Category: Parent and child relationship

Children: They Learn What They Live

three children sitting on stairs
Photo by Samer Daboul on Pexels.com

Children have always fascinated me. I have been a teacher, coach, camp director, and counselor, etc., for over 30 years. I have seen all kinds of children during that time. There are children who are very well behaved, fun to have around, and a joy to know. Some are quiet, reserved, secluded, and would rather do things by themselves. Still others, are belligerent, disobedient, nasty and mean. It really is a fascinating thing how individuals can have such a variety of personalities, behaviors, and mannerisms.

I have discovered that a majority of the time, the people that are good, wholesome, and well-rounded, have been brought up in a caring, loving, and nurturing family whereas individuals that have been raised in a negative or repressed environment possess the traits that aren’t as likable. Basically, it all comes down to the way a person is raised.

All of this leads me to today’s story.

Many years ago, a woman named Dorothy Law used to write a daily column for one of her local newspapers regarding family matters. One day, she was up against the deadline to get an article into the newspaper and she was short on material, so she created a 14-line poem which dealt with childrearing. It soon took on a life of its own and became a type of guideline millions and millions of parents around the world.  For many, many years after the article was published, it was widely thought that the poem was written anonymously. Dr. Nolte never received credit or compensation and, believe it or not, wasn’t even aware that her writing had grown to the great popularity that it has become, and had forgotten about it. It wasn’t until 1974 that she decided to copyright her poem and later, wrote a best-selling book, “Children Learn What They Live: Parenting to Inspire Values,” along with a co-author, Rachel Harris.

Dr. Dorothy Nolte died in 1988 at the ripe old age of 81, but she left with the world, a timeless poem that will forever serve as a reminder to parents, the importance of raising their children with integrity, character, and thoughtfulness towards others.

It is my hope that you will enjoy this poem and share it with your loved ones.

Children Learn What They Live ~ by Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.

If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.

If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.

If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.

If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.

If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.

If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.

If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.

If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.

If children live with fairness, they learn justice.

If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.

If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about

them.

If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

 

As a parent…what will you do? If you are NOT a parent, how will you treat others?

4

The Need of Caring for Others

artis-rams
Photo Credit: Artis Ram via CC Flickr

I have stated in previous blogs, that I firmly believe that the reason people are put on this earth is to assist other individuals and show compassion and empathy towards them. When we really love our neighbors as ourselves, we find that we feel more content, satisfied, and happy about our own lives. Many, many times, you will discover that the happiest people in the world, are the ones that help and care about others.

Today’s story is a beautiful illustration of the love that a son shows his elder father which, once again, is a small sample, of how much we should assist other people, like our loved ones, as they get older.

A son took his old father to a restaurant for an evening dinner.

His father, being very old and weak, while eating, dropped food on his shirt and pants. The mess that he made disgusted the other diners in the restaurant while his son remained calm.

After they were finished eating, the son, who was not embarrassed at all, quietly took him to the wash room, wiped off the food particles, removed the stains, combed his hair and fitted his glasses firmly, When they came out, the entire restaurant was watching them in dead silence, not able to grasp how someone could embarrass themselves publicly like that.

The son settled the bill and started to leave the eatery with his father.

At that time, an old man amongst the diners called out to the son and asked him, “Don’t you think you left something behind?”

The son replied, “No sir, I haven’t.”

The old man retorted, “Yes, you have! You have left a lesson for every son and hope for every father.”

The restaurant went silent.

To care for those who once cared for us is one of life’s highest honors!

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One of Life’s Highest Honors

Thomas Leuthard
Photo Credit: Thomas Leuthard via CC Flickr

It was once said that the reason that humans are put into this world is to help and encourage others. Think about it. What makes you the happiest? When you are receiving something or getting something?

 The most important things in life aren’t the things that you can see…like money, houses, boats, clothes, etc. The things in life that REALLY matter and have infinite meaning to people, are the things that are priceless and unseen such as kindness, love, thoughtfulness, etc….ways that you TREAT others.

 Today’s short story is a great example of the ULTIMATE way that a person can repay someone with kindness and goodness.

