PART OF ME.........( Author Unknown )

                    I THOUGHT OF YOU WITH LOVE TODAY,
                    BUT THAT IS NOTHING NEW.
                    I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU YESTERDAY
                    AND THE DAY BEFORE THAT, TOO.

                   I THINK OF YOU IN SILENCE.
                   I OFTEN SAY YOUR NAME.
                   BUT ALL I HAVE ARE MEMORIES
                   AND YOUR PICTURE IN A FRAME.

                   YOUR MEMORY IS MY KEEPSAKE,
                   WITH WHICH I'LL NEVER PART.
                   GOD HAS YOU IN HIS KEEPING.
                   I HAVE YOU IN MY HEART.

                   I SHED TEARS FOR WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
                   A MILLION TIMES I'VE CRIED.
                   IF LOVE ALONE COULD HAVE SAVED YOU,
                   YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE DIED.

                   IN LIFE I LOVED YOU DEARLY.
                   IN DEATH I LOVE YOU STILL.
                   IN MY HEART YOU HOLD A PLACE,
                   NO ONE CAN EVER FILL.

                   IT BROKE MY HEART TO LOSE YOU,
                   BUT YOU DIDN'T GO ALONE.
                   FOR PART OF ME WENT WITH YOU,
                   THE DAY GOD TOOK YOU HOME.



                                    *************

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

     THINK ABOUT HOW YOU TALK ABOUT SOMEONE WITH A DISABILITY.
     WORDS LIKE RETARD, CREEP, IDIOT AND MANY OTHERS ARE NEGATIVE
     AND HURT THE FEELINGS OF A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY.  REMEMBER
     TO SPEAK TO THE PERSON USING HIS/HER NAME WHENEVER YOU ARE
     TOGETHER.

                    LORD,
                    SOMETIMES I GET ANGRY AND I SAY OR DO THINGS
                    THAT I LATER REGRET...THEN I APOLOGIZE FOR THE
                    CRUEL WORDS OR MY HURTFUL ACTIONS, BUT
                    APOLOGIES AREN'T ALWAYS ENOUGH.
                    THERE MAY BE NO WAY TO UNDO THE HARM.

                    LORD,
                    HELP ME TO ACCEPT ANGER AS A REALITY IN MY LIFE.
                    HELP ME TO CONTROL IT AND DIRECT IT INTO THINGS
                    THAT MAKE YOUR CREATION BETTER FOR US ALL.
                    HELP ME TO TURN THE NEGATIVE ENERGY INTO
                    A POSITIVE GOOD..FOR THE OPPRESSED AND THE POOR,
                    FOR THOSE IN NEED  HERE AND AROUND THE WORLD.
 
                    ABOVE ALL, LORD,
                    FILL ME WITH YOUR LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING
                    SO THAT I MAY CONTROL MY ANGER.
                    FOR A MOMENT'S HESITATION CAN MEAN
                    PREVENTING A LIFETIME OF REGRET.

                                                                           AMEN




                                                          ************************
         

"On the Death of the Beloved (by John O'Donahue)

                    THOUGH WE NEED TO WEEP YOUR LOSS,
               YOU DWELL IN THAT SAFE PLACE IN OUR HEARTS
          WHERE NO STORM OR NIGHT OR PAIN CAN REACH YOU.

                              YOUR LOVE WAS LIKE THE DAWN
                              BRIGHTENING OVER OUR LIVES,
                              AWAKENING BENEATH THE DARK
                              A FURTHER ADVENTURE OF COLOR

                                 THE SOUND OF YOUR VOICE
                                            FOUND FOR US
                                            A NEW MUSIC
                              THAT BRIGHTENED EVERYTHING.

                       WHATEVER YOU ENFOLDED IN YOUR GAZE
                          QUICKENED IN THE JOY OF ITS BEING;
                             YOU PLACED SMILES LIKE FLOWERS
                                   ON THE ALTAR OF THE HEART.
                                 YOUR MIND ALWAYS SPARKLED
                                       WITH WONDER AT THINGS.

