PERSONALITY TREES

Look at the trees and choose the one that is immediately most appealing to you. Don’t think about it too long, just choose, and find out what your choice says about your personality. There's nothing scientific about this. It's just for FUN. The results . . .

1. You are a generous and moral (not to confuse with moralizing) person. You always work on self-improvement. You are very ambitious and have very high standards. People might think that communicating with you is difficult, but for you, it isn't easy to be who you are. You work very hard but you are not in the least selfish. You work because you want to improve the world. You have a great capacity to love people until they hurt you. But even after they do. . . you keep loving. Very few people can appreciate everything you do as well as you deserve.

2. You are a fun, honest person. You are very responsible and like taking care of others. You believe in putting in an honest day's work and accept many work-related responsibilities. You have a very good personality and people come to trust you easily. You are bright, witty and fast-thinking. You always have an interesting story to tell.

3.You are a smart and thoughtful person. You are a great thinker. Your thoughts and ideas are the most important. You like to think about your theories and views alone. You are an introvert. You get along with those who likes to think and learn. You spend a lot of time, thinking about morality. You are trying to do what is right, even if the majority of society does not agree with you.

4. You are perceptive and philosophical person. You are a unique, one soul of your kind. Next to you there's no one even slightly similar to you. You are intuitive and a bit quirky. You are often misunderstood, and it hurts you. You need personal space. Your creativity needs to be developed, it requires respect of others. You are a person who clearly sees the light and dark sides of life. You are very emotional.

5. You are self-assured and in charge. You are very independent. Your guiding principle in life is 'I'll do it my way.'. You are very self-reliant and know how to stay strong for yourself and the people you Love. You know exactly what you want and are not afraid of pursuing your dreams. The only thing you demand from people is honesty. You are strong enough to accept the truth.

6. You are kind and sensitive. People relate to you very well. You have many friends and you love helping them. You have this warm and bright aura that makes people feel good when they are around you. Every day, you think about what you can do to improve yourself. You want to be interesting, insightful and unique. More than anybody else in the world, you need to love. You are even ready to love those who don't love you back.

7. You are happy and unflappable. You are a very sensitive and understanding person. You are a great listener who know how to be non-judgmental. You believe that everybody has their own journey in life. You are open to new people and events. You are highly resistant to stress and rarely worry. Normally, you are very relaxed. You always manage to have a good time and never lose your way.

8. You are charming and energetic. You are a fun person who knows how to make people laugh. You live in a state of harmony with the universe. You are spontaneous and enthusiastic. You never say no to an adventure. Often, you end up surprising and even shocking people. But that's just how you are. . . You always remain true to yourself. You have many interests and if something proves of interest to you, you will not rest until you acquire a profound knowledge of this area.

9. You are optimistic and lucky. You believe that life is a gift and you try to achieve as much as possible and put this gift to the best use possible. You are very proud of your achievements. You are ready to stick by the people you care about through thick and thin. You have a very healthy approach to life. The glass is (at least) half full for you. You use any opportunity to forgive, learn, and grow because you believe that life is too short to do otherwise.

TWO ANIMALS

In every man there are two animals that live inside of him. One animal called hate and the other called love.
They both are fighting for control and the thing that we need to understand is that whatever animal we feed the most will be in control.
So if we feed hate, hate will dominate our lives and ultimately cause heartache and destruction to those who are around us.
So we need to feed the animal called love and allow it to control our every action. If we will allow love to lead us and control us we will leave a very powerful legacy for the next generation to follow.
We must never allow hate to get a strong hold within our hearts because it will cause a decease that is far worse than cancer It will cause us to die from the inside out and make everyone to to stir clear of us.
We must let love kill the animal called hate because there is nothing else that can get ride of hate other than love.
So today where there is hate let love choke it out. For if we all love one another as ourselves we will change this world from hate to love.

