Thursday, June 22, 2023

Let's talk Proverbs - The Mouse and The Lion




Have you thought about how proverbs make great conversation boosters? They always
gives one an edge in a conversation and is meaningful and inculcates positivity in a person.

Here's a story about the lion and the mouse.

In a forest, there lived a mighty lion. The lion ruled the forest and the animals of the forest feared him.

One day, when it was fast asleep, a mouse accidentally ran over his body. The poor mouse didn't know that it had traipsed over the lion in its quest to get to the other side.
 
Disturbed, the disgruntled lion caught the mouse in his paw. Thinking the mouse had disrespected him and dared to cross over him, he thought to crush it to death. It wouldn't be hard for him to kill a tiny animal like the mouse. 

The frightened mouse cowered and begged for mercy. "Please don't kill me. Someday, I might be able to return your favor if you spare my life."

The lion could not believe the mouse. "What! A tiny thing like you can help me someday?" he guffawed. 

However, the lion let it go. He thought the mouse clever in the way he pleaded for his life. He knew the right thing to say in a time of adversity.

The lion went about the forest as usual since he was wide awake now. The mouse had disappeared somewhere in the thick of the jungle.

Suddenly, the lion walked into the net of a hunter's trap. He was caught and couldn't release himself. He roared loudly for help.

The mouse heard the lion's roar and ran to help him. He gnawed through the ropes as fast as he could and freed the lion.


Kindness will always be rewarded.

Proverb: A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Never underestimate someone or something that is smaller or tinier than you. It is the small and tiny ones who rise to be giants.

--shobana-

News to share:

I published a book of proverbs for children. It is on Kindle. Paperback Edition will soon be published.

Color a proverb into your child's learning methods.
Proverbs make great conversation starters and often instill a positive outlook in a child.
Enhance a child's vocabulary and language skills.
This book comes with pictures to color. A fun way to learn the proverbs.
Makes a wonderful gift for any occasion.

My first beautiful review of the book: Thank you, sir.


Customer Review

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 23, 2023
This book has a unique twist and goes beyond just providing fun illustrations to color. 
Each page is beautifully adorned with carefully selected proverbs, making it a powerful tool 
to enhance children's language skills and instill valuable life lessons.
As children bring these pages to life with their vibrant colors,
they simultaneously engage in a fun and educational learning experience.



A Haiku for YOU





Elsewhere, a catastrophe that relives the nightmare of the RMS Titanic sinking in 1912.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2023/06/23/titanic-sub-destroyed-in-catastrophic-implosion-all-five-aboard-dead/75843

Titanic sub destroyed in ‘catastrophic implosion,’ all five aboard dead

Titanic sub destroyed in ‘catastrophic implosion,’ all five aboard dead



INDEPENDENT
LET’S UNPACK THAT

Thirty, flirty and declining: How 30 Became a terrifying milestone for an anxious generation

If all the signifiers of adulthood – a well-paid job, a house, the opportunity to start a family – seem so far out of reach for today’s twentysomethings, why does turning 30 still stoke so much fear, asks Eloise Hendy



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Have a Great Weekend.





Thursday, June 15, 2023

The Candle - True Story





Last year I had the privilege of visiting Lourdes, France. I had always wanted to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, and it was a dream come true for me.
Our family was undergoing all kinds of trials and tribulations. With three members of my family dying under tragic circumstances, I prayed with extra earnestness for salvation. I was really worried about the welfare of my children and the rest of my family members.
I thank God that I made it to and back from Lourdes alive. 
When there, I went one early morning to light a candle at the altar of the shrine after saying my prayers at the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. 
I was there in the wee hours of the morning and I loved the beautiful ambiance of the church. So gorgeous were the grounds and the tranquil surroundings were captivating.
I bought a candle from the candle stand, but since there wasn't anyone around, I wasn't sure if I could light it. Anyway, I walked up to the votive stand, and to my intense surprise, a tiny light flickered in one of the candles. The rest had burned out.
I took my candle and lit it from the fire of that candle. I wanted to place my lit candle on the votive stand when I heard a chorus of voices say to me, "Light all the candles." I was taken aback by the chorus of voices. Steeling myself to be brave, I looked around. In that sudden instant, I felt a calm descend on me. 
I then lit all the candles on the stand. 
I tried to place my candle again on the stand. However, it kept tipping over and I couldn't stand it on the metal railing, no matter how many times I tried.
Suddenly, I heard a voice say, "Take the candle back home." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Then I heard it again, "take the candle back home." Where did the voice come from? 
I turned around to see a gentleman walking up the staircase. I wondered if he saw what had happened as I tried lighting my candles.
I quickly climbed down the stairs and left.
That incident will always make me wonder about my incredible journey to France. Something so magnetic pulled me to that place of worship. It was a healing experience.




