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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

  Z  G: U( O) QThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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7 I, X& C8 [: q7 U  lbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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5 {) r1 W" U' n* e6 Sa child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

of people he/she hates.

+ h! Y) S2 e0 D) x& TSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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, c4 V7 b2 [" Y7 ?the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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, r1 H- _. t/ ^- Y+ E* yin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain

due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
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those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
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* S. P4 A& d: v5 z8 r" Wweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

: b- f9 c8 Z% M% d% W  s9 J0 H! ?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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' m& P0 h( }  y9 @5 E3 B% o7 o+ d0 Fstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

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.
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The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

* _8 x% R& E9 f+ s! v' N3 J  iyour 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

  c7 S( I* Z' h9 }4 K1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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/ P* k, |' E" M1 c6 Nin your heart for your lifetime???"

# G: W7 ~. L) P"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.