Wisdom

The following true stories of wisdom, virtue, grace, mindfulness, compassion, and character are meant as guideposts to those who seek to follow The Way.

Shoes

As Gandhi stepped aboard a train one day, one of his shoes slipped off and landed on the track.
He was unable to retrieve it as the train was moving. To the amazement of his companions,
Gandhi calmly took off his other shoe and threw it back along the track to land close to the first.
Asked by a fellow passenger why he did so, Gandhi smiled.
"The poor man who finds the shoes lying on the track," he replied,
"will now have a pair he can use."

~ Gandhi, First quoted in The Little Brown Book of Anecdotes

My Long Walk

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.

~ Nelson Mandela

Thanks Dad

One day a father and his rich family took their son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to showhim how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"Very good Dad!"
"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.
"Yeah!"
"And what did you learn?"
The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon."
When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.
His son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!"

Alan's Writings Maggie's Place