Abraham Lincoln's letter to his son's teacher

He will have to learn, I know,
that all men are not just,
all men are not true.
But teach him also that
for every scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish Politician,
there is a dedicated leader...
Teach him for every enemy there is a friend,

Steer him away from envy,
if you can,
teach him the secret of
quiet laughter.

Let him learn early that
the bullies are the easiest to lick...
Teach him, if you can,
the wonder of books...
But also give him quiet time
to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun,
and the flowers on a green hillside.

In the school teach him
it is far honourable to fail
than to cheat...
Teach him to have faith
in his own ideas,
even if everyone tells him
they are wrong...
Teach him to be gentle
with gentle people,
and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son
the strength not to follow the crowd
when everyone is getting on the band wagon...
Teach him to listen to all men...
but teach him also to filter
all he hears on a screen of truth,
and take only the good
that comes through.

Teach him if you can,
how to laugh when he is sad...
Teach him there is no shame in tears,
Teach him to scoff at cynics
and to beware of too much sweetness...
Teach him to sell his brawn
and brain to the highest bidders
but never to put a price-tag
on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears
to a howling mob
and to stand and fight
if he thinks he's right.
Treat him gently,
but do not cuddle him,
because only the test
of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage
to be impatient...
let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always
to have sublime faith in himself,
because then he will have
sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order,
but see what you can do...
He is such a fine fellow,
my son!

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Two months ago, you asked for forgiveness for something you did that hurt me. Now, it's my turn. I ask for your forgiveness, not for any one specific thing I did, but for taking you for granted. Ever since you came into my life, you were a source of strength. Whether it was helping me deal with academic stress or standing by me though an illness, you were always there, like a rock. You gave me all the love I needed, and a great sense of security. And somewhere along the line, I began to take all that for granted, ignored all the wonderful things we had, and dwelt on little insignificant things. If I knew how much all this was making you lose faith in me, and more importantly, in US...I would not have done what I did. For all those times I cribbed, argued, fussed, yelled and treated you bad, for all the times I did not appreciate all the wonderful things you did for me, and all the happiness and peace and love you brought into my life...I apologize. This experience has taught me to value what I have and never never never never take anything for granted.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things which should be changed
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

~ Reinhold Niebuhr

Two years have passed...

I've chased my dream...
I almost have a degree
Freud and Jung...
Normality and abnormality...
I've learned about them all
And yet, what makes me sad is
when I look back...

All I've gained is a piece of paper.

After a two month long hiatus from blogging, I'm back. The inactivity on my blog tells me how busy my friends are. I haven't read most of my friends' blogs in ages either. Sometimes, it's so hard to pick up the strings and continue from where you left. In the last eight weeks, life's taught me some very important lessons...

1. You can screw up and hit rock bottom, even if you've been an achiever in the past. There's no substitute for hard work.

2. Never, and I do mean NEVER, be influenced by what other people think is the best thing to do. Noone knows what's best for you better than you.

3. No matter where you go, there will always be people who are jealous of your happiness. They don't have to matter.

4. As distressing as it is, seeing the dark side of human beings and the world in general is good. It teaches you what NOT to be like.

5. There is no need to put up with what you don't like. Just stay out of the way. Minimal interaction in the answer.

6. You can never force anyone to love you. I wish certain people in my academic environment got that point.

7. Sometimes, it helps to keep your mouth SHUT.

8. Boys prefer football to women. We need to learn to get over it :)

9. When you fall down, hurt your head, bleed profusely and pass out from the pain and yet, can think of only one person, it means you're in love. You can deny it to the whole world but not to yourself.

10. Miracles happen. Over and over again. Until you begin to believe in them. Thank God for miracles :)

Such a feeling's coming over me

There is wonder in most everything I see

Not a cloud in the sky

But the sun in my eyes

And I wouldn't be surprised that its a dream



Everything I was about to be

Is now coming true especially for me

And the reason is clear

It's because you are here

You're the nearest thing to heaven that I see



I'm on the top of the world

Down on creation

And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I've found

Ever since you've been around

Your love's put me on the top of the world



Something in the wind has learned my name

And it's telling me that things are not the same

And the leaves on the trees, and the touch of the breeze

There's a place and sense of happiness for me



There is only one wish on my mind

When the day is through I hope that I will find

That tomorrow will be

Just the same for you and me

All I need will be mine if you are here



On the top of the world

Looking down on creation

And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I've found

Ever since you've been around

Your love's put me on the top of the world