Elsewhere the weather ravages:

Cyclone Biparjoy Live Updates: At least 2 dead, road connectivity affected in Kutch; Biparjoy weakens into cyclonic storm

Cyclone Biparjoy in Gujarat Live Updates: The 'severe' cyclonic storm Biparjoy lay centered over the Saurashtra-Kutch region and is expected to move northeastwards on Friday with heavy rains in Rajasth...READ MORE






Quote for the day:

A cancer vaccine cure?
MediaPost
Subscribe  |  Share »
TOP OF THE NEWS
We Can't-Wait: Nat Geo To Document Race For A Cancer Vaccine
by Les Luchter

Documentary will follow the team behind Pfizer's COVID vaccine as they aim to create an entirely new class of medicines using the body's own defenses to defeat cancer. Read the whole story


Friday, June 9, 2023

Why does it hurt so much?

It was raining one evening when I was on the way out of the office. That was some time ago. These days I don't have an office to go to. I now write full-time from home. I do miss the office environment though.

However, everyone moves on at some stage in their lives. So I have moved on too.

Right now, it isn't about when it rained that evening and I was on the way out of the office. Well, it is about the rain, period.

Jacky loved the rain. She told me that a year before she died. She saw me looking out the car window and asked if I felt the same way about the rain. I said yes. We were going out for a meal together.

That day I realized not the rain but the storms of our lives. 

Jacky had just been diagnosed with a terminal illness and I knew that she was worried she might die. She had a son to care for and he was far too young to lose a mother. But in the end, she did die and he did lose a beautiful mom.

Our lives have always been filled with tragedies. I recently told a friend that.  And most of the time they left us deeply impaired. Since it wasn't the rain I wanted to talk about, I would talk about pain instead and why it hurts so much.

Here is one reason why it hurts so much:

Love

  1. Love can hurt when not reciprocated or when a relationship ends. There are many who have turned away from love due to their bad experiences with their partners. Countless relationships are based on pretenses. Finding someone authentic to love has become a challenge in these pretentious times. Everyone wants to have their cake and eat it too. Love comes with extra conditions here. In some, you must have the money, looks, and status to find love. Love has become as difficult as prospecting for gold. Where is love? Okay, wait a bit - let me look over there. And then you find, in all that busyness of digging, you have lost a lifetime searching for that golden love.
  2. Look at all the dating websites. They all have conditions stipulated by those who put up the profiles there. No one is sure anymore if it is the love they want or a perfect partner to keep all their dreams intact. Whatever they are, it is a risk you have to take.
  3. I wish for the old days when love made you feel young. vibrant and beautiful. Where did those days go? Now, love is timed to perfection. Then, there were the careless encounters when all you felt were its freeing moments. Those carefree days, when all it took was a smile to get your heart racing or see kindness in a reflection, are hard to find anymore. These times are for the benevolently fit.

That's why it hurts so much. Because you are losing out on genuine love. I write love stories to portray love as something pure. To bring back the magic of naivety in love. Where a girl meets a boy and her heart is opened like the petals of a flower, fragile and yet strong enough to withstand the passion of love. That's how I relive the days of old - shobana

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News & Views
                                   
Here's something for self-published writers. Calls to Enter your self-published book for the contest! Winning Writers was founded by Jendi Reiter and Adam Cohen in 2001. They are one of the "101 Best Writing Websites" (Writer's Digest, 2005-2013) and a recipient of the Truly Useful Site Award (Preditors & Editors, March 2006).

They have published a couple of my poems and articles in their subscriber's column. And I thank them for the publications. @winningwriters.com

Winning Writers - best resources for poets and writers

Final Month: North Street Book Prize

Win $10,000 for your self-published or hybrid-published book. Submit by June 

Jane Austen Regency Week 2023

17th - 25th June - Tickets on sale now!
Join Jane Austen’s family, Jane Austen Literacy Foundation ambassadors and volunteers at the Parade for Literacy and Regency Picnic on Sunday 18th June.
Jane Austen Regency Week
The Foundation is run entirely by volunteers and 100% of donations are spent on literacy projects and activities. For more information:
Jane Austen Literacy Foundation
Please SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel, where you will find lots of Austen-related entertainment and interviews - a free way of helping us raise money.



Free Book to Read @Inkitt

Mrs. Robinson, Her Eyes on Freedom
https://www.inkitt.com/stories/mystery/1050508






Children of War

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