A son took his father to a restaurant for an evening dinner.

The father, being very old and weak, while he was eating, dropped food and his shirt and pants. Other diners watched him in disgust and revulsion while his son was calm and enjoyed hit time with his dad.

After they were finished eating, the son, who wasn’t embarrassed at all, quietly took his father to the washroom, wiped off the food particles, removed the stains, combed his hair and fitted his glasses firmly. When they came back out, the entire restaurant was watching them in dead silence, not able to grasp how someone could embarrass themselves publicly like that.

The son settled the bill and started leaving with his father.

At that time, an old man sitting among the diners called out to the son and asked him, “Don’t you think that you have left something behind?”

The son replied, “No sir, I haven’t.”

The old man retorted, “Yes, you have! You have left a lesson for every son…and hope for every father.”

The restaurant was silent.

To care for those who once cared for us, is one of life’s highest honors!

6

The Story of a REAL Superman!

Scott Feldstein
Photo Credit: Scott Feldstein via CC Flickr

We all love super heroes. When most of us were growing up, we always had a role model, someone we looked up to, or a super hero that we wanted to be when we grew up. It was fun thinking (and sometimes still do) about the awesomeness of having the super power to fly, leap higher than the tallest building, run faster than lightning, become bulletproof, and a host of other things.

Sometimes, unbeknownst to us, there are sometimes REAL super heroes in our midst…and we have no idea who they are! Such is the case of today’s story of a person that was a super hero despite of the “evil” said by others.

I am sure that today’s short story will touch your heart in a special way and, maybe, bring a tear to your eye…but it is a story and a lesson that you may never forget…

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While sitting on a train one day, a young boy about 7 years old got on dressed as Superman. He had the biggest smile on his face…his eyes beaming…and joy just emanating from his soul. Suddenly, a heartless and callous man asked the boy, “Hey kid, you aren’t Superman! So why are you dressed up like him?”

The young boy just looked at him and said, “I may not look like Superman to you, but I’m going to see my mom who is very sick in the hospital and she smiles every time she sees me…so I’m her Superman…and that’s why I am dressed like this.”

Absolutely Precious!

7

Just One More Time…

Mark K Baird via Morguefilecom
Photo Credit: Mark K. Baird via Morguefile.com

I recently turned the big “5-0” a couple of years ago and what was even more humiliating, was receiving an AARP membership letter in the mail the very next day…Ahhh! Anyway, I have always been a nostalgic-type guy and I have become even more so during the past months.

I usually find myself a few times each day thinking to myself, “just once, I would love to go back in time and do…..” basically, reminding myself of the days or years in my past. It always brings a type of warmth to my heart and a smile to my face thinking of the friends, people, places and activities that I used to enjoy.

I know that it isn’t healthy to “overindulge” or “dwell on the past” too much on the things of the past, but sometimes, when life gets hard, crazy, or hectic, it’s always nice to sit back and think of the special things that happened…when life was simple and pure.

So, if I could, I would love to go back and do some of these things…just one more time…

Stay outside until the street lights came on…which meant it was time to come home

Have bike races around the block with baseball cards flapping in my spokes which we thought made us sound like we were riding motorcycles

Hear the dinner bell ring…which called us all home for dinner

Listen to grandma calling all of our cats letting them know that their food was ready

Go Snapper fishing with my dad off the boat docks until sundown

Help my mom decorate her classroom and get it ready for her students

Play baseball and kickball with the kids in our neighborhood for hours each day

Build a tree fort in the trees in our backyard

Play and “Hide and Seek” in the woods and discover things around creeks and ponds

Save the world from evil and chaos as super heroes Batman (and my brother) Robin

Sit on my grandfather’s lap and listen to one more of his stories

Go sleigh riding down “Mueller’s Hill”, fly off the snow ramps and navigate around the obstacles that we made

Give my mom and dad one more hug

Visit neighbors with my brother and then enjoy the treats that they would give us

Have crabapple fights with the neighbors

Build sandcastles then making a big sand wall trying to prevent the incoming tide from destroying my fortress

