My little Angel, you are teaching me how selfless real love is!

My wife called, 'How long will you be with that newspaper? Will you
come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?


I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only daughter,
Sindu, looked frightened; tears were welling up in her eyes. In front
of her was a bowl filled to its brim with curd rice. Sindu is a nice
child, quite intelligent for her age.


I cleared my throat and picked up the bowl. 'Sindu, darling, why don't
you take a few mouthful of this curd rice? Just for Dad's sake, dear'.


Sindu softened a bit and wiped her tears with the back of her hands.
'Ok, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of
this. But, you should...' Sindu hesitated. 'Dad, if I eat this entire
curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?'


'Promise'. I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with
mine, and clinched the deal. Now I became a bit anxious. 'Sindu, dear,
you shouldn't insist on getting a computer or any such expensive
items. Dad does not have that kind of money right now. Ok?'


'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive'. Slowly and painfully, she
finished eating the whole quantity. I was silently angry with my wife
and my mother for forcing my child to eat something that she detested.


After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes wide with
expectation. All our attention was on her.


'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.


'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved
off? Impossible!'


'Never in our family!' My mother rasped. 'She has been watching too
much of television.. Our culture is getting totally spoiled with these
TV programs!'


'Sindu, darling, why don't you ask for something else? We will be sad
seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'


'Please, Sindu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?' I tried
to plead with her.


'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'.
Sindu was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for.
Now, you are going back on your words.. Was it not you who told me the
story of King Hari shchandra, and its moral that we should honor our
promises no matter what?'


It was time for me to call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.'


'Are you out of your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.


'No. If we go back on ourpromises, she will never learn to honour her
own.. Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'


With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and her eyes
looked big and beautiful.


On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight to
watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom. She turned
around and waved. I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted
from a car, and shouted, 'Sinduja, please wait for me!' What struck me
was the hairless head of that boy. 'May be, that is the in-stuff', I
thought.


'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!' Without introducing
herself, a lady got out of the car, and continued, 'that boy who is
walking along with your daughter is my son Hari sh. He is suffering
from... leukemia'. She paused to muffle her sobs. ' Hari sh could not
attend the school for the whole of the last month. He lost all his
hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come
back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the
schoolmates. Sinduja visited him last week, and promised him that she
will take care of the teasing issue. But, I never imagined she would
sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son! Sir, you and your
wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.'


I stood transfixed and then, I wept. 'My little Angel, you are
teaching me how selfless real love is!'

Secrets of LOVE

The Power Of Thought -Love begins with our thoughts. We become what we think about. Loving thoughts create loving experiences and loving relationships. Affirmations can change our beliefs and thoughts about others and ourselves. If we want to love someone, we need to consider their needs and desires. Thinking about your ideal partner will help you recognize her when you meet her.

The Power Of Respect -You cannot love anyone or anything unless you first respect them. The first person you need to respect is yourself. To begin to gain self-respect asks yourself, "What do I respect about myself?" To gain respect for others, even those you may dislike, ask yourself "What do I respect about them?"

The Power Of Giving -If you want to receive love, all you have to do is give it! The more love you give, the more you will receive. To love is to give of yourself freely and unconditionally. Practice random acts of kindness. Before committing to a relationship ask not what the other person will be able to give to you, but rather what will you be able to give them. The secret formula of a happy, lifelong, loving relationship is to always focus on what you can give instead of what you can take.

The Power Of Friendship -To find a true love, you must first find a true friend. Love does not consist of gazing into each other’s eyes, but rather looking outward together in the same direction. To love someone completely you must love them for who they are, not what they look like. Friendship is the soil through which love’s seeds grow. If you want to bring love into a relationship, you must first bring friendship.

The Power Of Touch -Touch is one of the most powerful expressions of love, breaking down barriers and bonding relationships. Touch changes our physical and emotional states and makes us more receptive to love.

The Power Of Letting Go -If you love something, let it free. If it comes back to you it’s yours, if it doesn’t, it never was. Even in a loving relationship, people need their own space. If we want to learn to love, we must first learn to forgive and let go of past hurts and grievances. Love means letting go of our fears, prejudices, egos and conditions. "Today I let go of all my fears, the past has no power over me - today is the beginning of a new life."

The Power Of Communication -When we learn to communicate openly and honestly, life changes. To love someone is to communicate with them. Let the people you love know that you love them and appreciate them. Never be afraid to say those three magic words: "I Love you." Never let an opportunity pass to praise someone. Always leave someone you love with a loving word - it could be the last time you see them. If you were about to die but could make telephone calls to the people you loved, who would you call, what would you say and.. Why are you waiting?

The Power Of Commitment -If you want to have love in abundance, you must be committed to it, and that commitment will be reflected in your thoughts and actions. Commitment is the true test of love. If you want to have loving relationships, you must be committed to loving relationships. When you are committed to someone or something, quitting is never an option. Commitment distinguishes a fragile relationship from a strong one.

The Power Of Passion -Passion ignites love and keeps it alive. Lasting passion does not come through physical attraction alone; it comes from deep commitment, enthusiasm, interest and excitement. Passion can be recreated by recreating past experiences when you felt passionate. Spontaneity and surprises produce passion. The essence of love and happiness are the same; all we need to do is to live each day with passion.

The Power Of Trust -Trust is essential in all loving relationships. Without it one person becomes suspicious, anxious and fearful and the other person feels wrapped and emotionally suffocated. You cannot love someone completely unless you trust them completely. Act as if your relationship with the person you love will never end. One of the ways you can tell whether a person is right for you is to ask yourself, "Do I trust them completely and unreservedly? " If the answer is "no", think carefully before making a commitment