THE CORNER 4 WOMEN

Monday 10 June 2024

THE BROKEN BICYCLE

"THE BROKEN BICYCLE"

(author unknown)

A young boy ran his bicycle into a wall and broke it. He felt very sad, helpless and angry. He carried the bicycle to an old mechanic and asked,

"How much will it cost to have my broken bicycle repaired? It is the third time it's broken! It's so precious to me."

The old mechanic examined the bicycle for a while, then said,

"It's badly damaged and would cost you so much money, 20 coins to repair. However, a new bicycle actually costs 30 coins. So, instead of spending 20 coins to repair an old bicycle, maybe you can just buy a new one for 30 coins."

The boy shook his head in disagreement and said,

"No, I want my bicycle repaired, I can't just let it go. I can't accept the fact that it's damaged. I'll pay you the 20 coins to have it fixed."

The old mechanic went ahead and fixed the broken bicycle, spending a lot time. The boy then paid him 20 coins, hopped on his bicycle and rode away.

However, the following day, the boy returned to the old mechanic, saying his bicycle had broken again. With sadness and exhaustion, he asked how much it would cost to have it repaired again.

The old man whistled,

"10 coins. However, your bicycle is old and weak and could develop more problems in the near future. Wouldn't it better to buy a new one which is just 30 coins?"

The boy said disagreeably,

"I don't want a new one. I'll pay you the 10 coins for you to have it fixed."

As soon as the old mechanic finished fixing the broken bicycle, the boy paid him the money and rode away.

Three days later, the boy went back to the old mechanic because his bicycle had broken again. With frustration and despondence, he cried,

"I don't have anymore money to repair the bicycle again. Not even a single coin!"

The old man shrugged and said,

"You refused to buy a new bicycle for 30 coins. However, you've actually spent over 30 coins trying to fix that piece of junk. How wonderful! I guess, that's how life is. We put a lot of effort and spend so much time trying to change and fix things that can't be changed. Instead of accepting the reality, letting go and moving forward, we always want to put the pieces together and control things that aren't in our control. This is a really, really important lesson to learn and the sooner the better. It'll change your life and help you achieve your dreams. You simply can't fix or solve every problems, and trying to do so often just makes things worse. Sometimes, you have to accept the truth, let go of what had already happened and focus on the new things. Yes, new things, just like a new bicycle.

Brought to you by https://thecorner4women.com together with our sister website http://www.nicheebookcollections.com and our growing e-book library available FREE, through our Newsletter sign up page here:-
https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html We now have over 1900 e-books on our library shelves for your reading pleasure, so do come along and check us out.
More articles by Su DeNyme (our resident writer) & John A Elliott are available here: https://www.nicheebookcollections.com/TC4W/ARTICLES.html

THE FOOLISH OLD FROG

"THE FOOLISH OLD FROG"

(author unknown)

Once upon a time, there was an old frog which was called the Foolish Old Frog. His most prominent character trait was his extremely low intelligence. He had difficulty with just about everything. He always acted in a silly manner that made everyone laughed at him. They considered him a moron and a worthless creature.

Despite his low intelligence, the frog was very kind-hearted, as he often went out of his way to help others, even if he was sometimes oblivious to their problems. He was generous and compassionate.

One day, the king decided to hold a quiz competition among the top five smartest animals. He called all the animals in the kingdom and asked them to select five contestants known for their intelligence.

The Wise Dolphin was the first contestant selected for the competition. The second was the Smart Chimpanzee. The third was the Intelligent Wolf. The fourth was the Brilliant Squirrel.

Now, some animals wanted to mock and ridicule the old frog, so they chose him as the fifth contestant. They all laughed at him heartlessly and began to mumur,

"He is such a fool! He is an old fool! He will never be able to answer the question correctly! He will be humiliated! Hahaha!"

When the five contestants were ready, the king came up and promised that whichever animal won the quiz would be given a huge sum of money as a prize. An amount that could change their life forever.