                        THOUGH YOUR DAYS HERE WERE BRIEF,
                   YOUR SPIRIT WAS ALIVE, AWAKE, COMPLETE.

                     WE LOOK TOWARD EACH OTHER NO LONGER
                     FROM THE OLD DISTANCE OF OUR NAMES;
                  NOW YOU DWELL INSIDE THE RHYTHM OF BREATH,
                        AS CLOSE TO US AS WE ARE TO OURSELVES.

              THOUGH WE CANNOT SEE YOU WITH OUTWARD EYES,
                 WE KNOW OUR SOUL'S GAZE IS UPON YOUR FACE,
                 SMILING BACK AT US FROM WITHIN EVERYTHING
                   TO WHICH WE BRING OUR BEST REFINEMENT.

                   LET US NOT LOOK FOR YOU ONLY IN MEMORY,
                 WHERE WE WOULD GROW LONELY WITHOUT YOU.
                YOU WOULD WANT US TO FIND YOU IN PRESENCE,
                          BESIDE US WHEN BEAUTY BRIGHTENS,
                                      WHEN KINDNESS GLOWS
                          AND MUSIC ECHOES ETERNAL TONES.

                          WHEN ORCHIDS BRIGHTEN THE EARTH,
                       DARKEST WINTER  HAS TURNED TO SPRING;
                      MAY THIS DARK GRIEF FLOWER WITH HOPE
                             IN EVERY HEART THAT LOVES YOU.

                           MAY YOU CONTINUE TO INSPIRE US:
                   TO ENTER EACH DAY WITH A GENEROUS HEART.
                      TO SERVE THE CALL OF COURAGE AND LOVE
                      UNTIL WE SEE YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE AGAIN
             IN THAT LAND WHERE THERE IS NO MORE SEPARATION,
               WHERE ALL TEARS WILL BE WIPED FROM OUR MIND,
                   AND WHERE WE WILL NEVER LOSE YOU AGAIN.




                                                        **************

COLLEGE DRAMA ( from SLDIGEST )

          A COLLEGE DRAMA GROUP PRESENTED A PLAY IN WHICH ONE
          CHARACTER WOULD STAND ON A TRAP DOOR AND ANNOUNCE
          "I DESCEND INTO HELL!"  A STAGEHAND BELOW WOULD THEN
          PULL A ROPE, THE TRAP DOOR WOULD SPRING AND THE ACTOR
          WOULD DROP FROM VIEW.    THE PLAY WAS WELL RECEIVED
          WHEN THE ACTOR PLAYING THE PART BECAME ILL, ANOTHER
          ACTOR WHO WAS QUITE OVERWEIGHT TOOK HIS PLACE.  WHEN
          THE NEW ACTOR ANNOUNCED, "I DESCEND INTO HELL!" THE
          STAGEHAND PULLED THE ROPE AND THE ACTOR BEGAN HIS
          PLUNGE, BUT BECAME HOPELESSLY STUCK.  NO AMOUNT OF
          TUGGING ON THE ROPE COULD MAKE HIM DESCEND.  ONE
          STUDENT IN THE BALCONY JUMPED UP AND YELLED.
          "HALLELUJAH! HELL IS FULL!"

ROMANCE.....SENIOR STYLE ( from SLDigest )

          AN OLDER COUPLE WERE LYING IN BED ONE NIGHT.
          THE HUSBAND WAS FALLING ASLEEP, BUT THE WIFE
          WAS FEELING FRISKY AND WANTED TO TALK. SHE
          SAID,  "YOU USED TO HOLD MY HAND WHEN WE WERE
          COURTING."   WEARILY, HE REACHED ACROSS, HELD
          HER HAND FOR A SECOND AND TRIED TO GET BACK
          TO SLEEP.  A FEW MOMENTS LATER SHE SAID, "THEN
          YOU USED TO KISS ME."  MILDLY IRRITATED, HE
          REACHED ACROSS, GAVE HER A PECK ON THE CHEEK
          AND SETTLED DOWN TO SLEEP.  THIRTY SECONDS
          LATER SHE SAID, "THEN YOU USED TO BITE MY NECK."
          ANGRILY, HE THREW BACK THE BED COVERS AND GOT
          OUT OF BED.  'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"  SHE ASKED.
          "TO GET MY TEETH!"

