宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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- S3 W3 c* k/ t5 U2 D$ jA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

" o7 f* ^+ [, z' N' LThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic

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

! J. }6 ~, w/ @$ @$ p8 s& j$ La child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

, M6 ]# \7 n; C9 U; \. Qof people he/she hates.

/ P% _. B; O& |8 nSo 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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! `4 ]4 M0 X4 v- m3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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& S1 T# l: `6 AThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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' l: ^6 M% e! Q5 y9 f$ din the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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  G" n+ L3 Y$ U8 g' CDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

: R7 e+ }3 N4 Udue 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.

$ }3 R6 G+ ~9 C2 d# f: C; [5 ~The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

4 i/ P, z6 n% {3 M; G% F; L  `having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
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Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

2 _3 z1 [& \6 ?) ^; gThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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6 T" o- D1 B4 {+ E" C* f: e. Pyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

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

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

# h8 @( A4 |* ?  c  Jin your heart for your lifetime???"
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* \3 v% x0 U. q5 G/ \, x"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.

Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.