宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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* g% G) ]& `/ ?7 r8 }A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

The 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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6 D6 W) l! |5 Fof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

: B% `. b9 I6 E7 X5 X; b! Oa child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

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
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0 N  [3 m6 a  T. ?6 M& ~3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

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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$ G* V* S3 j5 R7 J" V" CDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

8 D, c& Y8 X5 \0 u8 Q; cdue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
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week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

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

2 Z% N, F0 B3 A  }: kwith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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2 t" A4 v0 A7 P, O! U* bstarted 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.

The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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6 R" a1 V6 X- Wyour 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
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4 ]% w  U/ A" \, r1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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in your heart for your lifetime???"

"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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7 z$ t# u( I. {it is something you do for yourself.
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2 [* E1 c" R) {+ y) cGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.