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Short Inspirational Stories

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  • a collection of inspirational

    short stories

    By Diana Polyakov

    Have a

    Great

    Day!

  • Have a Great Day!

    a collection of inspirational short stories

    Selected by: Diana Polyakov

    Diana Polyakov

    2014

  • Copyright 2014 by Diana Polyakov

    All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used

    in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher

    except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

    First Printing: 2014

    ISBN 978-1-312-30643-1

    Diana Polyakov

    [email protected]

    www.AllWealthCare.com

    Ordering Information:

    Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations,

    educators, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the above listed address.

    U.S. trade bookstores and wholesalers: Please contact Diana Polyakov by email

    [email protected]

    You can also find and like this book on Facebook:

    https://www.facebook.com/HaveaGreatdaybook

  • Dedication

    To my lovely family.

    Thank you. Without your support and patience, I would have

    never achieved my dream.

  • Contents

    Love, Wealth and Success ............................................................ 1

    The Fisherman and The Banker ................................................ 4

    A Cry for Help ................................................................................... 7

    The important things in life ...................................................... 10

    My mom only had one eye ......................................................... 13

    The story of a blind girl .............................................................. 16

    What goes around comes around ........................................... 19

    Let go of your Stresses ................................................................ 23

    Finding Happiness ........................................................................ 25

    Kiss Someone Before You Go .................................................... 27

    Traveling Angels ........................................................................... 29

    Buying an hour of daddys time ............................................... 32

    A dish of ice cream ....................................................................... 35

    How the poor live.......................................................................... 37

    A box of kisses ................................................................................ 39

    The goldfish bowl ......................................................................... 41

    Everyone is important ................................................................ 44

    Reaching your goal ....................................................................... 46

    Marriage ........................................................................................... 48

    A beautiful true love story ......................................................... 55

    Two castle Builders ...................................................................... 58

    If a dog was your teacher ........................................................... 61

  • Acknowledgements

    I thank my family for their love and inspiration!

    I thank all the readers for holding this book in their hands!

    I thank the unknown authors of these stories!

    I thank my clients and business colleagues for support!

    I thank my friends for their trust!

    I thank myself for everything else!

    .

  • Introduction

    There are so many great books Ive read that teach us how to be-come happy, successful and rich. You can read hundreds or thousands

    of such books and learn by heart all the laws of success and happi-

    ness, but knowing all these stuff - does not necessarily make us

    become happier. I believe that one can learn and explain everything in

    this world, but if the words do not touch ones heart, the meaning is

    lost.

    This book is a collection of short inspirational stories written by

    unknown authors. Ive gathered these stories throughout the years. The most inspirational stories that touched my heart and made me a

    better person are compiled in this book. My goal is to bring these stories to my readers and to ignite, inspire and encourage their hearts.

    Once you pick up this book - please read it slowly. Take your

    time. Listen to the words coming through your mind and your heart.

    Enjoy each and every one of these stories. Give them the opportunity

    to touch your soul. Ask yourself what can you learn by reading the

    story? How can it affect your life? Can you become a better and hap-

    pier person?

    You might find some stories more inspirational than the others.

    Some will make you cry. Some will make you laugh. Remember that

    all the stories in the book are designed to inspire and encourage you.

    I truly hope that you get as much fun and inspiration from read-

    ing this book, as I got from working on it.

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

  • Love, Wealth and Success

    A woman came out of her house and saw

    three old men with long white beards sitting in

    her front yard. She did not recognize them. She

    said, "I don't think I know you, but you must be

    hungry. Please come in and have something to

    eat."

    "Is the man of the house home?" they asked.

    "No", she said. "He's out."

    "Then we cannot come in", they replied.

    In the evening when her husband came

    home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell

    them I am home and invite them in," he said.

    The woman went out and invited the men in.

    "We do not go into a house together," they re-

    plied. "Why is that?" she wanted to know. One

  • By Diana Polyakov

    2

    of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth,"

    he said pointing to one of his friends, and said

    pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I

    am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and dis-

    cuss with your husband which one of us you

    want in your home."

    The woman went in and told her husband

    what was said. Her husband was overjoyed.

    "How nice!" he said. "Since that is the case, let

    us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our

    home with wealth!"

    His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we

    invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was lis-

    tening from the other corner of the house. She

    jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it

    not be better to invite Love? Our home will then

    be filled with love!"

    "Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice,"

    said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite

    Love to be our guest."

    The woman went out and asked the three old

    men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come

    in and be our guest." Love got up and started

    walking toward the house. The other two also

    got up and followed him.

    Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Suc-

    cess: "I only invited Love, why are you coming

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    3

    in?" The old men replied together: "If you had

    invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us

    would've stayed out, but since you invited Love,

    wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever

    there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!"

