“117th story”
First published: Nov.14.2019
A man was sitting in his room with deep sad thoughts and a pen in his hand.
He wrote: “I’ve had a terrible year. Last year I took my gallbladder out.
I had to stay at home for a while because I had a complicated surgery.
I turned sixty that year and lost my job. I worked for thirty years for this publishing company and loved my job.
I lost my father in that sad year, and it broke my heart. My son had a serious accident last year, and because of his injuries and being in the cast, he couldn’t participate in exams and lost his chance at medical school that year.
The car turned into a piece of garbage, and we didn’t have full coverage insurance to fix it. Oh dear God, what a terrible year.”
He left his writing on his desk and went for a walk.
His wife came to the room and saw her husband’s gloomy note.
She sat there grabbed a paper, and wrote, “I had a blessed year last year. I got rid of my painful gallbladder, I was in severe pain for years, and now I am free of that.
I reached my sixty when I was fully healthy. Now was a great time to retire and focus on my dream, which is writing. My father passed away peacefully, and he lived a healthy life on his own, not on a deathbed.
Last year my son miraculously came out of a horrible accident only with some broken bones, we lost a car, but my son can walk, talk, and live like before. What a blessing year it was indeed.”
She left the note for her husband and left the room.
“We should remember that it’s not only the happiness that could be a blessing. We have to be thankful for many negative things that didn’t go worse.”
Beautiful, Laleh! Sometimes praise and thanksgiving really is a sacrifice — we don’t feel it at all until we make ourselves do it. Then, it flows! 🙂
If only we could be able to look at things differently, world around us would become possible. thanks Joy dear.
Amen. ❤️🙏
Thanks dear for reading.
A great reminder for us all. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks dear for your kind visit.❤️
Love this, Laleh. What a powerful message creatively woven within the story. See the blessing beyond the challenge, hurt pain and loss.
You’re an amazing kind supportive friend.❤️❤️❤️
Humbled. Right back to you, Laleh my friend. Thanks for your love and support. 🙏
Blessings 🤗💜💜💜
😍😍😍😘❤️
🤗🥰😊💜
Thanks for reminder 🤗🙏💜
Thanks dear so much.❤️❤️❤️
You are certainly welcome Laleh. This is such valuable life-lesson.
The pleasure is mine 💜💜💜
🌹🌷❤️🙏
🥰Awww💜
So TRUE! Beautifully written!
Thanks my dear friend for your constant support.❤️
You are very welcome! Have a great day!
❤️❤️❤️
Reblogging this to my readers at sister site Timeless Wisdoms and adding the link to the reference index at the Foundation for Poetic Justice
Thanks so much dear, it’s very kind of you.❤️
It’s a very good story! 😘
Appreciate it.🌹
🤗
There are always two ways to look at life: with positivity in one’s heart or with dark, negative eyes. You’ve expressed this truth so well in your story, Laleh. <3
Thanks my dear friend for reading and sharing your thoughts, means a lot.❤️
It’s all in how we frame it!
True. We should be more positive.❤️
A great lesson for us all. As I always say…Change your thoughts and you will change your world. Allan
True. Thanks Allan dear for your kind visit.🌹
Thanks dear.❤️
Your story’s are meaningful and life lesson and in this one we learned that no matter what we always have to be optimistic like the man and his son could have been dead.
Love you.❤️
Wise words, Laleh. My sister recently told me that I tend to see “the glass half empty” instead of “half full.” I had no idea I was being a negative person. I’m trying to do better.
It’s fortunate to have wonderful people around. My sister and I have a great relationship too. Thanks honey.❤️
Wonderful positivity!
Thank you dear Peter.❤️
Beautiful💖
Thanks a lot dear.❤️
Mashalla habibi!
😂thanks dear.
An important reminder <3
Thanks sweetheart.❤️🙏
Great message conveyed, friend!
Thanks sweetheart.❤️🌹🌷
Dear Laleh, as always sharp & wise! Thanks for reminding about the value of calamities in our life! There is no personality without difficulties!
Thank you dear for reading and caring to comment.❤️
🙂
Ah…. Perspectives.
Im facing something like that at the moment. Thank you for the timely reminder to take note, assess and remind myself to remain grounded in spirit and attitude.
Thanks dear for reading and sharing this beautiful comment.❤️
Bless you, Kalitha. I’m praying for you. (I don’t know what you’re going through, but God does, and that’s what counts. 😉 )
❤️
Hey Laleh, how are you?
Some say life is a roller-coaster. When all is well with our world it is easy to feel grateful, and blessed, but not so when apparent stress, strain, misfortune and/or misadventure befalls us. At such moments it is very difficult to feel optimistic about the future and appreciative of all that have, but as your artful story suggests it only takes a slight change of one’s perspective to see that the miracle of life in all its glory doesn’t stop being remarkable, beautiful or wondrous just because skies are grey: somewhere in the world the sun will be shining and the stars glowing behind the veil.
