I glanced out o’er my yard today
To watch leaves slowly drift away
As one by one they sailed on by
A gust of wind made each one fly.
It seemed as though they spoke to me
But silence is their destiny
There’s too much that I need to learn
The list is long, it’s turn by turn.
I often wonder what we’d do
If nature had a word or two
So you and I might understand
What is the message of the land !
Sometimes I fear I cannot bear
The lonliness of life’s despair
I see the children on the street
Their vacant eyes dimmed by defeat.
Compared to those of long ago
When ambition was clear to show
With spunk and guts they vanquished fear
While spirits channeled strength and cheer.
They did not cower in some cave
But learned how proper folk behave
They mimicked those who came before
They worked and saved and worked some more.
They learned the language, customs too
Embraced the challenges they knew
And in the end their courage won
Look now to see how far they’ve come !
Do I have your attention? Oh good, because today I’d like to introduce you to 5 ” magic words “, the keys to the kingdom. I promised my children that these words, used properly, would guarantee them success in life, not in terms financial, but in terms of peace and joy,commodities in short supply . These words are: ” PLEASE “, ” THANK YOU “, ” SORRY”,” MA’AM “, and ” SIR ” ( as in ” no ma’am” or ” yes sir ” ). ” Please ” and ” Thank you ” stand on their own merits and need no instructions ! However my family had difficulty accepting the responsibility of ” Sorry “, does this sound familiar? “Why?” you ask. ” Sorry ” does not signify your guilt. It simply reinforces your concern for others. You should be sorry when you observe someone in stress or pain, don’t you agree ? Therefore, this word connotes genuine empathy in a world which appears to have lost its ” humanity “! If I do not agree with you on an issue, I apologize and doesn’t that help you to experience less antagonism? Now as regards the use of ” Ma’am ” and ” Sir “, these words are a show of respect, another disappearing ” nuance ” of our fading society ( with the exception of the military ). Structure plays a larger role in achieving personal success in as much as it utilizes our best qualities when necessary and these words form a part of that ! They indicate that we do care and will make an effort to listen with respect. Am I mistaken?
Sincerely,
Claire B.
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Claire V. Bogdanos 