    Author Unknown

  • By Diana Polyakov

    4

    The Fisherman and The Banker

    An American investment banker was taking

    a much-needed vacation in a small coastal Mex-

    ican village when a small boat with just one

    fisherman docked. The boat had several large,

    fresh fish in it.

    The investment banker was impressed by the

    quality of the fish and asked the Mexican how

    long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied,

    Only a little while. The banker then asked why he didnt stay out longer and catch more fish?

    The Mexican fisherman replied he had

    enough to support his familys immediate needs.

    The American then asked But what do you do with the rest of your time?

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    5

    The Mexican fisherman replied, I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take si-

    esta with my wife, stroll into the village each

    evening where I sip wine and play guitar with

    my amigos: I have a full and busy life, senor.

    The investment banker scoffed, I am an Ivy League MBA, and I could help you. You could

    spend more time fishing and with the proceeds

    buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from

    the bigger boat you could buy several boats until

    eventually you would have a whole fleet of fish-

    ing boats. Instead of selling your catch to the

    middleman you could sell directly to the proces-

    sor, eventually opening your own cannery. You

    could control the product, processing and distri-

    bution.

    Then he added, Of course, you would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and

    move to Mexico City where you would run your

    growing enterprise.

    The Mexican fisherman asked, But senor, how long will this all take?

    To which the American replied, 15-20 years.

    But what then? asked the Mexican.

  • By Diana Polyakov

    6

    The American laughed and said, Thats the best part. When the time is right you would an-

    nounce an IPO and sell your company stock to

    the public and become very rich. You could

    make millions.

    Millions, senor? Then what?

    To which the investment banker replied,

    Then you would retire. You could move to a small coastal fishing village where you would

    sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take

    siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the

    evenings where you could sip wine and play

    your guitar with your amigos.

    Author Unknown

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    7

    A Cry for Help

    Once upon a time, there was an island where

    all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, and

    all of the others, including Love.

    One day it was announced to the feelings

    that the island would sink, so all repaired their

    boats and left.

    Love was the only one who stayed. Love

    wanted to persevere until the last possible mo-

    ment.

    When the island was almost sinking, Love

    decided to ask for help.

  • By Diana Polyakov

    8

    Richness was passing by Love in a grand

    boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me

    with you?" Richness answered, "No I can't There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat.

    There is no place for you here."

    Love decided to ask Vanity, who was also

    passing by in a beautiful vessel, "Vanity, please

    help me!" "I can't help you Love. You are all

    wet and might damage my boat," Vanity an-

    swered.

    Sadness was close by so Love asked for

    help, "Sadness let me go with you." "Oh...Love,

    I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

    Happiness passed by Love too, but she was

    so happy that she did not even hear when Love

    called her!

    Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come Love, I

    will take you." It was an elder. Love felt so

    blessed and overjoyed that he even forgot to ask

    the elder her name.

    When they arrived at dry land, the elder

    went her own way. Love, realizing how much

    he owed the elder, asked Knowledge, another

    elder, "Who helped me?"

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    9

    "It was Time," Knowledge answered.

    "Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time

    help me?

    Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and

    answered, "Because only Time is capable of un-

    derstanding how great Love is.

    Author Unknown

  • By Diana Polyakov

    10

    The important things in life

    A philosophy professor stood before his

    class with some items on the table in front of

    him. When the class began, wordlessly he

    picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise

    jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2

    inches in diameter.

    He then asked the students if the jar was full.

    They agreed that it was.

    So the professor then picked up a box of

    pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook

    the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled in-

    to the open areas between the rocks.

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    11

    He then asked the students again if the jar

    was full. They agreed it was.

    The professor picked up a box of sand and

    poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled

    up the remaining open areas of the jar.

    He then asked once more if the jar was full.

    The students responded with a unanimous

    Yes.

    Now, said the professor, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The

    rocks are the important things your family, your partner, your health, and your children things that if everything else was lost and only

    they remained, your life would still be full. The

    pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is eve-

    rything else, the small stuff.

    If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you

    spend all your time and energy on the small

    stuff, you will never have room for the things

    that are important to you. Pay attention to the

    things that are critical to your happiness. Play

    with your children. Take your partner out danc-

    ing. There will always be time to go to work,

  • By Diana Polyakov

    12

    clean the house, give a dinner party, or fix the

    disposal.

    Take care of the rocks first the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just

    sand.

    Author Unknown

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    13

    My mom only had one eye

    My mom only had one eye. I hated her She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for

    students and teachers to support the family.

    There was this one day during elementary

    school where my mom came to say hello to me.

