Crow's Feet, Wrinkles, Jowls and All

I look into a mirror,
What do I see?
Crow's feet, wrinkles, jowls and all,
In the face staring back at me.

I'm elated,
That someone very much younger
Is blind to the crow's feet, wrinkles, jowls and all
Whenever she looks at me.

ltbs

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13-12

Can You Take This Meat?

A friend who lives in Hong Kong has never been to mainland China. He refuses to do so as he says that you would never know what you would be eating there.

At a particular dinner in Korla, Xinjiang, China, I found a platter of cold meat to my liking and so I turned the lazy Susan to get the meat most of the time. I was relishing it very much.

Our lady host noticed this and said, "I'm glad you’re enjoying donkey meat. It's one of our delicacies".

Hearing this, I could feel a sudden queasiness in my stomach as I had never had donkey meat before. I lost appetite completely! However, I realized that it would be quite rude of me to stop eating it as it was our host’s way of showing her hospitality by offering that delicacy, so I reluctantly continue eating it, but ever so slowly!

ltbs

You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands;

you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. 

Psalms 128:2

A Grandchild-minder Extraordinaire

A friend has found the joy of minding his grandchildren. He was a professor at a top-class university and a world-renowned specialist at his academic field, giving talks in different countries.

When his elder daughter gave birth to a baby girl, he gave up his post at the university and moved to a city, a few thousand kilometres away where his first granddaughter was. He reduced the number of talks overseas, too, so that he would be able to spend more time minding her.

When that particular grandchild was in primary school, the professor's younger daughter gave birth in a city in another state. Feeling that the parents of the school-going granddaughter would be able to cope with her, the grandfather again uprooted and moved a few thousand kilometres to mind his newly-born grandchild.

When I met him, he told me that it had been a joy bringing up his grandchildren and he had no regrets giving up his work at the university and reducing his lectures overseas. I guess he was one great grandfather and a grandchild-minder extraordinaire.

ltbs

A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
Proverbs 10:1