The Forgiveness of the Father

The story is told in modern American folklore

A young man left home shortly before time of the great economic depression of the 1930s. Tired of his parents, tired of his family tired of rural life on the farm, he wanted excitement, adventure and experience.

So, quarreling with his mother and father, he left home, seeking fame, fortune and the high life in the big cities of America. But the economic depression struck, employment was scarce, and young man found himself living in poverty on the streets.

He now thought only with nostalgia of his home and family, remembering the comfort, care and security they had once provided. But in the years he had been away, he had never contacted his parents, never even written home since his angry departure. And now he was too ashamed and proud to admit to them that he had been wrong, to seek their forgiveness and ask to be taken back into the family home. Read more

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Story of Generosity of Two Brothers

There were once two brothers who jointly farmed a field, and always shared its yield. One night one of them thought:

My brother is married and has children. Because of this he has anxieties and expenses which are not mine.

Moved by generosity, and under cover of darkness, he secretly carried some sacks of grain from his own storeroom and put them into his brother’s.

Soon afterwards the other brother woke up and thought to himself:

It is not fair that I should have half of all the corn in our field. My brother, who is unmarried, lacks my pleasures in having a family, and I shall therefore try to compensate a little by moving some of my corn into his storeroom.

So saying, he did so.

The next morning, each was amazed that he still had the same number of sacks in his storeroom. This continued year after year!

Idries Shah, Carvan of Dreams

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Make a Difference Today

A man who was walking along the beach when noticed that the high tide had washed hundreds of starfish upon the shore.

He realized that they would soon die being out of their natural habitat. He began to pick up one at a time and throw it back into the ocean.

Two unruly young men came up to him and began to taunt him.

“Why are you doing this,” they asked.

“There are hundreds, maybe thousands of them. Do you really think you can make a difference?”

The man picked up a starfish, threw it into the ocean and replied, “Made a difference to that one, didn’t I?”

You, too, can make a difference today

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