    I was so embarrassed.

    How could she do this to me? I ignored her,

    threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next

    day at school one of my classmates said,

    EEEE, your mom only has one eye!

    I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my

    mom to just disappear. I confronted her that day

  • By Diana Polyakov

    14

    and said, If youre only going to make me a laughing stock, why dont you just die?

    My mom did not respond I didnt even stop to think for a second about what I had said,

    because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to

    her feelings.

    I wanted out of that house, and have nothing

    to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a

    chance to go abroad to study.

    Then, I got married. I bought a house of my

    own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with

    my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one

    day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadnt seen me in years and she didnt even meet her grandchildren.

    When she stood by the door, my children

    laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming

    over uninvited. I screamed at her, How dare you come to my house and scare my children!

    GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!

    And to this, my mother quietly answered,

    Oh, Im so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address. and she disappeared out of sight.

    One day, a letter regarding a school reunion

    came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    15

    was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I

    went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

    My neighbors said that she died. I did not

    shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that

    she had wanted me to have.

    My dearest son, I think of you all the time. Im sorry that I

    came to your house and scared your children.

    I was so glad when I heard you were coming

    for the reunion. But I may not be able to even

    get out of bed to see you. Im sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were

    growing up.

    You see..when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a

    mother, I couldnt stand watching you having to grow up with one eye. So I gave you mine.

    I was so proud of my son who was seeing a

    whole new world for me, in my place, with that

    eye.

    With all my love to you,

    Your mother. Author Unknown

  • By Diana Polyakov

    16

    The story of a blind girl

    There was a blind girl who hated herself just

    because she was blind. She hated everyone, ex-

    cept her loving boyfriend. He was always there

    for her. She said that if she could only see the

    world, she would marry her boyfriend.

    One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to

    her and then she could see everything, including

    her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?

    The girl was shocked when she saw that her

    boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    17

    him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and

    later wrote a letter to her saying:

    Just take care of my eyes dear.

    This is how human brain changes when the

    status changed. Only few remember what life

    was before, and whos always been there even in the most painful situations.

    Life Is A Gift

    Today before you think of saying an unkind

    word think of someone who cant speak.

    Before you complain about the taste of your

    food think of someone who has nothing to eat.

    Before you complain about your husband or

    wife think of someone who is crying out to God for a companion.

    Today before you complain about life think of someone who went too early to heaven.

    Before you complain about your children think of someone who desires children but

    theyre barren.

    Before you argue about your dirty house,

    someone didnt clean or sweep think of the people who are living in the streets.

  • By Diana Polyakov

    18

    Before whining about the distance you drive

    think of someone who walks the same dis-tance with their feet.

    And when you are tired and complain about

    your job think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.

    But before you think of pointing the finger

    or condemning another remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one

    maker.

    And when depressing thoughts seem to get

    you down put a smile on your face and thank God youre alive and still around.

    Life is a gift Live it, Enjoy it, Celebrate it, and Fulfill it.

    Author Unknown

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    19

    What goes around comes around

    One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on

    the side of the road, but even in the dim light of

    day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled

    up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His

    Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached

    her.

    Even with the smile on his face, she was

    worried. No one had stopped to help for the last

    hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didnt look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could

    see that she was frightened, standing out there in

  • By Diana Polyakov

    20

    the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those

    chills which only fear can put in you. He said,

    Im here to help you, maam. Why dont you wait in the car where its warm? By the way, my name is John.

    Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an

    old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled

    under the car looking for a place to put the jack,

    skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he

    was able to change the tire. But he had to get

    dirty and his hands hurt.

    As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she

    rolled down the window and began to talk to

    him. She told him that she was from St. Louis

    and was only just passing through. She couldnt thank him enough for coming to her aid.

    Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk.

    The lady asked how much she owed him. Any

    amount would have been all right with her. She

    already imagined all the awful things that could

    have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never

    thought twice about being paid. This was not a

    job to him. This was helping someone in need,

    and God knows there were plenty, who had giv-

    en him a hand in the past. He had lived his

    whole life that way, and it never occurred to him

    to act any other way.

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    21

    He told her that if she really wanted to pay

    him back, the next time she saw someone who

    needed help, she could give that person the as-

    sistance they needed, and Bryan added, And think of me.

    He waited until she started her car and drove

    off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but

    he felt good as he headed for home, disappear-

    ing into the twilight.

    A few miles down the road the lady saw a

    small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and

    take the chill off before she made the last leg of

    her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant.

    Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole

    scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came

    over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet

    hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being

    on her feet for the whole day couldnt erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight

    months pregnant, but she never let the strain and

    aches change her attitude. The old lady won-

    dered how someone who had so little could be

    so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered

    Bryan.

