HeartTalK.. ThE MagiC MasK... reflections.... the doors... HappY ReadinG -- Teen Support

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Date Posted: 23:08:00 07/05/02 Fri
Author: PujA
Subject:

HeartTalK.. ThE MagiC MasK... reflections.... the doors... HappY ReadinG

REFLECTIONS.....

ThE MagiC MasK

A great and powerful lord once ruled over thousands of soldiers and with them
he conquered vast domains for his own. He was wise and brave, respected and
feared by all, but no one loved him. Each year as he grew more severe he grew
lonelier and his face reflected the bitterness in his greedy doul, for there were
deep ugly lines about his cruel mouth, which never showed a smile, and a deep
frown permanently furrowed his forehead.

It happened that in one of the cities over which he ruled there lived a
beautiful girl whom he had watched for many months as she went about among the
people, and he loved her and wanted to make her his wife. He decided to go and
speak to her of this love. But looking into his mirror he could see nothing but a
cruel, hard face which looked even worse when he tried to smile.

Then a happy notion came to him, and he sent for a magician. "Make for
me a mask of the thinnest wax so that it will follow every line of my features, but
it will look kind and pleasant. Fasten it upon my face so that I shall never have to
take it off"

"This I can do," said the magician,"on one condition. You your own
face in the same lines, which I paint or the mask will be ruined. One angry frown,
and the mask will be ruined forever, nor can I replace it. You must think kindly
thoughts, and to this you must do kindly deeds."

"I will do anything you say," said the lord eagerly, "anything to win
the love and admiration of my lady. Tell me how to keep the mask from cracking".

So the wonderful mask was made. Months passed, and though the mask
was often in danger of ruin, the man fought hard with himself to keep it. The
beautiful lady became his bride, and the subjects wondered at this miraculous change.

As gentleness and thoughtfulness entered the life of this man, honesty
and goodness were his also, and soon he regretted having deceived his beautiful
wife with the magic mask. At last he could bear it no longer and he summoned the
magician.

"Remove this false face of mine!" he cried. "take it away! This deceiving
mask that is not my true self!"

" If I do," said the magician, "I can never make another, and you must
wear your own face as long as you live."

"Better so," said the lord, "than to deceive the one whose love and trust
I have won dishonourably. Take it off!"

The magician took off the mask and the lord in fear and anguish sought
his reflection in the glass. His eyes brightened and his lips curved into a radiant
smile, for the ugly lines were gone, the frown had disappeared - and, his face was
the exact likeness of the mask he had worn so long! And when he returned to his
beloved wife she saw only the familiar features of the man she loved.

It's an old story this legend tells that man's face soon betrays what
he is inside his soul, what he thinks and feels, the thoughts of his heart.
"As a man thinks in his heart, so is he" and " whatsover things are true, honest,
just, pure, lovely, and are of good report: if there be any virtue, and if there
be any praise, think on these things."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ThE DooRs.........

** True greatness, true leadership is acheived not by reducing men to one's service,
but by giving oneself in selfless service to them.

** No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else.

** Do not confuse notoriety and fame with greatness. Many of the titled in today's
world obtained their fame and fortune outside there own merit. On the other hand,
I have met great people in the most obscure roles. For greatness is the measure of
one's spirit, not a result of one's rank in human affairs. Nobody, least of all human
beings, confers greatness upon another, for it is not a prize but an acheivement. And greatness can crown the head o a janitor just as readily as it can come to someone of
high rank. -- Sherman G. Finesilver

** One of the outstanding ironies of history is the utter disregard of ranks and
titles in the final judgements men pass on each other. The final estimate if men shows
that history cares not an iota for the rank or title a man has borne.

** It was Anon, who said : "Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position or
prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character."

** "Really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them but
through them." -- John Ruskin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NewS BitS.......

What is Greatness ----
In 1912, Dwight W. Morrow, the father of Anne Lindbergh, told a group of
friends that Calvin Coolidge had real presdential possibilities. They disagreed,
saying that Coolidge was too quite, and lacked color and political personality.
"No one would like him," objected one of the group.
But up piped Anne, then aged six : "I like Mr Coolidge." then she displayed a
finger with a bit of adhesive tape on it. "He was the only one who asked me about
my sore finger." Mr. Morrow nodded. "There's your answer," he said. -
"Calvin Coolidge served as President of the United States from 1923 to 1929.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FroM ThE HearT.........

LOVE MEANS.....

Believing In Someone.

Love takes time. It needs a history
of giving and receiving, laughing and crying.

Love doesn't promise instant
gratification, only ultimate fulfillment.

Love means believing in someone,
in something; it presupposes a
willingness to struggle, to work,
to suffer, and to rejoice.

Love is doing everything you can
to help others build whatever dreams
they have.

Love is on a constant journey
to what others need. It must be attentive,
caring, and open, both to what others
say and to what others cannot say.

Love will never reject others.
It is the first to encourage and
the last to condemn.

Love is a commitment to growth,
happiness, and fulfillment of
one another.

--- Adapted from Barb Upham.

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