THE CORNER 4 WOMEN

Friday 7 June 2024

THE SAD PRINCESS by Chima_Dickson

"THE SAD PRINCESS"

by Chima_Dickson

A young girl went to her father and said to him,

"Father, please teach me a valuable life lesson. As a young girl, I want to understand myself better and navigate the challenges that life throws my way."

The father thought for a moment, then cleared his throat and said,

"Let me tell you a story about a sad princess. Listen attentively to the story. There was a young and beautiful princess called Maya. She was radiant, happy and her pleasure brightened everything around her. At the age of 21, Maya got married to a wealthy prince from a distant kingdom. However, soon after her marriage, she became very sad, because her husband often beat her and abused her violently. She felt alone, unloved, and misunderstood.

One day, Maya visited her father and narrated her predicaments, crying to him,

"I don't want to be married anymore. I want to come back home. Please, father!"

However, her father shook his head and said to her,

"You will not leave him, he is your husband. You can't come back home, my dear!"

Maya then tearfully went to her mother and lamented to her,

"Mother, I can't cope any longer with my marriage. Please, let me come back home!"

With disapproval, her mother said,

"You married him for better and for worse. He will definitely change, my child!"

Maya then painfully went to her friends and begged them for support,

"My husband beats me all the time. I want to leave him and come back home!"

Her friends consoled her, but said,

"Marriage isn't easy, but it will get better. Stay with your husband, Maya!"

Maya was deeply sad, distressed, and frustrated. It pained her that nobody approved her decision to leave her husband. She prayed everyday to find a solution.

A few months later, Maya finally left her marriage and returned home to her parents. That is the end of my story."

Upon listening to the story, the young girl asked curiously,

"What is the life lesson of the story, father?"

The father paused for a moment, then sighed and answered,

"Yes, Maya finally came back home. But she was inside a coffin, because her husband had killed her with a knife. In fact, it was her dead body that was brought back home!"

At that moment, the father placed his arm around his daughter's shoulder, and whispered to her softly,

"Listen, young girl... I want to teach you this valuable life lesson that will help you improve your life and make better decisions in the future: You must understand that coming back home from a failed marriage is better than coming home in a coffin. If you die in the marriage, you will be replaced immediately. Think about your family: Your husband can have another wife, but there's no way your parents can have another daughter like you. Don't listen to people who tell you to not abandon an abusive marriage, they are not the ones going through the abuse - they may think they understand, but they actually don't. Your life should be your main priority. Know when to draw the line! Know when to give up! Never gamble with your life for the sake of marriage!"

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Thursday 6 June 2024

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (author unknown)

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted an old friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit." Keep playing." Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played. Only the classic, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Perhaps that's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful flowing music. However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful. The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You may hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit." "Keep playing." May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Remember, God doesn't seem to call the equipped, rather, He equips the 'called.' Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than by the things you acquire.

Wednesday 5 June 2024

FIFTY $'s IS FIFTY $'s

"FIFTY $'s IS FIFTY $'s"
(author unknown)

Morris and his wife Esther went to the state fair every year, and every year Morris would say, 'Esther, I'd really like to ride in that helicopter.'

Esther always replied, 'I know Morris, but that helicopter ride is fifty dollars, and fifty dollars is fifty dollars'

One year Esther and Morris went to the fair, and Morris said, 'Esther, I'm 85 years old. If I don't ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance.'

To this, Esther replied, 'Morris that helicopter ride is fifty dollars, and fifty dollars is fifty dollars.'

The pilot overheard the couple and said, 'Folks I'll make you a deal. I'll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and don't say a word I won't charge you a penny! But if you say one word it's fifty dollars.'

Morris and Esther agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy manoeuvres, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word.

When they landed, the pilot turned to Morris and said, 'By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't. I'm impressed!'

Morris replied, 'Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Esther fell out, but you know, fifty dollars is fifty dollars!

TOMORROW by Joanne Boyle

"TOMORROW" by Joanne Boyle

Don't walk into tomorrow

with what you fear today.

Don't let yesterday's emotions

take the present ones away.

Don't dwell on past mistakes

or hope for tomorrow's dreams.

Just enjoy each moments ripple.

Step over negative streams.

Don't open your morning eyes

with your nighttime vision.

Don't waste your time longing

to complete tomorrow's mission.

Don't think about what's gone,

or even what's to come.

Just enjoy living in the moment

and watch who you become.

********

Heartfelt by joanne boyle

art by Steffi Krenzek

I don’t look like the women in the magazines by Becky Hemsley

“I don’t look like the women in the magazines”

by Becky Hemsley

Oh but my darling, you’re not supposed to. They are a two-dimensional snapshot in time. A work of art that has been practised and posed and styled and edited over and over again.

Your hair is not supposed to look like theirs because it moves with you. It bounces with every step you take, it tickles your child’s shoulder as you kiss them goodnight and it curls upon your pillow as you dream.

Your skin is not supposed to look like theirs because it has lived each day of your life with you. It has laughed until it’s lined and cried until it’s creased.