Smell the aromas of the sausage and pepper sandwiches, homemade French fries, fresh cotton candy and pizza that that were always present at the boardwalk

Hear the sounds of the binging and ringing of bells, whistles and other noises emanating from the boardwalk arcades

Feel the sudden pull of the line on my pole as a fish got snagged on the hook and the excitement of the “fight”

Experience my heart “skipping a beat” as I asked a girl on the first date of my life

Watch my dad take portraits of people in his photography studio

Take a family vacation with my wife and two boys

Experience the excitement and magic of dating my wife then marrying her

Go to Yankee Stadium with friends

Stand on the rock jetty by the beach, watching fishing, luxury, and other boats come in

Go to college again

Play miniature golf during a beautiful summer night

Go to a family reunion

I could go on and list more things for hours…but the one thing that I wish that I could do….just one more time…if only for a moment…would be to TELL my mom, dad and grandma…how much I loved them…and thank them for all the love that they showed me.

Life is short. Take the time each and every day to enjoy the big AND small things. Appreciate and be thankful for all the people that are in your life and let them know how much they mean to you…before they are all gone.

 

4

The Hilarious Quips of Children

wikimwdia
Photo Credit: Wikimedia

I love children. I have been a Physical Education teacher for 30 years and throughout that time, I have heard many, many funny things. So, today, I am going to share some of those innocent but amusing things that children say…not only to me, but to others as well.

During a recess that I was supervising one day, a little third grade girl came up to me and asked, “What do yo want to be when you grow up?”

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Grandma: “LJ (little James), you did a great job staying in bed at grandma’s house last night.”

LJ: “Well, I did get up one time, grandma.”

Grandma: “Really?”

LJ: Yes, because I picked a booger with my finger and I needed my flashlight so nI cold look at it.”

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A seven-year-old says, “I am not an oxymoron!”

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A 6-year-old watched his dad tap the walls searching for support beams to hang his pictures. “Daddy, there is no one in there.”

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Told to make up her mind, a little girl asks, “How do you put makeup on your mind?”

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A 7-year-old boy to his 3-year-old sister: “Tell me when you are asleep, okay?”

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“How is that  going to work?” asks a new kindergartner, upon being told to hold up two fingers if he had to go to the bathroom.

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A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather’s computer. She told him she was writing a story. “What’s it about?” he asked. “I don’t know,” she said. “I can’t read.”

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One day day a little girl was standing next to me and stroking my eyebrow with her finger. When I asked what she was doing she said, “I’m your eyebrow petter.”

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One day, after one of my Physical Education classes, the entire class got into a line behind a water fountain to get a drink. Suddenly, a little boy came up to me and asked, “Can I go to the nurse?” I asked him, “Nurse? Why? Why do you want to go and see her?” The boy replied, “I don’t know. Billy cut in line in front of me. When I told my friend Bobby that Billy cut me, he told me to go and see the nurse.”

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A 3-year-old after being told that her shoes were on the wrong feet: “Don’t be silly, Mommy. I know they’re my feet.”

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A friend of mine was resting during a family party when her niece came in to check on her. She told her that she didn’t feel well, that she had bad cramps. She then went outside and announced to everyone that “Aunt Kim doesn’t want to come to the party because she has CRABS, really bad ones!”

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A little 4-year-old boy brought over his new puppy to his grandparents house one day. His grandma started scolding her cat because it kept hissing at the puppy. The little boy asked quizzically, “Why are you talking to the cat? They can’t talk!” A few minutes later, the small child started talking to his puppy, his grandma asked him, “Why are yo talking to your dog? They can’t talk?” The little boy replied, “I know grandma, but they are good listeners!”

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A 3-year-old came inside and announced “I peed outside.” He was asked if his underwear was wet and my son proudly replied, “Nope, I peed on Luna. It was like a shower for her.”

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One day a 4-year-old was upstairs and yelled, “ouch!” When he asked what happened he yelled down to me, “I stubbed my toe! The one that ate roast beef!”.