Enjoy the remainder of your week. Take care,
DN
I know Dewin, it’s easy to say but it’s very hard to be able to change our views to positive. I guess that’s why we need each other to push us to have a better view. Appreciate your kind visit as always a great supportive friend.❤️
I couldn’t agree more laleh: friends, family, people who are there for us are essential to life…for intents-and-purposes they are the foundations upon which we build.
Always a pleasure,
DN
Pleasure is mine dear Dewin.❤️
I love this. It is all in how we see the events in our lives.
Thanks Anne dear, yes we need to look positive to survive. Life’s tough.❤️
So very beautiful.
Thanks a million dear.❤️
Blessings! 🙂
🙏
YES, his wise wife is so right. We always have a choice, how we want to look and perceive life events.
Thanks azizam for always reading and commenting.❤️
Positive attitude
👌👌
Thanks dear friend, appreciate your kindness.❤️
Beautiful and congratulations for the book
You’re very kind dear, thank you.🌹
My pleasure Laleh
❤️🌷
How true this is….wonderful❤
Thanks a million dear for your kind comment.❤️
❤️🍃
Dark side or Bright side, it’s up to you to choose 🙂
Thanks Olivia dear, appreciate your kind visit.❤️
Dovremmo sempre avere il coraggio di guardare la vita sia in negativo che in positivo.
Sicuramente impareremmo che c’è sempre una via d’uscita alle nostre inquietudini.
Yes we should my dear friend. Appreciate your kind visit.❤️
We should and we can.
<3
👏👏👏👏❤️
Reblogged this on lampmagician and commented:
Everything will be taken in the eyes of the beholder🙏❤
Thanks dear.❤️❤️❤️
🤗❤
Absolutely wonderful story, Laleh! 🙂
Thank you dear. Your kind visit means a lot.
🙂
I praise the Lord for my life even if I’m sitting on my throne on wheels since 1995.
Life is wonderful <3
You’re an amazing inspiration my dear.❤️
You too 💕
❤️
“Throne on wheels.” Now there’s a rewrite. Bravo.
🌹
Hugs 💝
Reblogged this on The Writing Life and commented:
http://www.foreigncorrspondent.wordpress.com
Thanks a lot Craig.🌷
It’s all about how you look at things 🙂 Great story!
Yes, thanks so much sweetheart for reading and commenting.🌷
Thanks for the inspiration. Next time I catch myself complaining, I’ll try to stop in my tracks and “rewrite!”
I’m happy dear, appreciate your kindness.❤️
Wise words indeed and words to live by. Best regards from Florida.
Thanks so much dear for your kind visit.❤️
Tubularsock loved your tale of different views.
Made Tubularsock laugh aloud.
We are each the projection of our own reality
and yet all one.
Thanks for stopping by Tubularsock, “. . . first hand coverage, second hand news.”
Thanks for reading and sharing such a fun beautiful comment.❤️
May we always remember to vent as necessary but then remember what we still can hold on to which gives us joy. This was lovely, Laleh!
Means a lot Susi sweetheart. Appreciate it.❤️
Your words mean a lot, Laleh! Thanks for sharing them! <3
You’re awesome.🙏❤️
And you! <3
Please keep up your good work. Thanks for being a friend.
Awww, thanks a million for your beautiful kind words.❤️❤️❤️
Thank you very much. You are very kind.
You more.❤️
Like they say, one can look at a glass as half full or half empty. The facts have not changed, only the perspective.
Beautiful comment dear Ankur, appreciate your visit.❤️
SHE ALWAYS HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD! 😀
Awesome, thanks so much Jonathan.❤️🌹
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
KEEP IT POSITIVE!
Appreciate your kindness.❤️
I speak truth! <3
🙏🙏🙏🌹
But you knew that! <3
I know you have a wonderful heart.🥰
My wife says the same 😀
She knows you well😂😂😂
Even when I’m in a downer—like today—she reminds me of it!
Awww she’s a sweetheart. You are very lucky to have her. God bless you both.❤️❤️❤️
Very inspiring story Laleh
Appreciate your kindness dear.🌺
This was such a good reminder of rephrasing how we see things. Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much dear Kelly.🌺
Reblogged this on Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News.
Appreciate your kindness dear Ned.
Blessings in disguise! A lovely story 🙂
Thanks so much Len❤️
👍👌
Thanks dear.🙏
😊
a beautiful message as always Laleh! 💖
Means a lot Cindy.❤️
As do you to me!! 💖💖
❤️❤️❤️
💖💖💖
Great post, Laleh! This really makes me think.
Thanks so much Janet.🌺
Well done Laleh! Life’s circumstances often attempt to cloud over what we should really be thankful for.
Thanks so much for your constant kindness.🙏🌺