FASHION GUIDE FOR SENIORS (from SL Digest)

          MANY OF US OLDER FOLKS ARE QUITE CONFUSED ABOUT
          HOW TO PRESENT OURSELVES.  WE'RE UNSURE OF THE
          IMAGE WE ARE PROJECTING AS WE TRY TO CONFORM TO
          CURRENT FASHIONS.  DESPITE WHAT YOU MAY HAVE
          SEEN ON THE STREETS, THE FOLLOWING COMBINATIONS
          ARE A NO-NO;

                              1.  A NOSE RING AND BIFOCALS

                              2.  SPIKED HAIR AND BALD SPOTS

                              3.  A PIERCED TONGUE AND DENTURES

                              4.  MINISKIRTS AND SUPPORT HOSE

                              5.  ANKLE BRACELETS AND CORN PADS

                              6.  A BELLY BUTTON RING AND A GALL
                                   BLADDER SURGERY SCAR

                              7.  UNBUTTONED DISCO SHIRTS AND A
                                   HEART MONITOR

                              8.  MIDRIFF SHIRTS AND A MIDRIFF BULGE

                              9.  BIKINIS AND LIVER SPOTS

                             10.  SHORT SHORTS AND VARICOSE VEINS



          PLEASE KEEP THESE BASIC GUIDELINES FOREMOST IN MIND
          AS YOU SHOP.


                                                        *************

MI PADRE, SUS AÑOS Y YO

          YA VIEJO, SIN LAS FUERZAS DE SUS 25 AÑOS
          MI PADRE VIVE CONMIGO ULTIMAMENTE..
          YA SON POCAS LAS VECES QUE NOS HABLAMOS
          TAL VEZ PORQUE MIS PROBLEMAS PUDIERAN SER
          TAN GRANDES COMO LOS DE EL CUANDO YO TENIA
          CINCO..SEIS.. O QUINCE AÑOS.

          SIN DARME CUENTA, FUI OLVIDANDO LOS DIAS
          DE MI JUVENTUD DONDE MI PADRE Y YO ERAMOS
          UNA SOLA PERSONA.

          Y POCO A POCO, TODOS EN LA FAMILIA ME DECIAN
          QUE YA MI PADRE ESTABA ESTORBANDO...
          Y ASI LLEGUE....ASI LLEGUE A LA CONCLUSION
          QUE LLEVARLO AL ASILO DE ANCIANOS SERIA LO
          MEJOR.

          Y UNA MAÑANA, SENTADOS EN EL BALCON
          CON TEMOR, LE DIJE LO QUE PENSABA.
          SIN DECIRME NADA ENTRO EN LA CASA:
          RECOGIENDO SUS COSAS SALIO NUEVAMENTE.
          "YA ES HORA, HIJO."

          AL CABO DE UN LARGO RATO,
          CAMINANDO PASO A PASO, ME DIJO.
          "DESCANSEMOS EN ESA PIEDRA."
          Y AL MIRARME YO EN SUS OJOS, NOTE UN BRILLO
          QUE POCO A POCO SE CONVIRTIO EN LAGRIMAS.

          "PORQUE LLORAS, PADRE?"
          "PORQUE EN ESTA MISMA PIEDRA
          DESCANSO MI PADRE Y AHORA ME TOCA A MI.,
          MAÑANA TAL VEZ A TI."

         "VAMOS PADRE, VAMOS PA' LA CASA;
          QUE YO NO QUIERO QUE A MI ME PASE
          LO QUE HOY A TI TE PASA"

          ASI MI PADRE, SUS AÑOS Y YO REGRESAMOS
          A LA CASA......

                                       

                                             ************