I don't usually do this.. Maybe i am still a little disturbed by what i saw today.
A child about 3 or 4 years old. I think was lost in a mall.
This time of year.. When its too busy..
Now.. I am from South Africa.
And even going to a mall this time of year..
Just before christmas..
Oh the nerves...
Seriously.. what did that parent think.. Nothing can happen??
In this life.. where we hear of BABIES raped.. 4 or even 6 weeks old..
The ignorance.. Is so bad..
I actually believe you should know where your child is.. All the time..
I know very well that many say it cant happen to me.. Happens to others.. but you know.. for the one next to you.. you are the other person.. and yes it can happen to you..
Maybe this is my plea to parents to know where your child is..
To be a little more careful..
Especially now when things are so much busier ..
You don't know the others walking in the mall..
And it takes one moment..
Just one moment..
And honestly that scares me..
As a parent you cant make mistakes..
Not when it comes to your kids.. 
Sorry doesn't make everything right..
Rather be careful and aware of dangers than thinking cant happen to you..

Writing On The Wall

A weary mother returned from the store,
Lugging groceries through the kitchen door.
Awaiting her arrival was her 8 year old son,
Anxious to relate what his younger brother had done.

"While I was out playing and Dad was on a call,
T.J. took his crayons and wrote on the wall!
It's on the new paper you just hung in the den.
I told him you'd be mad at having to do it again."

She let out a moan and furrowed her brow,
"Where is your little brother right now?"
She emptied her arms and with a purposeful stride,
She marched to his closet where he had gone to hide.

She called his full name as she entered his room.
He trembled with fear--he knew that meant doom!
For the next ten minutes, she ranted and raved
About the expensive wallpaper and how she had saved.

Lamenting all the work it would take to repair,
She condemned his actions and total lack of care.
The more she scolded, the madder she got,
Then stomped from his room, totally distraught!

She headed for the den to confirm her fears.
When she saw the wall, her eyes flooded with tears.
The message she read pierced her soul with a dart.
It said, "I love Mommy," surrounded by a heart.

Well, the wallpaper remained, just as she found it,
With an empty picture frame hung to surround it.
A reminder to her, and indeed to all,
Take time to read the handwriting on the wall

You Are My Hero

Of all those I've met on this journey we call life,
You are my hero, you taught me how to love.
I was such a mess when you came along,
but you looked past all my faults and
looked into my soul. You saw the sadness there
that others could not see. I was afraid to trust
but you taught me to believe.

You took away my frown and replaced it with a smile.
You taught me that living could really be worth while.
We can't go back in time and tomorrow may not come,
so make the most of the moments
and let someone know they're loved.

I can see good in others that I never saw before,
because you saw good in me
I didn't even know was there.
It takes a special person to look past others faults
and find something there to love.
That's what makes heroes.

Stay affectionate

It’s amazing how quickly the spark can come back with a bit of affection. You don’t have to be glued to your partner at all times, but holding hands, shoulder rubs, a hand through the hair and a spontaneous kiss can go a long way toward keeping chemistry going strong.

Work out as a couple

Rather than working out separately all the time, try to find a way to get active together at least once a week. Even if you both go to different gyms or like different activities, make one workout a week a joint sweat session. Go jogging together, go for an extra-long walk after dinner or take him to one of your favorite classes as a way to bond as you burn calories.

More relationship tips

As a culture, Americans put a lot of emphasis on having the best sex possible, but in the pursuit of hot lovemaking, is it possible that we've forgotten how great kissing can be?
"Kissing is often something that you naturally want to do when you are excited to spend time with someone," says dating coach and flirting expert Tracey Steinberg. "But when people start taking each other for granted, they can let kissing fall by the wayside. Unfortunately, the longer and more secure the relationship is, the more likely this is to happen."
But kissing is crucial for both personal well-being and the health of your relationship.
"Kissing has powerful health benefits: reducing anxiety, building self-esteem, enhancing connection with another person, lowering cortisol levels, the list goes on and on," Dr. Karim says. "It's important to kiss because it's good for you and it's good for the relationship. It's relationship glue and makes you feel like you aren't alone in the world."
Here's how you can bring back the art of the kiss in your relationship... or enjoy a kiss with a new lover to the fullest.

Leave your worries at the door

"The biggest anxiety about kissing that interferes with passionate kissing is insecurities about being a passionate kisser!" says Steinberg. "The best thing to do is to act as if you are a confident kisser and just enjoy being so physically close to this sexy man."
Having more romance in our lives: Yes, please!

Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.
As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!"
Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"
Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"
As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table.
He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."
"Really?" my son asked.
"Cross my heart." Then in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."
Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life.
He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman.
With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good already."

