you because you supply His lack. He finds you lovable not because, of and by yourself, you are lovable, but because He puts some of His love in you. As a mother loves her child because her nature is in and his coloured pattern is in it, so God loves you because His Power or His nature or His Love is in some way in you.  

If, then, God’s love for you makes you lovable, why not put some of your love in other people and make them lovable. Where you do not find love, put it there. Love therefore all things, and all persons in God.  

So long as there are poor, I am poor:
So long as there are prisons, I am a prisoner:
So long as there are sick, I am weak:
So long as there is ignorance, I must learn:
So long as there is hate, I must love.”  

Thank You

You are a beautiful Rose!!!

You are a beautiful rose!!!  

The seed is within you.....in the winter of your life, the seed is beneath you and with the sun’s love you will surely bloom in the spring.  

Bette Midler (born December 1, 1945), also known by her informal stage name The Divine Miss M, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, comedian, and film producer. The song “The Rose” was performed in the year 1981 and won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.  

“The Rose” is a classic pop song written by Amanda McBroom in 45 minutes and made famous by Bette Midler who recorded it for the soundtrack of the 1979 film The Rose in which it plays under the closing credits.  

"The Rose"
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
And you its only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken,
Who cannot seem to give,
And the soul afraid of dyin'
That never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose.  

What is love according to you? It may depend on your experience.....The composer, Amanda McBroom,  says: “Love is a flower and you its only seed.”  

How can we learn to live?
As one tries to progress in life, one may encounter many tough times, bitter experiences, hard-times, and risks.  However, it is one who dares to face and accept the reality that grows.  

How can you discover your true worth?
Life may be mysterious and unsure. But, it is the love that we have for one another that will sustain us in our life’s journey. The present may turn out to be a severe winter and one may think that ‘it is all over.’  

Stop and listen to these words of the song “The Rose”:
“Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love
In the spring becomes the rose.”

You are the seed that holds a beautiful rose......  
Thank You Friar Sidney J. Mascarenhas, O.F. M.  For sharing with me this beautiful song.......You are a beautiful Rose!  

The world is a garden of beautiful roses.....You and I are part of it!

"Inner urge to be Authentic"

"Inner urge to be Authentic"

Authenticity according to Oxford dictionary means ‘the quality of being genuine or true.’ If someone asks you, who is an authentic person? What will be your answer? Some may say: one who is sincere, honest, faithful, trustworthy, truthful, courageous and loving. All these qualities are applicable to an authentic person.

Have you ever listened to your heart, gently calling you to be authentic? I am sure in various stages and situations of your life, you might have strongly felt an inner urge to be authentic. If one has given a serious thought about it, ‘life is definitely going to be different.’

Journeying towards self-authenticity needs courage and daily effort. For instance, a person has to strive towards truthfulness in his or her daily affair. Besides, he or she possesses the courage to accept and admit the mistakes or limitation with openness to improve. So, to be authentic means the courage to be true-self and be transparent which require continuous effort.

It is important to note that authenticity calls for loving self and the others. Firstly, to love self means not to misuse or abuse oneself, physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually and sexually. On the contrary growth is fostered in all these areas. Secondly, to love others means to be more understanding and to trust the other person. The love of neighbour also calls for being true-self which means the avoidance of double-behaviour.

An authentic person enjoys inner freedom and has strong courage to stand for any noble cause without fear and shame. The world has indeed witnessed many authentic persons such as: Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, holy men and women, and simple people form various walks of life. These people though they have left the world, yet their authentic lives continue to inspire people across races, nations, cultures, religions and languages.

It is easy to perform good deeds, but it is difficult to be first authentic and perform good deeds. The inner urge to be authentic means to love oneself and others. Whoever we are and whatever we do, each one is called to grow into loving person day by day, for Authenticity is Love.