宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED

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2 _8 F5 `, C/ W; S- M9 iA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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9 t  {4 g5 F" @0 s  f* WThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic

bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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, G* i1 u; z  @of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

of people he/she hates.
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6 x  I; s! y1 d& m0 xSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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, J* S  K& Q2 M. Hthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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4 Q3 D: B/ D) z  D: _' ?9 v" t4 U3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

: i, A5 k9 k- v' f0 Jin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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( B0 c" w  G2 o! H7 }% YDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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; I" I# n+ T! d4 j, _) O) pstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

8 H' n' D" b# j7 u) M4 t# U- rhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

$ k" g  V6 C( QThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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# r5 O0 t3 @, l- j0 ]# rThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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# A: ^8 ?5 {2 k! _0 H+ D* ~5 ayour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
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will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

/ t9 R8 r9 o& ^; y5 t1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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in your heart for your lifetime???"
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/ t- G# ~" o# Q"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

& T  |) Z9 \1 |( Nit is something you do for yourself.
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.