宽容的心

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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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, @0 x% b7 ?- e. c# Q+ @- RA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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. I9 d/ E7 l6 h5 x9 \; Z" ^" rbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

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

a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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  ?6 L2 K6 U  P' D$ @$ A7 d* Qof people he/she hates.
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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.

& [, ~0 g/ y- MThe 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.
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  Q: o2 d1 N4 DDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

2 e( B7 J) R( q4 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.
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0 F5 }3 G* u$ c* J% hThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

' I8 r2 E8 V: R4 Lstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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& |; C3 C2 J5 f) Zhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

3 B, h# T4 e9 C. w1 S9 WThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

1 t5 r( `: }+ q0 L$ J" X8 vThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

( C# c/ p; q% s) R2 Eyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
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& ]& Y7 a9 [# n+ p0 swill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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* [! F5 `4 s2 I3 m# fyou 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
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in your heart for your lifetime???"

+ x( C3 t& U1 Q"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.