This was the last litter of puppies we were going to allow our Cocker Spaniel to have. It had been a very long night for me. Precious, our only black cocker, was having a very difficult time with the delivery of her puppies.
I laid on the floor beside her large four-foot square cage, watching her every movement. Watching and waiting just in case we had to rush her to the veterinarian.
After six hours the puppies started to appear. The first born was a black and white party dog. The second and third puppies were tan and brown in color. The fourth and fifth were also spotted black and white. "One, two, three, four, five," I counted to myself as I walked down the hallway to wake up Judy and tell her that everything was fine. As we walked back down the hallway and into the spare bedroom, I noticed a sixth puppy had been born and was now laying all by itself over to the side of the cage. I picked up the small puppy and laid it on top of the
large pile of puppies, who were whining and trying nurse on the mother.
Instantly Precious pushed the small puppy away from rest of the group and refused to recognize it as a member of her family.
"Something's wrong," said Judy.
I reached over and picked up the puppy. My heart sank inside my chest when I saw the little puppy was hare-lipped and could not close its little mouth. We had gone through this once before last year with another one of our cockers. That experience like to have killed me when the puppy died and I had to bury it. If there was any way to save this animal I was going to give it my best shot.
All the puppies born that night, with the exception of the small hare-lipped pup, were very valuable because of their unusual coloring. Most would bring between five to seven hundred dollars each. The next day I took the puppy to the vet. I was told nothing could be done unless we were willing to spend about a thousand dollars to try and correct the defect. He told us that the puppy would die mainly because it could not suckle.
After returning home Judy and I decided that we could not afford to spend that kind of money without getting some type of assurances from the vet that the puppy had a chance to live. However, that did not stop me from purchasing a syringe and feeding the puppy by hand. Which I did very day and night, every two hours, for more than ten days.
The fifth week I placed an ad in the newspaper, and within a week we had taken deposits on all of the pups, except the one with the deformity. The little guy had learned to eat on his own as long as it was soft canned food.
Late that afternoon I had gone to the store to pick up a few groceries. Upon returning I happened to see the old retired school teacher, who lived across the street from us, waving at me. She had read in the paper that we had puppies for sale and was wondering if she might buy one from us for her grandson. I told her all the puppies had been sold, but I would keep my eyes open for anyone else who might have a cocker spaniel for sale. I also mentioned we never kept a deposit should someone change their mind, and if so I would let her know. Within days all but one of the puppies had been picked up by their new owners. This left me with
one brown and tan cocker as well as the smaller hare-lipped puppy.
Two days passed without me hearing anything from the gentleman, who had placed a deposit on the tan and brown pup. So I telephoned the school teacher and told her I had one puppy left and that she was welcome to come and look at it. She advised me that she was going to pick up her grandson and would come over at about eight o'clock that evening. Judy and I were eating supper when we heard a knock on the front door. When I opened the door, the man, who had placed a $100 deposit on the dog, was standing there. We walked inside where I filled out the paperwork, he paid me the balance of the money, and I handed him the puppy.
Judy and I did not know what to do or say if the teacher showed up with her grandson. Sure enough at exactly eight o'clock the doorbell rang. I opened the door, and there was the school teacher with her grandson standing behind her. I explained to her the man had come for the puppy just an hour before, and there were no puppies left.
"I'm sorry, Jeffery. They sold all the puppies," she told her grandson.
Just at that moment, the small puppy left in the bedroom began to yelp.
"My puppy! My puppy!" yelled the little boy as he ran out from behind his grandmother.
I just about fell over when I saw the small child was hare-lipped. The boy ran past me as fast as he could, down the hallway to where the puppy was still yelping.
When the three of us made it to the bedroom, the small boy was holding the puppy in his arms. He looked up at his grandmother and said, "Look Grandma. They sold all the puppies except the pretty one, and he looks just like me."
Well, old Grandma wasn't the only one with tears in her eyes that day. Judy and I stood there, not knowing what to do.
"Is this puppy for sale?" asked the school teacher.
"My grandma told me these kind of puppies are real expensive and that I have to take real good care of it," said the little boy, who was now hugging the puppy.
"Yes, ma'am. This puppy is for sale."
The lady opened her purse, and I could see several one-hundred dollar bills sticking out of her wallet. I reached over and pushed her hand back down into her purse so that she would not pull her wallet out.
"How much do you think this puppy is worth?" I asked the boy.
"About a dollar?" He replied.
"No. This puppy is very, very expensive... More than a dollar," I told him.
"I'm afraid so." Said his grandmother.
The boy stood there pressing the small puppy against his cheek.
"We could not possibly take less than two dollars for this puppy," Judy said, squeezing my hand. "Like you said, "It's the pretty one." She continued.
The school teacher took out two dollars and handed it to the young boy.
"It's your dog now, Jeffery. You pay the man."
I think it must be a wonderful feeling for any young person to look at their selves into the mirror and see nothing, except "The pretty one."