THE MOST DIFFICULT…

For days now I have been trying to find the right words--- the ones that truly express how I am feeling……My Most Beautiful and Loving Mother has passed away to be with my Dad in Heaven….. I am angry that she is gone…hurt….lonely….confused….relieved….scared…troubled….sad……broken.

My mother’s passion in life was taking care of family. Before she had children she was a cosmetologist…..love to cut hair…that was her thing!!!! But more then that---with her family was ALWAYS first and foremost… the second she became pregnant with me---she gave up the life that she loved to raise and care for and love and guide her children. She was a stay at home mom….. She never stopped cooking, cleaning, loving, laughing, smiling and do all she could to make her husband and children comfortable and happy. She had the heaviest Spanish accent—if she was mad some people could not understand her….. I love the way she started to speak English at home but it always ended in her speaking Spanish….Of course Spanish was my first language---and it was spoken always in our home. She was such a perfect partner and wife to my Dad----always taking care of his every need….always being the ultimate  hostess for parties at our home…family reunions.

They loved going to dances in the various clubs and associations they belong to-I have some beautiful memories of just watching them dance together---they fit like a pair of gloves-They always looked so sharp dressed up and dancing and did not care what was going on around them---they just danced… they also loved playing canasta….. and to highlight the evening my mother arguing that my dad cheated…..they loved it…they were never angry at each…but it almost seem to be a ritual.

I will so miss her accent----I will miss her calling me my brother’s name ---two kids and never could keep the names straight. She took care of my dad’s mom since I was in high school until the day she died some 28 years later. My Mom’s parents both had passed away by the time she was 10 years old….so her older sisters raised her. I will miss her talking about her sisters---I called them the mini ones---My mom was the tallest of her sisters—and she was only 5 feet tall maybe. I will miss her cooking immensely—that was her way of showing love---cooking and more cooking…she loved to feed people. I admired her Faith in God…it was constant unfailing and just poured out of her for all to see. I always said that God made my Mom an angel on earth to do what she does for others and just stay the humble and loving person she was. Her favorite sport was bowling----she belonged to several leagues throughout the years…won sooooo many trophies and patches…I loved it all…I always thought the bowling balls were too heavy for her—but there she was doing here lil approach and throwing that huge ball and striking away---just amazing!!

After my father passed away---it hurt to see my mother—her smile seemed forced—she just wanted to be with him---he was her life----she felt so alone…Well Now She Is With Him—Dancing in the Heavens……

I Will So Miss Her More Then Mere Words Could Express….I LOVE YOU MOM!!!!!

June 9th 1922- July 23rd 2013

GOD I MISS HIM!!!!

Today—4 years ago I lost my father------the old man. I have called him old man for almost my whole life.
My siblings never did and no one else was allowed to – it was our connection….

There are times I still find myself picking up the phone and wanting to call him—to just hear his voice—ask for his advice, tell him about my day…talk about family!!! That emptiness truly sucks --- there is nothing that can replace it or make it go away. The day my father passed away was the day my mother slowly gave up living. She is living with my brother and his family—I know her heart is broken—and there is nothing I can say to her to comfort her other than telling her I love her…. Sometimes that is just not enough.

I had a dream about him once----that he was at my front door – I hugged him sooooo tight –I could actually smell his aftershave lotion (old spice).. I could hear him in my head say it is okay!!! Then I woke up. That is what I am hanging onto.

I miss his business sense…… his poker games….. his domino matches with his friends…. and his lil veggie garden. I miss him because he is missing the beautiful woman that his grand daughter has grown to become. Her creative talents… her ideas.

I miss him-----I miss him----I  miss him!!!!

UNSEEN RICHES

**Found This Short Story and Thought I would Share it Here!!!!!**                                             
by Diana Reeves                                        
Georgia, USA

Growing up, we didn't have much. Actually, we had very little. With
three little mouths to feed, my daddy worked as a janitor and then
farmed our own small field until dark. Daddy provided for us the best he
could, and mama made our clothes on her old sewing machine.