    After the lady finished her meal, she paid

    with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly

    went to get change for her hundred dollar bill,

    but the old lady had slipped right out the door.

  • By Diana Polyakov

    22

    She was gone by the time the waitress came

    back. The waitress wondered where the lady

    could be. Then she noticed something written on

    the napkin.

    There were tears in her eyes when she read

    what the lady wrote: You dont owe me any-thing. I have been there too. Somebody once

    helped me out, the way Im helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do,

    do not let this chain of love end with you. Un-der the napkin were four more $100 bills.

    Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls

    to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress

    made it through another day. That night when

    she got home from work and climbed into bed,

    she was thinking about the money and what the

    lady had written. How could the lady have

    known how much she and her husband needed

    it? With the baby due next month, it was going

    to be hard She knew how worried her hus-band was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she

    gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low,

    Everythings going to be all right. I love you, John.

    There is an old saying What goes around comes around.

    Author: Unknown

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    23

    Let go of your Stresses!

    A psychologist walked around a room while

    teaching stress management to an audience. As

    she raised a glass of water, everyone expected

    theyd be asked the half empty or half full question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she

    inquired: How heavy is this glass of water?

    Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20

    oz.

    She replied, The absolute weight doesnt matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I

    hold it for a minute, its not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, Ill have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and

    paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass

  • By Diana Polyakov

    24

    doesnt change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.

    She continued, The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about

    them for a while and nothing happens. Think

    about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt.

    And if you think about them all day long, you

    will feel paralyzed incapable of doing any-thing.

    Its important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put

    all your burdens down. Dont carry them through the evening and into the night. Remem-

    ber to put the glass down!

    Author Unknown

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    25

    Finding Happiness

    Once, a group of 50 people was attending a

    seminar.

    Suddenly the speaker stopped and started

    giving each person a balloon. Each one was

    asked to write his/her name on it using a marker

    pen. Then all the balloons were collected and

    put in another room.

    Now these delegates were let in that room

    and asked to find the balloon which had their

    name written, within 5 minutes.

    Everyone was frantically searching for their

    name, pushing, colliding with each other, and

    there was utter chaos.

  • By Diana Polyakov

    26

    At the end of 5 minutes, no one could find

    their own balloon.

    Now each one was asked to randomly col-

    lect a balloon and give it to the person whose

    name was written on it. Within minutes every-

    one had their own balloon.

    The speaker began: This is exactly happen-

    ing in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking

    for happiness all around, not knowing where it

    is. Our happiness lies in the happiness of other

    people. Give them their happiness; you will get

    your own happiness.

    And this is the purpose of human life.

    Author Unknown

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    27

    Kiss Someone Before You Go

    The subway train sways back and forth, its

    wheels screeching more fiendishly than ever

    against the tracks. Outside the window the

    freezing cold of winter rules and the dreary bay

    looks like a yawning abyss as the train rumbles

    across it. The carriage is filled with frozen self-

    centered, bored passengers. Good morning!

    Suddenly a little boy pushes his way in be-

    tween discourteous grown-up legs the kind that only grudgingly make room for you. While

    his father stays by the door, the boy sits next to

    the window, surrounded by unfriendly, morn-

    ing-weary adults.

    What a brave child, I think.

    As the train enters a tunnel, something total-

    ly unexpected and peculiar happens. The little

  • By Diana Polyakov

    28

    boy slides down from his seat and puts his hand

    on my knee. For a moment, I think that he wants

    to go past me and return to his father, so I shift a

    bit. But instead of moving on, the boy leans

    forward and stretches his head up towards me.

    He wants to tell me something, I think. Kids! I

    bend down to listen to what he has to say.

    Wrong again! He kisses me softly on the cheek.

    Then he returns to his seat, leans back and

    cheerfully starts looking out of the window. But

    Im shocked. What happened? A kid kissing un-known grown-ups on the train? To my

    amazement, the kid proceeds to kiss all my

    neighbors.

    Nervous and bewildered, we look question-

    ingly at his father, Hes so happy to be alive, the father says. Hes been very sick.

    The train stops and father and son get down

    and disappear into the crowd. The doors close.

    On my cheek I can still feel the childs kiss a kiss that has triggered some soul-searching.

    How many grown-ups go around kissing each

    other from the sheer joy of being alive? How

    many even give much thought to the privilege of

    living? What would happen if we all just started

    being ourselves?

    Author Unknown

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    29

    Traveling Angels

    Two traveling angels stopped to spend the

    night in the home of a wealthy family.

    The family was rude and refused to let the

    angels stay in the mansions guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold

    basement.

