A FRIENDSHIP POEM

Forever In My Heart

In this world things come and go,
And we can't know what the future may hold.
Nothing really stays the same,
And when we least expect it our lives are changed.

If something ever changes
And we happen to lose touch
Please know that I'll always think of you
And miss you very much.

So before the world changes
I just wanted to say
I'm thankful that we're friends
Yesterday and today.

With time and fortune on our side
I hope we never part
But if we do, remember you
Are forever in my heart!
--author unknown

The fruitage of the spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Mildness, Self-Control. Against such things there is no law. But the greatest of all is "LOVE"

TODAY'S TRIVIA

Why do we wear a Cap and Gown for graduation?

In the often unheated buildings of the middle ages, long gowns were necessary for scholars to ward off the cold.

Academic dress for graduations started in the 12th and 13th centuries when universities first began forming. Whether a student or a teacher, standard dress for scholars was clerical garb. Most medieval scholars had made certain vows, and had at least taken minor orders with the church so clerical robes were their main form of dress to begin with.

In 1321, the University of Coimbra mandated that all Doctors, Bachelors, and Licentiates must wear gowns. In the latter half of the 14th century, excess in apparel was forbidden in some colleges and prescribed wearing a long gown. By the time of England's Henry VIII, Oxford and Cambridge began using a standard form of academic dress, which was controlled to the tiniest detail by the university.

Not until the late 1800s were colors assigned to signify certain areas of study, but they were only standardized in the United States. European institutions have always had diversity in their academic dress, but American institutions employ a definite system of dress thanks to Gardner Cotrell Leonard from Albany, New York. After designing gowns for his 1887 class at Williams College, he took an interest in the subject and published an article on academic dress in 1893. Soon after he was asked to work with an Intercollegiate Commission to form a system of academic apparel.

The system Gardner Cotrell Leonard helped form was based on gown cut, style and fabric; as well as designated colors to represent fields of study. For example green was the color of medieval herbs, and was assigned to medical studies. Because olive is close to green, was designated for pharmaceutical studies.

In 1959, the American Council on Education had a Committee on Academic Costumes and Ceremonies review the costume code and make changes. In 1986, the committee changed the code to clarify the use of dark blue for a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO LIVE A HAPPY AND REWARDING LIFE

Take time to smell the roses
Take a nap on Sunday afternoon.
Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Never deprive someone of hope.
It might be all they have.

Be thankful for every meal.
Don’t be afraid to say “I’m sorry”
Don’t take good health for granted.
Don’t interrupt.
Don’t tailgate. Don’t break in line.

Improve your performance by
Improving your attitude.
Wave at children on the school bus.
Listen to your children.
Leave everything a little better than you
found it.

Keep it simple.
Keep good company.
Keep your promises.

Be kinder than necessary.
Take good care of those you love.
Make it a habit to do nice things for
people who will never find out.

Smile.
Sing.
Pray.

Judge your success by the degree that
you’re enjoying peace, health, and love.
Be a good loser. Be a good winner.
Be romantic.
Marry only for love.

Live so that when your children think of
fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of
you.

Eat dessert.
Enjoy ice cream.
Never refuse homemade brownies.

Don’t nag. Don’t gossip.
Don’t expect money to bring you happiness.

Be forgiving of yourself and others.
Never give up on anyone. Miracles happen
every day.
Say thank you a lot. Say please a lot.
Say I love you.
Slow dance.
Exercise.

Don’t rain on other’s people’s parades.
Don’t postpone joy.

Stop blaming others.
Take responsibility for every area of your life.
Take care of your reputation.
It’s your most valuable asset.

Count your blessings.
Stop sweating the small stuff.
Do more that is expected.
Be there when people need you.
Be someone’s hero.

Treasure rainbows.
Enjoy rainbow days.
Give hugs.
Laugh often.
--author unknown

THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND COFFEE


When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours
in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar, and the coffee. A
professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of
him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the
students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas
between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was
full.

They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the
jar was full.
The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty
space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things - your God, family, your children, your health, your
friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was
lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house,
and your car.

The sand is everything else-the small stuff. "If you put the sand into
the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf
balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the
small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to
you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play
with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner
out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. There will always be time to clean
the house and fix the disposal." Take care of the golf balls first, the
things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to
show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room
for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
--author unknown