It was probably evident to all the teachers and kids at school just how
poor we were. Then came third grade, Mrs. Harper's class.

Mrs. Harper brought a huge box of toys to school to give to "needy"
children. Everyone was invited to bring some of their own toys from home
to put in the box. Needless to say, I had hardly any toys of my own.

By oh boy, did my eyes get *big* when I looked into that box. It was
like a dream world to me -- so many toys! Evidently Mrs. Harper saw the
look in my eyes, and although I never asked, she offered to let me pick
out two toys for myself from the box. I was so thankful and thought I
was the luckiest girl in the whole world!

When I got home I couldn't wait to show mama. She admired the toys and
asked where I got them. I told her about the box for the needy children
and that Mrs. Harper had let me pick two from the box!

Mama thought for a few seconds and in a very sweet way, said "No... no,
you can't keep them honey. You see, there are little children in the
world that don't have anything." She explained to me that those toys
were for "poor" children, and I had to return them to the box because it
wouldn't be right to keep them.

She wasn't angry or resentful that the teacher had let me pick them, she
just stated it as a matter of fact. Although I was disappointed I
couldn't keep the toys, I was somewhat proud to take them back. After
all, they were for the poor little children in the world.

So the next day, I took them back to the big box and explained to Mrs.
Harper why I couldn't keep them. With a smile, she said she understood.

Despite the obvious fact of how poor we were, my mama made me believe
differently. She made me see myself differently and made me proud of who
I was. From that point on, I always felt sorry for the poor, but never
considered myself that way.

Looking back now, I can see just how poor we really were. We had holes
in the floor, leaks in the roof, a freezing house, worn out shoes, few
clothes, and little food. We could have easily applied for welfare, but
my daddy wouldn't think of it. Our family was full of integrity and
proud of hard work.

Although my mama is long gone, her lessons have stayed with me through
life. We didn't have much money, but we were rich on love.

CINCO DE MAYO

Just wanted to wish you all HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!!!!

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War, and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

PEACE--

RESISTING THE BLAME GAME

RESISTING THE BLAME  GAME

A mother heard the family cat yowl in pain. She knew where to look – she looked for her son, Mike. "Stop pulling the cat's tail, Michael!" she chided.

"I'm not pulling his tail," the boy retorted. "I'm just standing on it. He's doing the pulling."

He, of course, is no different than any of us. Often, our first impulse is to blame someone or something else for problems. It's the cat's fault. Or the school's fault. Or my parents' fault.

I once heard a story of a 40-year-old woman who was jogging in a U. S. state park when she was attacked and killed by a mountain lion. Her family immediately filed suit against the state because of its "failure to manage the mountain lion population" and because it didn't "react to reports of cougar activity in the area by posting warning signs."

But an interesting thing happened. Her distraught husband felt it was wrong to blame the state or anyone else for his wife's death, even though he stood to possibly win a small fortune. Against her family's wishes, he dropped the law suit. "Barbara and I have always taken responsibility for our own actions," he explained. "Barbara chose to run in the wild and, on a very long shot, she did not come back. This is not the fault of the state, and people should take responsibility for themselves."

I would like to meet that man. He no doubt believes that the Blame Game" is a no-win in the long run. He seems like a person who would rather spend time fixing what's broken than fixing the blame for it on someone else.

This isn't about law suits – it's more about whether we are essentially victims of life or whether we are powerful and responsible people. An important step in gaining mastery over your life is to resist the urge to make something or someone else responsible. Like novelist J. K. Rowling (of Harry Potter fame) said to graduating Harvard students, "There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you." Certainly background and circumstances have influenced who we are, but who is responsible for the person we become?

An important decision I made was to resist playing the Blame Game. The day I realized that I am in charge of how I will approach problems in my life, that things will turn out better or worse because of me and nobody else, that was the day I knew I would be a happier and healthier person. And that was the day I knew I could truly build a life that matters.

-- Steve Goodier  www.LifeSupportSystem.com