Friend I love you because...
with you I can be myself
Because we can talk about anything and laugh about silly things...

I love you because...
You made a difference in my life and that made all the difference.

I love you for a hundred thousand reasons~
But most of all I love you 'cause you're you!

Dear friend:
Thanks for giving me enough space to be a close friend.
Thanks for giving me your smile to wear when tears had washed mine away.
Thanks for admiring my virtues and accepting my flaws when I wasn’t capable of doing either.
Thanks for poking me with your laughter when I was full of hot air.
Thanks for making me laugh when something happened to me that was nothing to laugh at.
Thanks for asking me what I was going through and reminding me that soon I would be through it.
Thanks for listening to what I said and couldn’t say, and understanding that what we can’t say hurts the most.
Thanks for all the time we spent together and for showing me that friendship can be our finest hour.
Thanks for the lesson in self-esteem: All friendship first begins with self-friendship.
Thanks for opening your heart: When a friendship opens, it opens us inside out.
Thanks for teaching me not to be blind to friendship even if you sometimes have to close one eye to make a friend and two eyes to keep a friend.
Thanks for telling me when I have something stuck in my teeth.
Thanks for having the honesty to not accept my faults as yours.
Thanks for listening to me when I had nothing to say and for saying nothing about you.
Thanks for reminding me that who I once was is not as exciting to you as whom I might yet become.
Thanks for remind me that a friend is someone who is there for you when you don’t think you’re getting anywhere.
Thanks for reminding me that the only way to be a best friend is to be the best I can be.
Thanks for listening long enough for me to hear how wrong I could be.
Thanks for reminding me that we can be independent and still depend on others.
Thanks for taking my side in arguments and changing sides when I changed my mind.
Thanks for reminding me that I’m not the most important person in the world but that you think the world of me.
Friendship is contagious and love is contagious.
Friendship is like good health; you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.
Friendship is a key that can unlock something inside of us we never knew was locked.
A friend is more than someone who treats us with the same familiar disregard we have for ourselves.
A friend is someone who allows distance but is never far away.
If we look at our friends and feel lucky, we are.
Growing up, lots of people would talk to me. You would listen.

Don’t take criticism to heart but to get to the heart of the criticism.
Real kindness is helping someone who can never repay you.
We are lost when we don’t help others to find their way.
No matter how gifted we are, none of us are a gift to others if we’re wrapped up in ourselves.
When you want to wash away a memory, scrub with time.
The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference.
God gave us two eyes so we could see both sides of our own opinions, and two ears so we could hear both sides to the argument, but only one mouth and the reminder not to talk out of both sides of it.
It is all right to be wrong and wrong to always be right.

Labels: relationships

  ¶ 8:14 PM 0 Comments

  One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.

His name was Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books.
I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.'

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.
They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.

His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.
He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives.'
He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!' There was a big smile on his face.
It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.

He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.
He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends He said yes

We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.
I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!' He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends..
When we were seniors we began to think about college.
Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.

I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship..
Kyle was valedictorian of our class.

I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak Graduation day, I saw Kyle.
He looked great.
He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.

He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous!
Today was one of those days.
I could see that he was nervous about his speech.
So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!'
He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.
'Thanks,' he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began
'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends...
I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.I am going to tell you a story.'

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
'Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.'

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.
Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse.

God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for God in others.

'Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.'

There is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.

Labels: appreciation, relationships, touching

  ¶ 6:20 AM 0 Comments

  Important 3 word phrases There are many things that we can do to perk up and strengthen our interpersonal relationships.
Yet the most effective involves the saying of just three words.
When spoken or conveyed, these statements have the power to forge new
friendships, deepen old ones and rest old relationships that have cooled.
The following three-word phrases can enrich every relationship...

I'll be there.

If you have ever had to call a friend in the middle of the night, to take a sick child to hospital, or when your car has broken down some miles from home, you will know how good it feels to hear the phrase "I'll be there."
Being there for another person is the greatest gift we can give.
When we are truly present for other people, important things happen to them and us.
We are renewed in love and friendship. We are restored emotionally and spiritually.
Being there is at the very core of civility.


I miss you.

Perhaps more marriages could be saved and strengthened if couples simply
and sincerely said to each other "I miss you."
This powerful affirmation tells partners they are wanted, needed, desired
and loved.
Consider how ecstatic you would feel, if you received an unexpected phone
call from your spouse in the middle of your workday, just to say "I miss
you."