    As they made their bed on the hard floor, the

    older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired

    it. When the younger angel asked why, the older

    angel replied, Things arent always what they seem.

    The next night the pair came to rest at the

    house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer

    and his wife.

  • By Diana Polyakov

    30

    After sharing what little food they had the

    couple let the angels sleep in their bed where

    they could have a good nights rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found

    the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow,

    whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead

    in the field.

    The younger angel was infuriated and asked

    the older angel, How could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you

    helped him. she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything,

    and you let the cow die.

    Things arent always what they seem. the older angel replied.

    When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that

    hole in the wall. Since the owner was so ob-

    sessed with greed and unwilling to share his

    good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldnt find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmers

    bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave

    him the cow instead. Things arent always what they seem.

    Sometimes that is exactly what happens

    when things dont turn out the way they should.

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    31

    If you have faith, you just need to trust that eve-

    ry outcome is always to your advantage. You

    might not know it until sometime later

    Should you find it hard to get to sleep to-

    night, remember the homeless family who has

    no bed to lie in.

    Should you find yourself stuck in traffic,

    dont despair; there are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard-of privilege.

    Should you have a bad day at work, think of

    the man who has been out of work for many

    months struggling to feed his family.

    Should you notice a new gray hair in the

    mirror, think of the cancer patient in chemo who

    wishes she had hair to examine.

    Should you find yourself at a loss and pon-

    dering what is life all about, asking, What is my purpose?, be thankful, there are those who didnt live long enough to get the opportunity.

    Author Unknown

  • By Diana Polyakov

    32

    Buying an hour of daddys time

    The man came home from work late again,

    tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son

    waiting for him at the door.

    Daddy, may I ask you a question?

    Yeah, sure, what is it? replied the man.

    Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?

    Thats none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing? the man said angrily.

    I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour? pleaded the little boy.

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    33

    If you must know, I make $20 an hour.

    Oh, the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, Daddy, may I borrow $10 please?

    The father was furious. If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is

    just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or

    some other nonsense, then you march yourself

    straight to your room and go to bed. Think about

    why youre being so selfish. I work long, hard hours every day and dont have time for such childish games.

    The little boy quietly went to his room and

    shut the door.

    The man sat down and started to get even

    madder about the little boys questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some

    money.

    After an hour or so, the man had calmed

    down, and started to think he may have been a

    little hard on his son. Maybe there was some-

    thing he really needed to buy with that $10 and

    he really didnt ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boys room and opened the door.

  • By Diana Polyakov

    34

    Are you asleep son? he asked

    No daddy, Im awake. replied the boy

    Ive been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier. said the man. Its been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you.

    Heres that $10 you asked for.

    The little boy sat straight up, beaming. Oh, thank you daddy! he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more

    crumpled up bills. The man, seeing the boy al-

    ready had money, started to get angry again.

    The little boy slowly counted out his money,

    then looked up at the man.

    Why did you want more money if you al-ready had some? the father grumbled.

    Because I didnt have enough, but now I do. the little boy replied. Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please

    come home early tomorrow. I would like to

    have dinner with you.

    The father was crushed and he put his arms

    around his little son.

    Author Unknown

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    35

    A dish of ice cream

    In the days when an ice cream sundae cost

    much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel cof-

    fee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass

    of water in front of him.

    How much is an ice cream sundae?

    50 cents, replied the waitress.

    The little boy pulled his hand out of his

    pocket and studied a number of coins in it.

    How much is a dish of plain ice cream? he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a

    table and the waitress was a bit impatient.

    35 cents, she said brusquely. The little boy again counted the coins. Ill

    have the plain ice cream, he said.

  • By Diana Polyakov

    36

    The waitress brought the ice cream, put the

    bill on the table and walked away. The boy fin-

    ished the ice cream, paid the cashier and

    departed.

    When the waitress came back, she began

    wiping down the table and then swallowed hard

    at what she saw.

    There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,

    were 15 cents her tip. Author Unknown

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    37

    How the poor live

    One day, a father of a very wealthy family

    took his son on a trip to the country with the

    firm purpose of showing his son how poor peo-

    ple live. They spent a couple of days and nights

    on the farm of what would be considered a very

    poor family. On their return from their trip, the

    father asked his son, How was the trip?

    It was great, Dad.

    Did you see how poor people live? the fa-ther asked.

    Oh yeah, said the son.

  • By Diana Polyakov

    38

    So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip? asked the father.

    The son answered, I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that

    reaches to the middle of our garden, and they

    have a creek that has no end. We have imported

    lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at

    night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and

    they have the whole horizon. We have a small

    piece of land to live on, and they have fields that

    go beyond our sight. We have servants who

    serve us, but they serve others. We buy our

    food, but they grow theirs. We have walls

    around our property to protect us; they have

    friends to protect them.