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After getting in trouble for something a little boy said, “I’m only 5—I don’t know all the rules yet!”

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Grandma: “Levi, if you were making a sandwich, what wold you pt on it?”

Levi: “Meat, cheese and ketchup…on a bun.”

Grandma: “Wold you call that a ‘Levi Sandwich’?”

Levi: No, you silly, I call it a cheeseburger!”

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If you have any funny things that children have said to you, please feel free to share them, I might use them in a future post! Have a WONDERFUL day!!

 

4

Time for Tissues!! A Time for Family

Photo Credit: Hans via Pixabay
Photo Credit: Hans via Pixabay

I always find it sort of strange how fast or slow time can actually go. Sometimes, it can go agonizingly slow, like waiting for a bus or a train at a terminal. There are also some instances when time can speed by us at an incredible rate of speed. My grandma used to always say, “the older you get, the days get longer and the years get shorter”…how true it is!!

Have you ever noticed, as a parent, how fast has gone (or is going)? Sometimes we are so busy with our daily schedules that we can easily get distracted and lose focus on our most important things in our lives…our kids.

We all need to take the time to REALLY spend with our children each and every day. The opportunity we have to strengthen their lives and encourage them is an awesome and beautiful responsibility.

This video is a tremendous example of the wonderful and loving relationship between a dad and his daughter…and yes, you will need a box of tissues!!

There is nothing more beautiful than the love that a child and their parents share with each other. The following video is a great testament to this fact.

4

Beneath the Wings of God

Photo Credit: Unknown
Photo Credit: Unknown

An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of God’s wings. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno’s damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree.

Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings.

The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. Then the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live.

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.” (Psalm 91:4)

Being loved this much should make a difference in your life. Remember the One who loves you, and then be different because of it.

Have an awesome day and remember this great promise!

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Source: heartwarmingstories.net

14

Thanksgiving Memories

Our Thanksgiving Table Last Year
Our Thanksgiving Table

Thanksgiving is without question, one of my favorite holidays of the year. There is nothing nicer than being outside either watching or playing a football in the crisp fall air, then returning indoors, into a house that is warm and filled with the mouth-watering smells of a cooking turkey, various pies, stuffing, and other tasty foods. Laughing, talking, and spending our time with our family, friends and loved ones is simply priceless.

As much as I enjoy sharing my own personal memories with you, I thought, a week or so ago, that it would be an interesting idea to ask my fellow bloggers what their favorite thing about Thanksgiving might be. The following accounts are what some of them decided to share with you! I would like to ask you to visit their blogs when you have a moment.

Enjoy and Have A Wonderful Thanksgiving!

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On Pets and Prisoners

http://loisajay1213.wordpress.com/

A few things my husband never fails to remind me of, every single Thanksgiving:
1. the time I cooked the turkey with the giblets packet still inside the bird. I thought I got everything out. I don’t even eat turkey–I’m vegan! He thought it was strange they didn’t include the innards to make gravy…
2. The first time I cooked our turkey, I roasted it upside down. It was crazy trying to watch that little thing pop up to let me know the bird was done..
3. The time my husband tried to ‘help’ me take the bird out of the oven. I think a tad bit of the pain touched his arm–and he dropped the entire pan on the floor. Turkey and drippings EVERYWHERE. Needless to say, the pan wasn’t the only thing that was hot.

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I Don’t get It

http://sanceau.com/

Time with family–without pressure of gifts, lounging around on a couch stuffed bigger than the turkey until my aunt decides that it’s time for a family walk around the neighborhood. Stuffing, cranberries, bread, turkey, wine, yams, and everyone saying what he or she is thankful for.

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Lorna’s Voice

http://lornasvoice.com/

Being the middle child, I’ve lived in the shadow of my older and younger sisters. Yet one of my talents shines through on Thanksgiving and I feel special, even irreplaceable. I make the best challah (Jewish egg braided bread) anyone has ever eaten. It’s simply not Thanksgiving without “Lorna’s bread.” I’m very grateful for the bread, the fact that everyone enjoys it so much, and for the yearly recognition!

