NOT junk mail

This story could not have come at a much better timing.

A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married
& went to live with her husband and mother-in-law.
In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along
with her mother-in-law at all.

Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered
by many of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition,
she criticized Li-Li constantly.

Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law
never stopped arguing and fighting.
But what made the situation even worse was that,
according to ancient Chinese tradition,
Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish.
All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's
poor husband great distress.

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper
and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something
about it!

Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang,
who sold herbs.
She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some
poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all.
Mr.Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will
help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and
obey what I tell you."
Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to
do."
Mr.Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes
with a package of herbs.
He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of
your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become
suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly
build up poison in her body.
Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little
of these herbs in her serving.
Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspect you when she dies, you must
be very careful to act very friendly towards her. Don't argue with her, obey
her every wish, and treat her like
a queen."

Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to
start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.Weeks went by,
and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the
specially treated food to her mother-in-law.
She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion,
so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like
her own mother.

After six months had passed, the whole household had changed.
Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she
found that she almost never got mad or upset.
She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months
because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.
The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love
Li-Li like her own daughter.
She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best
daughter-in-law one could ever find.Li-Li and her mother-in-law
were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter.
Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr Huang and asked for his help
again. She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison
from killing my mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I
love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison
I gave her."

Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry
about.
I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve
her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude
toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to
her."

HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you?

There is a wise Chinese saying:
"The person who loves others will also be loved in return."

It would be so much easier to hate. It takes even more to love the things one hate about something/someone. That takes courage. That is what everyone has - every single one of us.