5 Adar, 5773
I've heard people grumbling that this or that person does not appreciate "What I did for them!"
Well, I have a soothing story to calm you down. It goes like this:
An old, emaciated beggar walked into
an ancient town, weakly begging for food. Alarmed citizens searched their
cupboards, though they too, were poor.
One home owner offered dried out crusts of bread.
Another brought leftover porridge.
The contributions went on and on, meager as they were. Everyone
was sad that the poor fellow remained hungry. Until...
One little child ran to the town square, delightedly holding out a
delicious, fresh-baked pastry that had been hidden away for dinner that night.
The hungry man gratefully bit into the food and chewed
appreciatively. The he let out a sigh of contentment.
"YOU're a hero!" the townspeople cried as they lifted
the child to their shoulders for an impromptu parade.
The child chortled with happiness, unable to express a sense of
feeling so appreciated. But...
The townspeople who'd surrendered their own meager scraps felt unhappy. They had nothing to show for having lost their needed food, and it
sure didn't seem to matter to the once-hungry beggar.
Ah, but the now-satiated man looked about and called for
everyone's attention. "I want you to know," he grandly announced,
"That the fresh pastry the child gave to me is not only what saved my life. It
is the food that all of you gave to me. Little by little, you filled my
completely empty belly. There was only a smidgen of space left, and the pastry
filled it. My strength is restored thanks to each and every one of you!"
That put a different perspective on things. Everyone in the
town stood straighter, smiled a bit more brightly and shared a sense of
unanimous joy.
Hang on to the fable when you feel hurt that someone let you down with insufficient appreciation for your hard efforts. Share it whenever you wish (please use the link to this blogpost!)
Have a soothing weekend!
Sad about your medical, disability or mental health situation? Cheer up with humor-filled E-book or print edition EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge.
Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity. Face Your Future with Optimism.
Find ways to comfort yourself. Doing something for others is one delightful way to start.
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