    The boys father was speechless.

    Then his son added, Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are.

    Author Unknown

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    39

    A box of kisses

    Some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-

    old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping

    paper. Money was tight and he became infuriat-

    ed when the child tried to decorate a box to put

    under the Christmas tree.

    Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift

    to her father the next morning and said, This is for you, Daddy. He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again

    when he found the box was empty.

    He yelled at her, Dont you know that when you give someone a present, theres sup-posed to be something inside it?

  • By Diana Polyakov

    40

    The little girl looked up at him with tears in

    her eyes and said, Oh, Daddy, it is not empty. I blew kisses into the boxall for you, Daddy.

    The father was crushed. He put his arms

    around his little girl, and he begged for her for-

    giveness.

    It is told that the man kept that gold box by

    his bed for years and whenever he was discour-

    aged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and

    remember the love of the child who had put it

    there.

    In a very real sense, each of us as humans

    have been given a gold container filled with un-

    conditional love and kisses from our children,

    friends, family and God. There is no more pre-

    cious possession anyone could hold.

    Author Unknown

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    41

    The goldfish bowl

    Have you ever been saved from embarrass-

    ment by a kindly soul who absorbs the ridicule?

    These are the kind of people who are friends for

    life. Check this story out.

    There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his

    desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle be-

    tween his feet and the front of his pants are wet.

    He thinks his heart is going to stop because he

    cannot possibly imagine how this has happened.

    Its never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear

    the end of it. When the girls find out, theyll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

  • By Diana Polyakov

    42

    The boy believes his heart is going to stop,

    he puts his head down and prays Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five

    minutes from now Im dead meat.

    He looks up from his prayer and here comes

    the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he

    has been discovered.

    As the teacher is walking toward him, a

    classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish

    bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front

    of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl

    of water in the boys lap.

    The boy pretends to be angry, but all the

    while is saying to himself, Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!

    Now all of a sudden, instead of being the ob-

    ject of ridicule, the boy is the object of

    sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs

    and gives him gym shorts to put on while his

    pants dry out. All the other children are on their

    hands and knees cleaning up around his desk.

    The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would

    have it, the ridicule that should have been his

    has been transferred to someone else Susie.

    She tries to help, but they tell her to get out.

    Youve done enough, you klutz! Finally, at

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    43

    the end of the day, as they are waiting for the

    bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers,

    You did that on purpose, didnt you?

    Susie whispers back, I wet my pants once too.

    May God help us see the opportunities that

    are always around us to do good deeds.

    Author Unknown

  • By Diana Polyakov

    44

    Everyone is important

    Lonely tree was growing among the hot

    sands of dead desert. Prickly sands covered the

    Wood. The Sun mercilessly burned its bark. But

    the Tree kept on living in spite of all.

    Once the Hawk flied over the desert. The

    Hawk saw the Wood and sat on its branch. He

    looked around the desert and said:

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    45

    You are strange Tree, why do you keep on living among these dead hot sands ?

    Who needs it?

    You, the Tree answered.

    Me? the Hawk was surprised. I dont need you.

    But if not me, the Tree told, you would have to sit on the hot sand instead of my

    branches. If not me, someone, seeing you sitting

    on the tree alone, would say that nobody needs

    you, too. And would ask you what do you live

    for. Sitting on my branches you, Hawk, think

    that I need you. The Hawk thought about it and

    had to agree with the Tree. If there was no Tree,

    the hawk would feel himself alone and useless

    among this vast desert.

    Author Unknown

  • By Diana Polyakov

    46

    Reaching your goal

    One day a son came to his father for an

    advice:

    - Dad, I cant do it, - he said, - those prac-tices only exhaust me, and the result doesnt change. It must be not destined for me to play

    football and my dream will never come true.

    The father looked at his son with loving

    eyes and said:

    - You know son, every person in life has a

    dream, a goal, a wish. They are the ones who

    make us do what we are doing, because its what we should do. We have to fight for what

    we believe in, what we feel. In other case, you

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    47

    will simply brake. Once - and for all. As thought

    you were never there. The easiest way is to quit

    everything and not go until the end, because the

    path is difficult and we are not used to incon-

    veniences. We want everything to be easy and at

    once. But the wishes are fleeting! This is how

    our dream dies, and the goal becomes unreacha-

    ble.

    Gradually, life becomes a routine without

    depth and meaning. Then one day, we try to for-

    get and start everything from the beginning, we

    wait for a new day to make our life different.