I respect you.

Respect is another way of showing love.
Respect conveys the feeling that another person is a true equal.
If you talk to your children as if they were adults you will strengthen the bonds and become close friends.
This applies to all interpersonal relationships.


Maybe you're right.

This phrase is highly effective in diffusing an argument and restoring
frayed emotions.
The flip side to "maybe your right" is the humility of admitting, "maybe
I'm wrong".
Let's face it. When you have a heated argument with someone, all you do is
cement the other person's point of view.
They, or you, will not change their stance and you run the risk of
seriously damaging the relationship between you.
Saying "maybe you're right" can open the door to further explore the
subject, in which you may then have the opportunity to get your view across
in a more rational manner.


Please forgive me.

Many broken relationships could be restored and healed if people would
admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness.
All of us are vulnerable to faults and failures.
A man should never be ashamed to own up that he has been in the wrong,
which is saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was
yesterday.


Count on me.

A friend is one who walks in when others walk out.
Loyalty is an essential ingredient for true friendship; it is the emotional
glue that bonds people.
Those that are rich in their relationships tend to be steady and true friends.
When troubles come, a good friend is there indicating "you can count on me."
Let me help.
The best of friends see a need and try to fill it.
When they spot a Hurt they do what they can to heal it.
Without being asked, they pitch in and help.


I understand you.

People become closer and enjoy each other more if they feel the other person accepts and understands them.
Letting your spouse know in so many little ways that you understand them, is one of the most powerful tools for healing your relationship.
This applies to any relationship.


I love you.

Perhaps the most important three words that you can say.
Telling someone that you truly love them satisfies a person's deepest
emotional needs.
The need to belong, to feel appreciated and to be wanted. Your spouse, your children, your friends and you, all need to hear those three little words.
"I love you."


I thank you.

Gratitude is an exquisite form of courtesy.
People who enjoy the companionship of good, close friends are those who
don't take daily courtesies for granted.
They are quick to thank their friends for their many expressions of
kindness.
On the other hand, people whose circle of friends is severely constricted
often do not have the attitude of gratitude!


Go for it.

We are all unique individuals.
Don't try to get your friends to conform to your ideals.
Support them in pursuing their interests, no matter how weird they seem to you.
Everyone has dreams, dreams that are unique to that person only.
Support and encourage your friends to follow their dreams.

Labels: motivation, relationships

  ¶ 8:05 PM 0 Comments

  When you were 8 years old, your mom handed you an ice cream.
You thanked her by dripping it all over your lap.

When you were 9 years old, she paid for piano lessons.
You thanked her by not bothering to practice.

When you were 10 years old she drove you all day, from soccer to football to one birthday party after another.
You thanked her by jumping out of the car and never looking back.

When you were 11 years old, she took you and your friends to the movies.
You thanked her by asking to sit in a different row.

When you were 12 years old, she warned you not to watch certain TV shows.
You thanked her by waiting until she left the house.

When you were 13, she suggested a haircut that was becoming.
You thanked her by telling her she had no taste.

When you were 14, she paid for a month away at summer camp.
You thanked her by forgetting to write a single letter.

When you were 15, she came home from work, looking for a hug.
You thanked her by having your bedroom door locked.

When you were 16, she taught you how to drive her car.
You thanked her by taking it every chance you could.

When you were 17, she was expecting an important call.
You thanked her by being on the phone all night.

When you were 18, she cried at your high school graduation.
You thanked her by staying out partying until dawn.

When you were 19, she paid for your college tuition, drove you to campus, carried your bags.
You thanked her by saying good-bye outside the dorm so you wouldn't be embarrassed in front of your friends.

When you were 25, she helped to pay for your wedding, and she cried and told you how deeply she loved you.
You thanked her by moving halfway across the country.

When you were 50, she fell ill and needed you to take care of her.
You thanked her by reading about the burden parents become to their children.
And then, one day, she quietly died. And everything you never did came crashing down like thunder on YOUR HEART.

Labels: relationships

  ¶ 6:10 AM 0 Comments

  Too Busy for a Friend One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the
other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space
between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student
on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list.

Before long, the entire class was smiling.

"Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much." were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again.
She never knew if they discussed them after class with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose.

