Just Five More Minutes

Author: Unknown

Note: This story is not owned by LOL. I just want to share this wonderful story to inspire our readers. I hope that we learn great things out of this simple story.

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While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.

“That’s my son over there,” she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.

“He’s a fine looking boy” the man said. “That’s my daughter on the bike in the white dress.”

Then, looking at his watch, he called to his daughter. “What do you say we go, Melissa?”

Melissa pleaded, “Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes.”

The man nodded and Melissa continued to ride her bike to her heart’s content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his daughter. “Time to go now?”

Again Melissa pleaded, “Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes.”

The man smiled and said, “OK.”

“My, you certainly are a patient father,” the woman responded.

The man smiled and then said, “Her older brother Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I’d give anything for just five more minutes with him. I’ve vowed not to make the same mistake with Melissa.

She thinks she has five more minutes to ride her bike. The truth is, I get Five more minutes to watch her play.”

Life is all about making priorities, what are your priorities?

Give someone you love 5 more minutes of your time today!

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The Three Little Trees

Author: Unknown

Note: This story is not owned by LOL. I just want to share this wonderful story to inspire our readers. I hope that we learn great things out of this simple tale of the little trees.

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    Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked at the stars and said, "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I will be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world !"

      The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world !"

      The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in the busy town. "I don't want to leave theh mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."

      Years passed. The rains came, the sun shone and the three little trees grew tall.

      One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure," the first tree said.

      The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong, it is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters," thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kinds !:

      The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me," he muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe the third tree fell.

      The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenters shop, but the carpenter fashioned her into a feedbox for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold nor with treasure. She was coated in sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

      The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and saved into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river, instead she was taken to a little lake.

      The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. ""What happened, " the once tall tree wondered ? "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God."

      Many, many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night golden starlight poured over the first tree as a woman and her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful," she said. And suddenly the first tree knew that he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

      One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat The traveler fell asleep as the second tree sailed quietly out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered, she knew she didn't have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew that he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.

      One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldieries nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly harsh and cruel. But, on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God' love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

      So the next time you feel down because you didn't get what you wanted, just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.

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BFF – Blogger’s Friend and Foe

“We cannot please everybody” That is fact that we cannot deny. Though we tried our best to be good for them, still there are people whose mind are shallow enough and cannot appreciate the simple things that we do.

I started blogging last 2007, my entries at that time were just letters to myself. I wrote stories that no one ever know because I am afraid to be criticized by other people. Let us just say I was a coward at that time; a year after, I never attended my blog and my stories were forgotten by time. I was so busy with my work and studies, and writing as a hobby had been neglected. I lived a life like of a robot for more than two years until I realized that I was already losing myself. I was drifted with responsibilities that I seldom see myself paint a genuine smile on my face. Recently, I was browsing the web and stumble in blog where I read the story that awaken my literary interest.  “Ang Kuya Kong Crush ng Bayan by Mike Juha”, the story of Jason and Romuel awaken my mind. It made me dream again, it brought new hope to my withering heart and at the end of their story, I found myself typing my college memory entitled “The Debater’s Love Story”. After that, I reopened my old blog and I am thankful because it was still active. I made major changes on the layout and renamed it “Literature of Life”. I chose that name because Literature reflects human experiences and it mirrors our humanity. Thus Literature itself is life and my blog will only publish the life of life itself.

Not so long after I reactivated my blog, I had made friends with the author itself of MSOB, Mike Juha. He was kind and warm to me. He invited me to write on his blog which made me feel honoured, and in return he also became a contributor in my blog. I regularly visited MSOB and read more stories and chatted with other readers and writers. One day I chatted with Rovi, the main character of Task Force Enigma and the author of UNBROKEN. I invited him to share his stories in my blog which he graciously accepted. He also introduced me to the author of TFE, no other than Dalisay who instantly became my friend and contributor in own blog. I fell in love with his story “Kung Kaya Mong Sabihin na Mahal Mo Ako” when I first read it. Mike and Dalisay encouraged me to write again which paved the way to my first tagalog story entitled “Ang mga Pangarap ni Fredo”. I began to enjoy reading and writing during my spare time in spite of my heavy schedule in the call center and in the school.  

I write not to empress anyone but to share my thoughts, my dreams and my aspirations. I intended to transform my experiences and the happenings around me into fiction and bring forth lessons to the readers. I have joined several blog sites and one of these is the BOL. At first, I already noticed some readers (not all) who displayed negative attitudes, but still I posted my articles there. My first article in BOL was a cold welcome, some commented why I wrote in English, they thought I was a trying hard writer. I never mind them, because I respected their right to say whatever they want to say. Recently, I wrote a true story entitled “Neltach”. I never expected that my simple request to rate my blog would create a negative impact on some readers. An anonymous reader posted a discriminatory comment which is pointed directly to me as the author and not to the story I wrote. I never wanted to reply on his comment so I deleted my post in BOL. A day after that, the anonymous reader followed me in my Facebook account and sent me a personal message “have originality on requesting torrid part..haizz pilipino nga naman gaya gaya ng style....”  The account was under a guy named Jay Parker. I replied to him, telling him that I was not forcing him to vote if he doesn’t want to, and thanked him for his comment. I closed the issue and decided to keep quite. I did not expect that because of this incident I would found a friend who is willing to lower down his level and fight for me. Dalisay is just like my heroine, protecting me from my attackers. When I read the thread of comments posted both in BOL and MSOB, I do not know how to react anymore, I do not want to post new comments as I don’t want to ignite the fire of the issue. Since the beginning, I have accepted the fact that I am not as good as the other writers here, but that did not hinder me from writing my thoughts in my own simple style. If someone does not like what I write, then don’t read. I am not forcing anyone here.

Mr. Jay Parker, you are still young and you will learn a lot along the way. I appreciate your honest comment, but always remember that we are not measured with our intelligence, our success in life is measured with our attitude. I would like to close this issue and may everyone have a peaceful life.

Dalisay, you were the only one who fought for me. I found a true friend in you. A friend that I will cherish for the rest of my life, I will never forget how you protected me. I never had a friend like you before. I must say, you are the first friend of all my friends who stood and fought in my behalf. Thank you very much!

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