---

---

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was sitting in the park just feeding some pigeons.
The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.
The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at boy. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer.
Again, the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?
"He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? God's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the elderly man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked," Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"
He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added," You know, he's much younger than I expected."
People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
Embrace all equally!

Say "please."

Anything without a "please" at the end of it sounds like a demand. One word may not seem like it should make much difference, but you'll be surprised at how much your significant other will appreciate your asking nicely for something, rather than demanding it.

Say "thank you."

Like adding "please" to the end of every request, following up by thanking your spouse is equally as important. It shows your partner you've noticed what he's done for you, and you appreciate his effort. Using those two little words can make a big difference in the ongoing health of your marriage.

Ask his opinion.

Rather than just telling him what movie you've rented or where the two of you are going on Saturday afternoon, make him part of the decision-making process. You don't have to ask his permission or wait to make small choices until he weighs in -- but asking what he'd like to do or where he wants to eat once in a while will help make him feel like part of a team, rather than an island.

Show affection.

We're not talking lengthy make-out sessions or full body massages, but rather the small signs of affection that will make him feel loved. Hold his hand in line at the grocery store, give him a hug when he walks in the door, or lean on him when you're on the couch watching a movie. Small signs of affection will not only make him feel good, but also will benefit you, as well.

More guy advice

Understanding the dude

Losing those warm and fuzzy feelings is easy as time rolls on and life becomes hectic or routine. But if you want a long and fulfilling marriage (of course, you do!), it is mission critical to keep those sparks alive.

Here are 5 ways to find and keep that loving feeling!

Write a love letter.

Put pen to paper and pour out your cheesy little heart into a sentimental love letter. Tell your sweetie why and how much you love him – what your life is like because he is in it, what you envision for the future, etc. Make sure you include all of your favorite things about him and about your relationship, and be as specific as possible: Details really feed a guy's ego!

Celebrate your successes -- even the little ones!

A major component of a loving marriage is being each other's biggest fan -- acknowledging triumphs and efforts big and small. So next time your honey nails a pitch at work, his favorite baseball team wins a big game, he finally matches his brown shoes with his brown belt, or you two meet a monthly financial goal, uncork the champagne and toast to your success!

have a Blast from the past.

Revisit all of your most special moments through stories, or better yet, through visits. Reenact your first date, proposal, even your first silly fight. Dance to your wedding song, recreate your honeymoon vibe, remember how you felt when you brought home your first child. Love is intrinsic to all of your precious memories, and when you transport yourself back to those times, you will fall back in love instantly.

Surprise your spouse!

Surprises are indicators that you are still mindful of your honey after all these years -- and in fact, the little surprises hold the most weight. So, pickup his favorite college beer and put it on ice for game day, unexpectedly wear the ridiculous sexy outfit he always begs you to wear that you can't stand, or get the neighbor kid to mow the lawn so he doesn't have to on his day off. Doing kind things unexpectedly shows your husband that you have him top of mind and heart!

Re-up the romance.

Just because you swapped "I do's" and maybe even popped out a few kids doesn't mean that your courting days are over. Consider romantic dates. Think rose petal baths and sunrise picnics. Consider romantic gestures such as packing an "I love you" note in his briefcase. Eventually, he will catch romance fever and begin returning your sentiments.

Take a trip together.

We're not talking a one-week all-inclusive vacation, but rather something that requires a bit more work. You don't have to stay in hostels for a month, but traveling and going somewhere out of your comfort zone forces you to work as a team to overcome hurdles (missed connections, language barriers) and make the best of even difficult situations.

Volunteer together.

Whether you serve meals at a soup kitchen or help build houses with Habitat for Humanity, volunteering together can bring you closer and make you feel good about yourselves. Not only will you help others, but you'll also do something positive for your relationship.

Learn something new.

Like traveling together, tackling new challenges takes you out of your comfort zone and can be very rewarding. Learn a new language, take up a sport neither of you have tried before, or get creative and take an art or photography class. Whatever you choose will be a bonding experience and something that will help you grow together.

Set a mutual goal.

When you first fell in love, you probably had a list miles long of things you were going to do together. Whether it's running a half-marathon, learning to surf or climbing Kilimanjaro, take some time to come up with a mutual goal and create a plan to make it happen.

 
A Thousand Marbles