At that moment, he asked the question,

"Which mammal is known to have the most powerful bite in the world?"

All the contestants became terribly confused. For several minutes, none was able to get the correct answer. They tried and tried, but all to no avail. Just then, the old frog screamed,

"Hippopotamus!"

The king smiled broadly and exclaimed,

"Wow... correct! You won the quiz!"

The animals were surprised and could not believe it. They suddenly felt ashamed of looking down on the old frog. They felt so guilty that they asked for his forgiveness.

Later on, an animal approached the old frog and asked,

"Tell me, how did you know the correct answer to the quiz question?"

He answered,

"I didn't know the answer. It was just luck. I noticed the hippopotamus was eating my cake, so I screamed his name for him to stop."

MORAL LESSON:

Don't mock or look down on anyone for whatever it is they are. You may think you've seen it all, but luck and chance are capable of changing a person's life forever!

A MEMORY SENT FROM HEAVEN by Joanne Boyle

"A MEMORY SENT FROM HEAVEN"
by Joanne Boyle

When I was just a child

mum would point to a tree,

at the bottom of the garden

and she would say to me.

"There is a special message

I have hid it way up high.

The only way to get it

is if you reach for the sky."

"But mum this is dangerous

and I will no doubt fall.

I am not big enough.

I am still far too small."

I remember mum laughing

as she pulled me close to her.

She said "one day my boy,

you'll find your way up there."

I forgot about that day.

The years they came and went.

Mum went up to heaven

when an angel had been sent.

I packed up our old home,

and I looked out at the tree.

I was a six year old boy again

In a memory.

I remembered our conversation.

I made a swing from rope.

I climbed that old tree.

My heart was full of hope.

When I reached the top.

There was a nook cut in the tree.

An envelope sat waiting.

I knew it was for me.

I couldn't wait to open it.

Surprised that it was there.

My heart beat so rapidly.

I knew my mum was there.

I opened up the envelope

and this is what I read.

"Oh my dear darling boy,

you have remembered what I said.

You finally found a way,

to reach way up high.

When something is truly worth it

we know that we must try.

I always knew you would.

You just had to find your way.

But with love in our hearts.

We will have our day.

When we really want something,

we make it come true.

Just like I found my way,

to keep my promise to you."

I put that letter in my heart

Tears fell down my face.

A memory sent from heaven.

That was Mums new place.

*********

Author Joanne Boyle Heartfelt

art Steffi Krenzek

Sunday 9 June 2024

DESTINED TO ONE DAY MEET by Tahlia Hunter

"DESTINED TO ONE DAY MEET"
by Tahlia Hunter

"Each human being in existence

possesses a different energetic resonance.

Some are drawn to one another like magnets,

while others repel each other.

This is part of nature's design,

so that people may draw towards themselves

those who are on the same wavelength as them.

And so if you ever find yourself feeling lost, alone or excluded

by those who surround you,

understand that it is not because there is something wrong with you,

but it is likely because you are either still healing

or you possess a different energetic resonance from them.

And so instead of trying to fix, change or mold yourself

into becoming like them,

trust that there are souls out there

just like you

that you are destined to one day meet

waiting to find

someone just like you

who will be magnetised towards you

through you shining your light."

*******

Words by Tahlia Hunter

https://www.facebook.com/TahliaHunterBlog

Artwork by Catrin Welz-Stein

Brought to you by https://thecorner4women.com together with our sister website http://www.nicheebookcollections.com and our growing e-book library available FREE, through our Newsletter sign up page here:-
https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html We now have over 1700 e-books on our library shelves for your reading pleasure, so do come along and check us out.
More articles by Su DeNyme (our resident writer) & John A Elliott are available here: https://www.nicheebookcollections.com/TC4W/ARTICLES.html

Saturday 8 June 2024

"POWER" by Becky Hemsley

"POWER"
by Becky Hemsley

We are often wary of getting older.

We are conditioned to try and halt time

and reverse the signs of ageing.

