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Beauty in Our Midst

11/18/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context? One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing the best music ever written on an almost priceless instrument, how many other things are we missing?

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).


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Two Grace Drops

11/17/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.


Two figures from very different worlds, yet they as much as anyone, grasp the power of grace:

“We must not drift away from the humble works, because these are the works nobody will do. It is never too small. We are so small and we look at things in a small way. But God, being Almighty, sees everything great. Therefore, even if you write a letter for a blind man or you just go and listen, or you take the mail for him, or you visit somebody or bring a flower to somebody −  small things − or wash clothes for somebody, or clean the house − very humble work − that is  where you and I must be. For there are many people who can do big things, but there are very few people who will do small things.”
−        Mother Teresa

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and probably be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully around with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the coffin or casket of your selfishness. But in that casket − safe, dark, motionless, airless − it will change. It will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The only place outside heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is hell.”
−        C.S. Lewis

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).



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I've Been There

10/24/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
A man fell into a deep hole from which he cannot escape. He hollers for help for hours. Finally, a banker walks by, hears his shouts, throws him down some money to purchase a ladder, and walks away. The man then goes back to hollering for help. Next, a priest walks by, hears his cries, throws down a note with a prayer written on it asking for help from above, and walks on. The man, still in the hole, hollers some more. All of a sudden, a man jumps down into the hole with the stranded man who then says, “What did you do that for? Now we're both down here. “Yes,” says the other man, “but I've been down here before and I know the way out.”

When I first read this I wasn’t sure it was worthy of a Grace Drop. I put it in my file and left it for quite a while. Then I began looking for more stories as the seventh year got underway. I read it again. For some reason it seemed to take on a whole new meaning. C. S. Lewis once wrote something like this: “You know you have made a friend when someone says, ‘Did you feel that way too?’” It is knowing that someone has been there, not just that they agree.

© 2009, John C. Fitts, III.  All Rights Reserved.  Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).


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Gems of Life

10/22/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them -- work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life."

 How? Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as though they were your life, for without them, life is meaningless. Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.

Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.

Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).


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The Miser and His Gold

8/23/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
Once upon a time there was a Miser who used to hide his gold at the foot of a tree in his garden; but every week he used to go and dig it up and gloat over his gains. A robber, who had noticed this, went and dug up the gold and decamped with it. When the Miser next came to gloat over his treasures, he found nothing but the empty hole. He tore his hair, and raised such an outcry that all the neighbors came around him, and he told them how he used to come and visit his gold. "Did you ever take any of it out?" asked one of them.

"Nay," said he, "I only came to look at it."

"Then come again and look at the hole," said a neighbor; "it will do you just as much good."

Wealth unused might as well not exist.

How many of us have resources that we never use. Whether it’s time, talent or treasure, if we don’t use it we might as well lose it.

An Aesop’s Fable. Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).


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A Dog's Purpose

7/12/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. Upon examination, I found he was dying of cancer. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?

Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn stuff like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

Take naps. Lots of them.

Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Being always grateful for each new day and for the blessing of you.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!



Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).



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Love Your Neighbor

6/20/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
Fred Rogers, the former star of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, used to carry a simple line around in his wallet. It was a line from a Benedictine nun, Sister Mary Lou Kownacki. It said: “There isn’t anyone you couldn’t love once you’ve heard their story.” It was something Rogers clung to until the day he died, according to his wife, who helped put together the book, The World According to Fred Rogers: Important Things to Remember.”

Another piece of wisdom that Mr. Rogers always followed was that of Western star Gabby Hayes. One day, Mr. Rogers asked Hayes what he was thinking about when he looked into the camera?

Hayes’ response: He was thinking about . . . “That little buckaroo who’s out there, watching the show, and I speak directly to him.” Mr. Rogers followed in Hayes’ footsteps and never looked back.

© 2008, John C. Fitts, III.  All Rights Reserved.  Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).


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The Donkey

6/5/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
An old man, a boy and a donkey were going to town.  The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Then, later, they passed some people who remarked, "What a shame, he makes that little boy walk." So they then decided they'd both walk! 

Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey. Now they passed some people who shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey.

The boy and man figured they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned.

The moral of the story?

If you try to please everyone, you might as well... Kiss your donkey goodbye! And even this ending won’t please everyone.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).


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The Coffee or the Cup?

5/28/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."

God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee! 



Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).



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Sandcastles

5/17/2014

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Picture© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved.
Hot sun. Salty air. Rhythmic waves. A little boy is on his knees scooping and packing the sand with plastic shovels into a bright blue bucket. Then he up-ends the bucket on the surface and lifts it. To the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is created. All afternoon he will work, spooning out the moat, packing the walls, bottle tops will be sentries, popsicle sticks will be bridges. A sandcastle will be built.

Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic. A man is in his office. At his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers. Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made. All his life he will work, formulating the plans, forecasting the future, annuities will be sentries, capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.

Two builders of two castles. They have much in common. They shape granules into grandeurs. They see nothing and make something. They are diligent and determined. And for both the tide will rise and the end will come. Yet that is where the similarities cease.

For the boy sees the end while the man ignores it. Watch the boy as the dusk approaches. As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear. No regret. He knew this would happen. He is not surprised. And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father's hand, and goes home.

The grownup, however, is not so wise. As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified. He hovers over the sandy monument to protect it. He blocks the waves from the walls he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide. "It's my castle," he defies. The ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs...

I don't know much about sandcastles. But children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead and build, but build with a child's heart. When the sun sets and the tides take -- applaud. Salute the process of life and go home.

Reprinted from Grace Drops, Volume 6 (2008).


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    John Fitts is a retired hospital chaplain and a contributor & publisher of Grace Drops. John lives in Palm Harbor, Florida with his artist wife, Patty. 
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