Thursday, May 10, 2007

Remember ur parents whilst they are alive

A nice moral story to read...

My mom only had one eye. I hated her… she was such an embarrassment.My mom ran a small shop at a flea market. She collected little weeds andsuch to sell… anything for the money we needed she was such anembarrassment.
There was this one day during elementary school… It was field day, andmy mom came. I was so embarrassed.

How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out.The next day at school… “your mom only has one eye?!?!”…And they taunted me. I wished that my mom would just disappear from this world so I said to y mom, “mom… Why don’t you have the other eye?! If you’re only going to make me alaughingstock, why don’t you just die?!!!” my mom did not respond…I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it felt good to thinkthat I had said what I’d wanted to say all this time… maybe it wasbecause my mom hadn’t punished me, but I didn’t think that I had hurt herfeelings very badly. That night… I woke up, and went to the kitchen to get aglass of water. My mom was crying there, so quietly, as if she was afraid thatshe might wake me.

I took a look at her, and then turned away. Because of the thing I hadsaid to her earlier, there was something pinching at me in the corner of myheart. Even so, I hated my mother who was crying out of her one eye. SoI told myself that I would grow up and become successful. Because I hatedmy one-eyed mom and our desperate poverty… then I studied real hard. I left my mother and came to Seoul and studied, and got accepted in the Seoul University with all the confidence I had. Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. Then I had kids, too…

Now I’m living happily as a successful man. I like it here because it’s aplace that doesn’t remind me of my mom. This happiness was getting bigger andbigger, when… what?! Who’s this …it was my mother… still with her one eye. It felt as if the whole sky was falling apart on me. My little girl ran away, scared of my mom’s eye.And I asked her, “who are you?!” “I don’t know you!!!” as if trying tomake that real. I screamed at her,” How dare you come to my house and scaremy daughter!” “GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!” and to this, my mother quietly answered, “oh, I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address,” and she disappeared out of sight. Thank goodness… she doesn’t recognize me… I was quite relieved. I told myself that I wasn’t going to care, or think about this for the rest of mylife.

Then a wave of relief came upon me…One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. So, lying to my wife that I was going on a business trip, I went. After the reunion, I went down to the old shack, that I used to call a house…just out of curiosity there, I found my mother fallen on the cold ground. But I did not shed a single tear. She had a piece of paper in her hand…. it was a letter to me.

My son… I think my life has been long enough now… And… I won’t visit Seoul anymore… but would it be too much to ask if I wanted you to come visit me once in a while? I miss you so much… and I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I decided not to go to the school. …for you… and I’m sorry that I only have one eye, and I was an embarrassment for you.

You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. as a mom, I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up with only one eye… so I gave you mine… I was so proud of my son that was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.

I was never upset at you for anything you did… the couple times that you were angry with me, I thought to myself, ‘it’s because he loves me…’ my son. Oh, my son… I don’t want you to cry for me, because of my death. My son, I love you my son, I love you so much.


www.qisas.com

26 tips for the believers

1. Give Allah what's right -- not what's left.

2. Man's way leads to a hopeless end -- Allah's way leads to endless hope.

3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

4. He who kneels before Allah can stand before anyone.

5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma --but never let him be the period.

6. Don't put a question mark where Allah puts a period.

7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the mosque for a face-lift.

8. When praying, don't give Allah instructions -- just report for duty.

9. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to the mosque.

10. We don't change Allah's message -- His message changes us.

11. The mosque is prayer-conditioned.

12. When Allah ordains, He sustains.

13. WARNING: Exposure to Allah may prevent burning.

14. Plan ahead -- it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

15. Most people want to serve Allah, but only in an advisory position.

16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Quran.

17. Exercise daily -- walk with Allah.

18. Never give the devil a ride -- he will always want to drive.

19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.

20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.

21. He who angers you controls you.

22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.

23. Give Satan an inch and he'll be a ruler.

24. Be ye fishers of men -- you catch them and He'll clean them.

25. Allah doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

26. Read the Quran -- It will bring the affection and love out of you for both Allah and His creations.