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SanseiLife

http://sanseilife.wordpress.com/

My Favorite Thing About Thanksgiving Is the memory of my dad teaching me to carve a turkey. We would work on it together and because I was his helper I got to be the first to taste the turkey as we worked. He was second to taste, thats the kind of person he was letting his assistant have the first taste! We would carve the whole turkey at once so we were done with it for the day, my mom would immediately put the carcass in the big pot of water for turkey soup. What a wonderful skill to have, I often volunteer to carve the turkey at gatherings and I have gotten very fast over the years. Each time I carve a turkey I remember those days of sharing the task with my dad and the two of us sneaking tastes of the turkey as we worked.

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Karen

Macy’s parade on TV, followed by the dog show…the ONE day dinner is AT the table with family (and often including friends, who’d otherwise be alone)…also, last year, passing the “torch” to my daughter, to do the “honors” of cooking the meal in HER home was a proud moment for me!

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Fourth Generation Farm Girl

http://fourthgenerationfarmgirl.com/

When I think of Thanksgiving, I’m reminded of the smell of homemade dressing baking in the oven. It’s an old family recipe that’s been passed down from my great-grandmother. Grandma and Mom made it every year: sautéing onions and celery, mixing with bread crumbs and turkey broth and then preparing it into little patties that they would bake and place on a platter. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it!

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This Day With God

http://thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com/

I’m thankful for family and good food. Being from a family that loves sports, we always take in a few football games. There are lots of spectacular games this time of the year as teams play their rivals and a lot is on the line.

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Sstorms0730’s Blog

http://sstorm0730.me/

When dinner was done, my PopPop would sit at the head of the table and I would occupy his lap. Nana placed the turkey carcass in front of us and he would tell me stories while we picked it clean. He is gone now, and I am much older, but I have never forgotten that time with him, feeling like the Princess of the Thanksgiving table.

4

One More Time Daddy?

Photo Credit: Tammy McGary via CC Flickr
Photo Credit: Tammy McGary via CC Flickr

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.  “That’s my son over there,” she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.  “He’s a fine looking boy” the man said. “That’s my daughter on the bike in the white dress.”

Then, looking at his watch, he called to his daughter. “What do you say we go, Melissa?”  Melissa pleaded, “Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes.”  The man nodded and Melissa continued to ride her bike to her heart’s content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his daughter. “Time to go now?”

Again Melissa pleaded, “Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes.”  The man smiled and said, “OK.”  “My, you certainly are a patient father,” the woman responded.

The man smiled and then said, “Her older brother Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I’d give anything for just five more minutes with him. I’ve vowed not to make the same mistake with Melissa.  She thinks she has five more minutes to ride her bike. The truth is, I get Five more minutes to watch her play.”

Life is all about making priorities, and family is one and only priority on top of all other, so spend all time you can with loved ones.

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Source: My buddy Karina @ http://karinasussanto.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/five-more-minutes/

 

5

Buying A Miracle For One Dollar and Eleven Cents

Photo Credit: Orin Zebest via CC Flickr
Photo Credit: Orin Zebest via CC Flickr

Every once in a while, I come across a story that renews my faith in miracles. The following true story is an example of how miracles just “don’t happen” but come from a higher being.

Tess was a precocious eight year old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money. They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn’t have the money for the doctor bills and their house.

Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was no one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation,

“Only a miracle can save him now.”

Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully.

Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with the Big Red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise.

Nothing.

She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster.

No good.

Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter.

That did it!

“And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.

“I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages,” he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

“Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,” Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone.

“He’s really, really sick… and I want to buy a miracle.”

“I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist.

“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle

cost?”

“We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you, “the pharmacist said, softening a little.

“Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.”

The pharmacist’s brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”

“I don’t know,” Tess replied with her eyes welling up. “I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money.

“How much do you have?” asked the man from Chicago.

“One dollar and eleven cents,” Tess answered barely audibly. “And it’s all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.

“Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents—the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.” He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Tess’s Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. “That surgery, “her Mom whispered.”was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?”

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost… one dollar and eleven cents …… plus the faith of a little child.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law!

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