18."To speak kindly does not hurt the tongue." -- proverb

Those who can appreciate the privilege of being able to speak, speak kindly to others whenever they find the opportunities. Some people make the opportunity to speak kindly to others, and they do not wait for the chance to do this. I can give someone a great compliment. I know that when other's speak nicely to me, and when others say kind words, it is an awesome feeling within my soul. Life is easier when people speak kindly to each other. No, it does hurt the tongue to speak kindly to others.

."He who opens a school door, closes a prison ." Victor Hugo

For the majority of people, this statement may apply, but no for everyone.

I have studies some cases where there is someone who has a profession and he or she commits a terrible crime. There are some that commit little crimes or misdemeanors. I heard a judge once say that stealing someone's identity isn't really the end of the world and that there are worst crimes. Well, in my opinion, that judge should find some other line of work because identity theft is a big deal.

."To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks." A. A. Milne

I have had the experience of dealing with uneducated people. I can describe some characteristics of a certain uneducated person as follows: quite to get upset, a lot of words in a conversation leads to misunderstanding the talk, reading does not excite him, he tends to be needy, he wants to act like a baby when he is sick. Some of these folks have knowledge that stems from a talent, regardless, it is a great thing to be educated, and it is great to want to read and learn.

I]t is a dangerous thing to ask why someone else has been given more. It is humbling -- and indeed healthy --

- to ask why you have been given so much" Condoleeza Rice

To be grateful for what you have. I am grateful for my family. I have been grateful for my culture ever since I can remember. I remember really feeling the contact with my roots at age 12 and up. Here is a picture of a church in Isabela, Puerto Rico. THe other picture is the architectural style of homes over there.I lived there in May 2006-April 2007. Everyone should go visit the rainforest, "the Yunque," an awesome place.

."My opinion is that you never find happiness until you stop looking for it." -- Chuang-tzu

The quote is simply stating that happiness can come at an unpredictable time. I do not believe in the Annie and Cinderella movie, but I believe everyone should continue to hope for health, happiness, wealth, and prosperity, which is the same as wealth. I do not believe that a prince will come down the road and see the face of the unhappy girl, and vice-versa, and speak words of kindness, then they will fall in love and live happily forever. No, I do not believe in that. I believe all of us are created equal and deserve an equal chance at success. Some of us have a lot more needs than others. Sometimes certain jobs do not fit the person's physical limitations. When they do find the job that can accomodate their handicap needs, then they will have a great chance at success. The ability to do a job is not only having a skill but having the health and strength to perform the job. So when people look at others and label them "lazy," they ought stop and wonder if maybe they can't find the "appropriate" job that enables them to work in a very productive way and a fair way.

Friendship with oneself is all important because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world." --Eleanor Roosevelt

I think it makes sense that in order to be a friend, you need to be a good friend with thyself.

I read a short story by the name of "Salt and Bread" It is about three girls and their father. He had been hearing rumors that his youngest daughter did not love him, so one day he questioned her by asking her how she could describe her loving feelings. She answered: "Oh, my father, I value you as salt and bread." The King, the father, became furious. This confirmed the rumors that her jealous sisters had spread about their youngest sister. It turns out that, at the end of the story, the King realizes that salt and bread are of great value. In order to love thyself, one should do even little acts of love toward oneself, they actually may not be small, but, like the King, we may think that it is of little value.

Your children need your presence more than your presents.

As a child, I remember my mom was a stay-at-home and it was a good feeling knowing that I would see her face the minute I walked in from school. I can remember my friend would feel obligated to come over, yeah, that is sad, that she did not really want to come over. But we did our homework together as we sat at the kitchen table. It is always nice to study with someone.
I can remember even as a college student that a good friend of mine seemed like she missed her mom's presence after she got home from college. Yes, this was the first year --- freshman year. I studied at the college in New York. The name of the college is John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her name is Daisy. I don't know if this is as a result of the mom's lack of presence, but Daisy got pregnant and decided to get an abortion. That is a difficult situation to be in, and it is a very difficult decision to make for a teenager or for anyone for that matter.