Your clothes are not supposed to look like theirs because they are along for this ride with you. They are holding meetings and walking the dog and having lunch with friends.

You are not supposed to look like the people in the magazines because you are not one. You are a living, breathing work of art.

And wouldn’t it be a shame if a two-dimensional image stopped you living? If you took all the angles and facets of what makes you you, and wished they were smoother or softer or still. If you sanded them down until they were indistinguishable. Until you were no longer you.

Because surely living is what we are here to do? In all its messy hair or crumpled clothes or wrinkled skin glory.

A picture can’t hug a friend or walk the dog or laugh until it cries.

A picture can’t dream.

So it isn’t that you don’t look like the women in the magazines my darling. It’s that they don’t look like you.

And you know what?

Maybe they wish they did.

*****

Becky Hemsley 2023

https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild

Artwork by Monika Luniak

This is from 'Letters from Life' https://a.co/d/c6dL84z

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

"IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE"
(author unknown)

In the blink of an eye another day is gone,

In the blink of an eye another week is gone.

In the blink of an eye another month is gone,

In the blink of an eye another year is gone.

And in the blink of an eye I'll be gone too,

And not just me but also you.

So maybe we should be wishing and hoping,

That we could just keep our eyes open.

And see and appreciate all that we can see,

And learn how we can be, the best that we can be,

Before it's too late,

Time flies, so let's not wait.

Whether we have just one life or many, one thing is true,

We should try to enjoy every moment we can; it's the wisest thing to do.

TRADING PLACES by Becky Hemsley

"TRADING PLACES"
by Becky Hemsley

If one day we swapped places -

I was you and you were me

I wonder what it is that both of us

Would actually see

I wonder if you’d notice

How your smile lights up your face

How when you walk into a room

You brighten up the place

I wonder if you’d see the way

You always make the time

For those who seek you out because

You’re patient and you’re kind

And maybe I would notice

How I always stand my ground

And how I lift up those I love

When they are lost or down

Perhaps I’d notice how

I’m quite content all by myself

And how I’m always there for others

When they ask for help

And if you felt your patience

And if you could see your smile

If I could help myself

And feel my kindness for a while

Then maybe we would understand

We cannot be defined

By all that we fixate on

In our mirrors and our minds

Yes, if we both swapped places

And had someone else to be

Perhaps we’d come to realise

There’s so much we cannot see

And maybe in the moments

You were me and I was you

We would see why people love us

And we’d learn to love us too

*****

Becky Hemsley 2023

https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild

Beautiful artwork by Sascalia

'Trading Places' is from 'Letters from Life' https://a.co/d/cX3wuDC

and is also on my website as a free downloadable print

Tuesday 4 June 2024

THE ELDERLY COUPLE

"THE ELDERLY COUPLE"
(author unknown)

An elderly couple was having dinner one evening when the husband reached across the table, took his wife's hand in his and said, "Martha, soon we will be married 50 years, and there's something I have to know. In all of these 50 years, have you ever been unfaithful to me?"

Martha replied, "Well Henry, I have to be honest with you. Yes, I've been unfaithful to you three times during these 50 years, but always for a good reason.

Henry was obviously hurt by his wife's confession, but said, "I never suspected. Can you tell me what you mean by 'good reasons’?”

Martha said, "The first time was shortly after we were married, and we were about to lose our little house because we couldn't pay the mortgage.

Do you remember that one evening I went to see the banker and the next day he notified you that the loan would be extended?"

Henry recalled the visit to the banker and said, "I can forgive you for that. You saved our home, but what about the second time?"

Martha asked, "And do you remember when you were so sick, but we didn't have the money to pay for the heart surgery you needed? Well, I went to see your doctor one night and, if you recall, he did the surgery at no charge."

"I recall that," said Henry. "And you did it to save my life, so of course I can forgive you for that. Now tell me about the third time."

"Alright," Martha said. "So do you remember when you ran for president of your golf club, and you needed 73 more votes?"

THE ELDERLY MAN FAINTED

ETERNAL DAWN

“ETERNAL DAWN” (author unknown)

There will be a day when I won’t walk this earthly path,

When my physical form fades like a whisper in the wind.

But fear not, my loved one, for I shall linger still,

In the quiet chambers of your heart, where memories reside.

I am the beautiful sunrise that kisses your eyelids awake,

Painting the sky with hues of hope and promise.

In the golden glow of morning, feel my presence,

A gentle reminder that love transcends mere existence.

And when the sun dips low, casting shadows upon your soul,

I’ll be there—the soft breeze that caresses your skin,

Whispering secrets of eternity, weaving through your hair,

A lovely song carried by the wind, a symphony of solace.

Through joy and sorrow, I’ll walk beside you,

An unseen companion, a silent witness to your days.

Look for my signs—the robin that perches on your windowsill,

The wildflower that blooms in unexpected places.

For though my mortal form may fade, my love endures,

An eternal flame that dances across time’s tapestry.

So when you feel the ache of longing, close your eyes,

And there, in the quiet spaces, you’ll find me—forever.