The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on. Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student.

She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature. The church was packed with his friends.

One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin.

The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her.

"Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes."
Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.


Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times.

The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."

Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."

"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her purse and showed her frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times, " Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important.

Tell them, before it is too late...

If you're "too busy" to take those few minutes right now to forward
this message on, would this be the VERY first time you didn't do that little thing that would make a difference in your relationships?

Remember, you reap what you sow, what you put into the lives of
others comes back into your own.

MAY YOUR DAY BE BLESSED AND AS SPECIAL AS YOU ARE

Labels: relationships, touching

  ¶ 5:57 AM 0 Comments

  Love- by Kids Touching words from the mouth of babes.
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?'
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined See what you think:

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'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.'
Rebecca- age 8

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'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'
Billy - age 4

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'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.'
Karl - age 5

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'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'
Chrissy - age 6

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'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'
Terri - age 4

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'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'
Danny - age 7

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'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss'
Emily - age 8

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'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.'
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

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'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,'
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

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'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.'
Noelle - age 7

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'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'
Tommy - age 6

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'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'
Cindy - age 8

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'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'
Clare - age 6

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'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'
Elaine-age 5

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'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.'
Chris - age 7

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'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.'
Mary Ann - age 4

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'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'
Lauren - age 4

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'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image)
Karen - age 7

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this one
'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.'
Mark - age 6

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'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8

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And the final one
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

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When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

God, please bless all my friends in whatever it is that You know they may be needing this day! And may their life be full of Your peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with You.

Labels: relationships

  ¶ 5:42 AM 0 Comments

  Little Things make a BIG difference - Laurin Sydney Relationships
1. Sprinkle your vocabulary with superlatives, and they will serve as a positive affirmation. Brilliant! Stupendous! Miraculous, awesome, spectacular, fantabulous, splendiferous!

2.Take time to tell a stranger what a great job they did! A receptionist, waiter, train conductor, we all need a little boost. :)

3. The power of flowers.

4. No matter what circumstances are around you, try to bring new energy to each call. Whether it's personal or professional, that split-second welcome sets the entire tone.

5. Spend the night warming the memories in our hearts. It's interesting to see how the stories evolve. Facts get inflated and circumstances exaggerated. Keep those memories sharp and present by reheating them constantly.

6. Slip an unexpected Hershey's Kiss into an eyeglass case, briefcase, can give your loved on a joyful jolt.

7. Genuine compliment. IT's free, and the impact is miraculous.

8. Every once in a while, pile on to the couch with a box of tissues and good buddies, and watch your favourite tearjerker. Not only does it sharpen your emotions, it also helps you remember how lucky you are. Also provides an outlet for pentup emotions, which is why you always feel better after a good cry!

9. Next time you buy something for yourself, wrap it up and then open it later like it's a gift.. from you... to you!

10. Call someone meaningful from your past.

11. Celebrate everyday -you never know what wonderful things might be in store for you!

12. We shouldn't question kindness, but just accept it, however it comes.

13. Jot down what you're grateful for, stuff it in a pocket, in a drawer, where it will live until the day it makes a surprise guest appearance.

14. You're never alone; hold your own hand for company.

15. Just listen.

16. Whenever you're feeling sorry for yourself, ask yourself if you would honestly want to trade your set of problems for someone else's... you'll probably conclude that you're fortunate to be you.

17. Buy your heels half a size larger, and insert two Dr Scholl's pads as insoles.

18. Clear the clutter by deleting what you don't need. Don't hold on to the junk- it leaves less room for the good stuff.

19. Take baby steps. On your journey, you may wobble and fall on your tush, but those baby steps will add up to a sensational stride.

20. A good way to vent some of the frustration you may be feeling is to get in the shower and visualize the water washing your troubles down the drain.

Kids
21. Every now and then, have a "before Thomas Edison evening". No TV, computer, light, phone, just candlelight conversation with the family.

22. Celebrate half-birthdays :)

23. Add a special message to someone's lunchbox.

24. Make happy faces on a hamburger.

25. When a child's feelings are hurt, put a band-aid over his heart.

Honey
26. Look at your town through different eyes will bring you many wonderful things into focus.

27. Wake up 15 minutes earlier than usual for a little luxury. ;)

28. Heart shapes :D

Labels: relationships

  ¶ 10:29 AM 0 Comments