    But new obstacles come in our way, and we stop

    again. We become full of despair and anger for

    our own impotence But you only need to re-member one thing: never give up, fight, battle. It

    doesnt matter that you have lost one battle and even dozens of battles. Life goes on! Your big-

    gest enemies are hiding in you laziness, fear, doubt, indecision. Be a warrior of your dream, a

    knight of your goal and a soldier of your wishes.

    Author Unknown

  • By Diana Polyakov

    48

    Marriage

    When I got home that night as my wife

    served dinner, I held her hand and said, Ive got something to tell you. She sat down and ate qui-

    etly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

    Suddenly I didnt know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was

    thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic

    calmly.

    She didnt seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

    I avoided her question. This made her an-

    gry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted

    at me, you are not a man! That night, we didnt talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she

    wanted to find out what had happened to our

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    49

    marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfac-

    tory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I

    didnt love her anymore. I just pitied her!

    With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a di-

    vorce agreement which stated that she could

    own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my

    company.

    She glanced at it and then tore it into

    pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of

    her life with me had become a stranger. I felt

    sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy

    but I could not take back what I had said for I

    loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in

    front of me, which was what I had expected to

    see. To me her cry was actually a kind of re-

    lease. The idea of divorce which had obsessed

    me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and

    clearer now.

    The next day, I came back home very late

    and found her writing something at the table. I

    didnt have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an

    eventful day with Jane.

    When I woke up, she was still there at the

    table writing. I just did not care so I turned over

    and was asleep again.

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    50

    In the morning she presented her divorce

    conditions: she didnt want anything from me, but needed a months notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both

    struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her

    reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a

    months time and she didnt want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

    This was agreeable to me. But she had

    something more, she asked me to recall how I

    had carried her into out bridal room on our wed-

    ding day.

    She requested that every day for the

    months duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she

    was going crazy. Just to make our last days to-

    gether bearable I accepted her odd request.

    I told Jane about my wifes divorce condi-tions. She laughed loudly and thought it was

    absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she

    has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

    My wife and I hadnt had any body con-tact since my divorce intention was explicitly

    expressed. So when I carried her out on the first

    day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped

    behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms.

    His words brought me a sense of pain. From the

    bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I

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    51

    walked over ten meters with her in my arms.

    She closed her eyes and said softly; dont tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling

    somewhat upset. I put her down outside the

    door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I

    drove alone to the office.

    On the second day, both of us acted much

    more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could

    smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that

    I hadnt looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any

    more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her

    hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll

    on her. For a minute I wondered what I had

    done to her.

    On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I

    felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the

    woman who had given ten years of her life to

    me.

    On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that

    our sense of intimacy was growing again. I

    didnt tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the

    everyday workout made me stronger.

    She was choosing what to wear one morn-

    ing. She tried on quite a few dresses but could

    not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my

    dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized

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    52

    that she had grown so thin, that was the reason

    why I could carry her more easily.

    Suddenly it hit me she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subcon-

    sciously I reached out and touched her head.

    Our son came in at the moment and said,

    Dad, its time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become

    an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to

    our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I

    turned my face away because I was afraid I

    might change my mind at this last minute. I then

    held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom,

    through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her

    hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I

    held her body tightly; it was just like our wed-

    ding day.

    But her much lighter weight made me

    sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms

    I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to

    school. I held her tightly and said, I hadnt no-ticed that our life lacked intimacy.

    I drove to office jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid

    any delay would make me change my mind I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said

    to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce an-

    ymore.

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    53

    She looked at me, astonished, and then

    touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She

    said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane,

    I said, I wont divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didnt value the details of our lives, not because we didnt love each other anymore. Now I realize that

    since I carried her into my home on our wedding

    day I am supposed to hold her until death do us

    apart.

    Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She

    gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door

    and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and

    drove away.

    At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a

    bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl

    asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and

    wrote, Ill carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

    That evening I arrived home, flowers in

    my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs,

    only to find my wife in the bed dead.

    My wife had been fighting CANCER for

    months and I was so busy with Jane to even no-

    tice. She knew that she would die soon and she

    wanted to save me from the whatever negative

    reaction from our son, in case we push thru with

  • By Diana Polyakov

    54

    the divorce At least, in the eyes of our son Im a loving husband

    Author Unknown

  • Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories

    55

    A beautiful true love story

    One day, a young guy and a young girl

    fell in love.

    But the guy came from a poor family. The girls parents werent too happy.

    So the young man decided not only to

    court the girl but to court her parents as well. In

    time, the parents saw that he was a good man

    and was worthy of their daughters hand.

