宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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9 ]' @9 n+ ^. [, m& W/ @5 {A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

/ L1 Z3 T+ b# Y7 ?  W( o+ |  |The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic

8 z9 v( ?* M) ~% |& @bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

# ]' @! B& O8 s% p. O6 j# y; da child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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of people he/she hates.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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6 g# U1 Y! s' @0 X/ t8 qDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

9 a6 K( X. M2 t% e! j% Wdue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

+ N, k5 K/ G  cthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

; _. k* `; J7 ]& Tweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

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

1 {8 ?: S  E$ l1 e: D4 Hwith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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/ C$ T- K, K$ `  l* |' k3 b& Mstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

4 o, H2 o7 |1 t7 e# gThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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your 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

you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

# R7 P9 o) F7 t0 y# gin your heart for your lifetime???"

"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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) V+ Y$ `0 M2 iit is something you do for yourself.
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5 T" I* G9 R) O% J# vGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.