And yet, whilst the ocean is billions of years old, it is no less powerful because of age.

It can still choose to carry you or drown you if it so wishes.

Whilst some trees have been growing for thousands of years, they are no less impressive than a ten year old tree.

In fact, they are more grounded and more rooted.

And with that comes incredible strength to weather any storm.

And whilst some mountains are millions of years old, they are no less formidable than those formed more recently.

They still stand tall and proud against a many billion-year-old sky.

So being old is not something to dread.

Ageing is not something that has to make us

weak and small.

It can be what makes us strong.

Formidable.

And powerful.

Yes, there is so much power in ageing.

So claim it,

harness it.

And above all…

Do not be afraid to use it.

*******

Becky Hemsley 2023

Beautiful artwork by Oladesign

'Power' is from 'Letters from Life' https://a.co/d/bmyKfDW

Brought to you by https://thecorner4women.com together with our sister website http://www.nicheebookcollections.com and our growing e-book library available FREE, through our Newsletter sign up page here:-
https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html We now have over 1700 e-books on our library shelves for your reading pleasure, so do come along and check us out.
More articles by Su DeNyme (our resident writer) & John A Elliott are available here: https://www.nicheebookcollections.com/TC4W/ARTICLES.html

BATTLE by Becky Hemsley

"BATTLE"
by Becky Hemsley

When life feels like a battle

In the middle of a war

And your battle cry’s a whisper

‘Cause your voice has lost its roar

When the shield that you carry

Can’t protect you like it should

And you’re struggling to fire your arrows

Like you normally would

When your armour weighs you down

And you are battered and you’re bruised

When the enemy’s advancing

And you’re sure you’re going to lose

When battle feels exhausting…

Put down your sword and rest

Save your energy

Because the war’s not over yet

But also look around you

To the others in the fray

And listen for the army

That is calling out your name

Tell them you are wounded

That you stumbled and you fell

Because beneath your armour

There’s a chance they cannot tell

Let them cover you

Say that you’ll do the same for them

When they are hurt and wounded

And your strength returns again

For now, retreat a little

From the weariness of war

But remember, you’ve survived

Each battle you have fought before

So give yourself some credit

‘Cause you’ve made it all this way

And I promise you are strong enough

To fight another day

********

Becky Hemsley 2021

Stunning artwork by Claudia Tremblay

'Battle' is from 'What the Wild Replied' https://a.co/d/0FETvAC

Brought to you by https://thecorner4women.com together with our sister website http://www.nicheebookcollections.com and our growing e-book library available FREE, through our Newsletter sign up page here:-
https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html We now have over 1700 e-books on our library shelves for your reading pleasure, so do come along and check us out.
More articles by Su DeNyme (our resident writer) & John A Elliott are available here: https://www.nicheebookcollections.com/TC4W/ARTICLES.html

KISSES FROM HEAVEN by Joanne Boyle

"KISSES FROM HEAVEN"
by Joanne Boyle

Kisses from heaven.

I kissed you on the forehead.

I whispered in your ear.

Did you feel me touch your cheeks?

As I wiped away a tear.

I helped you out of bed and

I shall help you face the day.

Do not dwell on sadness.

I never went away.

Go to our favourite places.

Feel my prescence near.

Sing our favourite songs.

Soon I shall appear.

Laugh at all of our memories.

Let them bring you joy.

Remember all the magic,

for every girl and boy.

Eat your meals with me.

Pull me up a chair.

You do not need to see me,

but believe me I'll be there.

********

Author Heartfelt Joanne Boyle

art Steffi Krenzek

Brought to you by https://thecorner4women.com together with our sister website http://www.nicheebookcollections.com and our growing e-book library available FREE, through our Newsletter sign up page here:-
https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html We now have over 1700 e-books on our library shelves for your reading pleasure, so do come along and check us out.
More articles by Su DeNyme (our resident writer) & John A Elliott are available here: https://www.nicheebookcollections.com/TC4W/ARTICLES.html