    But there was another problem: The man

    was a soldier. Soon, war broke out and he was

    being sent overseas for a year. The week before

    he left, the man knelt on his knee and asked his

    lady love, Will you marry me? She wiped a tear, said yes, and they were engaged. They

    agreed that when he got back in one year, they

    would get married.

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    56

    But tragedy struck. A few days after he

    left, the girl had a major vehicular accident. It

    was a head-on collision.

    When she woke up in the hospital, she

    saw her father and mother crying. Immediately,

    she knew there was something wrong.

    She later found out that she suffered brain

    injury. The part of her brain that controlled her

    face muscles was damaged. Her once lovely

    face was now disfigured. She cried as she saw

    herself in the mirror. Yesterday, I was beauti-ful. Today, Im a monster. Her body was also covered with so many ugly wounds.

    Right there and then, she decided to re-

    lease her fianc from their promise. She knew

    he wouldnt want her anymore. She would for-get about him and never see him again.

    For one year, the soldier wrote many let-

    tersbut she wouldnt answer. He phoned her many times but she wouldnt return her calls.

    But after one year, the mother walked into

    her room and announced, Hes back from the war.

    The girl shouted, No! Please dont tell him about me. Dont tell him Im here!

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    57

    The mother said, Hes getting married, and handed her a wedding invitation.

    The girls heart sank. She knew she still loved himbut she had to forget him now.

    With great sadness, she opened the wed-

    ding invitation.

    And then she saw her name on it!

    Confused, she asked, What is this?

    That was when the young man entered her

    room with a bouquet of flowers. He knelt beside

    her and asked, Will you marry me?

    The girl covered her face with her hands

    and said, Im ugly!

    The man said, Without your permission, your mother sent me your photos. When I saw

    your photos, I realized that nothing has changed.

    Youre still the person I fell in love. Youre still as beautiful as ever. Because I love you!

    Author Unknown

  • By Diana Polyakov

    58

    Two castle Builders

    Hot sun. Salty air. Rhythmic waves.

    A little boy is on his knees scooping and

    packing the sand with plastic shovels into a

    bright blue bucket. Then he upends the bucket

    on the surface and lifts it. And, to the delight of

    the little architect, a castle tower is created.

    All afternoon he will work. Spooning out

    the moat. Packing the walls. Bottle tops will be

    sentries. Popsicle sticks will be bridges. A

    sandcastle will be built.

    Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic.

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    59

    A man is in his office. At his desk he

    shuffles papers into stacks and delegates as-

    signments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder

    and punches the keyboard with his fingers.

    Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed

    and much to the delight of the man, a profit is

    made.

    All his life he will work. Formulating the

    plans. Forecasting the future. Annuities will be

    sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An em-

    pire will be built.

    Two builders of two castles. They have

    much in common. They shape granules into

    grandeurs. They see nothing and make some-

    thing. They are diligent and determined. And for

    both the tide will rise and the end will come.

    Yet that is where the similarities cease.

    For the boy sees the end while the man ignores

    it. Watch the boy as the dusk approaches.

    As the waves near, the wise child jumps

    to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sor-

    row. No fear. No regret. He knew this would

    happen. He is not surprised. And when the great

    breaker crashes into his castle and his master-

    piece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He

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    60

    smiles, picks up his tools, takes his fathers hand, and goes home.

    The grownup, however, is not so wise. As

    the wave of years collapses on his castle he is

    terrified. He hovers over the sandy monument to

    protect it. He blocks the waves from the walls

    he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he

    snarls at the incoming tide.

    Its my castle, he defies.

    The ocean need not respond. Both know

    to whom the sand belongs

    I dont know much about sandcastles. But children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead

    and build, but build with a childs heart. When the sun sets and the tides take applaud. Salute the process of life and go home.

    Author Unknown

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    61

    If a dog was your teacher

    If a dog was your teacher,

    these are some of the lessons you might learn

    When loved ones come home, always run to greet them

    Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride

    Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face, to be pure ecstasy

  • By Diana Polyakov

    62

    When its in your best interest, practice obedience

    Let others know when theyve invaded your territory

    Take naps and stretch before rising

    Run romp and play daily

    Thrive on attention and let people touch you

    Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do

    On warm days stop to lie on your back on the grass

    On hot days drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree

    When youre happy dance around and wag your entire body

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    63

    No matter how often youre scolded, dont buy into the guilt thing and pout, run right back and make friends

    Delight in the simple joy of a long walk

    Eat with gusto and enthusiasm

    Stop when you have had enough

    Be loyal

    Never pretend to be something youre not

    If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it

    When someone is having a bad day, be si-lent.

    sit close by

    and nuzzle them gently.

    Author Unknown

  • By Diana Polyakov

    64