6x9_Style_Guide Final Version 14

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


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?


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


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?"


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.


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


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


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


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


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.


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


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


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


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


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.


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.


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


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


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


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


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


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:


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


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


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.

By Diana Polyakov

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


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

By Diana Polyakov

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.


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


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.

By Diana Polyakov

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!


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.


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

By Diana Polyakov

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


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


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

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