宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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! a. e3 }5 I5 H4 [; J  V9 xA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic

, A# Y. ~% s& z9 u% h& T; pbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

+ Z. F' z8 V  z; h9 E2 m) Xof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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  |8 F+ O7 I- B9 |( Oa child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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* n( L  }; x2 G5 _+ eof people he/she hates.
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8 x6 N6 t& [% f3 k: ZSo 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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  a6 q5 Z0 T- P: zThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

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

* O* t7 [( b# f% ~week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

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
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1 }! ~9 y$ E2 \6 P7 T( Qstarted 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.
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0 w) C6 \0 h5 L" f% mThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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6 d; S2 S# c- NThe 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

will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever

5 G- i6 F/ c. H* w: `% A# I, P' \you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

1 E" r) [) w* ]) C5 Jin your heart for your lifetime???"
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"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.
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" e, k  a* w* P6 F& M* t# mGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.