Gold Wrapping Paper

This is a story i received in an email...a story by someone called sarah(someone i do not know...)
Think it is a meaningful story..

" I received this from a friend who had a choice to make. It said that I had a choice to make too. I've chosen. Now it's your turn to choose.

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her 5 year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child usedthe gold paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and said, "This is for you, Momma."The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty.She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner. "Don't you know,young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?"She had tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full."The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later,and It is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed forall the years of her life. Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems, she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, have been givena Golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family,friends and GOD.
There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.You now have two choices:
1. Pass this on to your friends OR
2. Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart.
As you can see, I took choice No. 1.

Friends are like angels who lift us to our feet, when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.If you receive this more than once in return just know that your friends have also thought of you. "

2005-a year to remember

Throughout the entire year, my greatest lesson is that of working hard and playing hard. When I was in secondary school, I placed much emphasis on academic performance and studies, as the saying goes, “Too much work makes Jack a dull boy”, but in this case, I’m not really what you would call a boy. However, when I came to AJC this year, I found that my classmates are really a fun-loving and amiable group of people. I have learnt to be more vocal and friendly as a result and somehow, I feel that the exposure that I have been getting in AJC has created a profound effect on me. I cannot really articulate optimally what I feel in words, but simply saying, it has been an enjoyable year.

Of course, during the course of this year, there have been hiccups and unhappiness arising from different sources. Through facing obstacles valiantly and overcoming them can one ever hope to truly be more experienced and confident. In the course of everyone’s life, a myriad of events will occur. Not every incident is smooth and to one’s wishes. Being averse to challenges in life only serves to narrow one’s experiences and growing up in a protected environment only results in lower self-esteem when facing external pressures. In a sense, the variety of exposure in AJC has given me considerable experience and confidence in undertaking tomorrow’s challenges, whatever they may be.

Firstly, it was the first time I attempted to take up leadership positions in class and in CCAs and other activities. Being in the House and CCA committee is actually a very stressful affair and not as enjoyable as I envisioned it to be. Indeed, responsibilities increase when one takes on more roles. Sometimes I do feel that I cannot cope but I’m trying my best to manage. I realize that being able to put in one’s best foot for everything and excelling at them is actually very daunting. Indeed, it’s the survival of the fittest. I really hope that being exposed to such stress is actually helpful for life in the working society in the future…

In this year, I’ve learnt to talk and communicate with more people. In a way, it is like a turning point in my life as all along I have preferred to indulge myself in solitude and accomplishing things independently. Maybe I might have had an attitude problem previously, but sometimes, it is simply a case of feeling misfit and unable to merge in with the crowd. Through joking and playing around with my classmates, I suddenly realize that talking is actually an enjoyable activity. Of course, it is highly dependable on the person you are actually communicating with. But sometimes, it can get very addictive too. There seems to be a flipside to everything in life.

This year, I’ve also learnt to make myself happy. Sometimes, one should be just contented with simple things in life and laugh off any unhappiness. Quoting Chicken Little, “Every day is a new day”, I think that one should learn to get on with life and not brood over depressing issues. Although it is a tortuous affair, but ultimately, it is a test of how strong a person’s character is. And finally, I’ve learnt to weigh my thoughts carefully before deciding on my course of action because regret is a painful word.

I have made a lot of valuable friendships this year and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has brightened up my life and made it different! Hope that next year is a better year!