A place in Paradise : Paulo Coelho

The poor couple lost their hen on Christmas Eve.They had no eggs in any other basket. But God never closes a door without opening a window somewhere, as Paulo Coelho reminds us in this Christmas story

Many years ago, in the northeast of Brazil, there lived a couple who were very poor and whose only possession was a hen. They managed to scrape a precarious living from the eggs laid by that one hen.
On Christmas Eve, however, the hen died. The husband, who only had a few pennies to his name, which was certainly not enough to buy food for that evening's meal, went to seek help from the village priest.
Instead of giving him money, the priest merely remarked: ‘‘God never closes a door without opening a window. Your money will buy you almost nothing, so go to the market and buy the first thing you’re offered. I will bless that purchase and, since Christmas is the time for miracles, something will happen that will change your life for ever.’’

The man wasn’t entirely convinced that this was the best solution, but he went to the market anyway. One of the traders saw him wandering aimlessly about and asked what he was looking for.
“I don't know. I don’t have much money, but the priest told me that I should buy the first thing I was offered.”
The trader was very rich, but even so he never let slip an opportunity to make a profit, however small. He took the man’s few coins and in exchange gave him a note scribbled on a piece of paper. “The priest was quite right. Now I’ve always had a kind heart, and so, on this festive day, I’m selling you my place in Paradise. Here are the deeds!”
The other man took the piece of paper and moved off, while the trader glowed with pride at having closed yet another excellent deal. That night, while he was preparing for supper in his house full of servants, he told the story to his wife, adding that it was thanks to such quick thinking that he had become as rich as he was.
“That’s shameful!” said his wife. “Fancy behaving like that on the day Jesus was born! Go straight to that man’s house and get the piece of paper back, or you'll never set foot in this house again!”
Alarmed by his wife's anger, the trader decided to do as she said. After much asking around, he managed to find out where the man lived. When he went in, he found the couple sitting at a table that was completely bare apart from the piece of paper.
“I've come because what I did was wrong,” the trader said. “Here’s your money. Now give me back what I sold you.”
“You did nothing wrong,” replied the man. “I followed the priest’s advice and I know that what I bought from you is blessed.”
“But it's just a piece of paper. Besides, no one can sell someone else their place in Paradise. If you like, I'll give you double what you paid for it.”
However, because he believed in miracles, the poor man refused to sell. The trader gradually increased his offer, until he reached the sum of ten gold coins.
“That's no good to me,” said the man. “In order to give my wife the life she deserves, I need one hundred gold coins. That is the miracle I'm waiting for this Christmas Eve.”
In despair and knowing that if he lingered any longer, no one in his own house would have supper or go to midnight mass, the trader ended up paying one hundred gold coins to get the piece of paper back. As far as the couple were concerned, the miracle had happened. As for the trader, he had done as his wife had asked. His wife, though, was filled with doubt. Had she been too hard on her husband?
As soon as midnight mass was over, she went to the priest and told him the story.
“Father, my husband met a man who said that you had told him to go to the market and buy the first thing he was offered. My husband, seeing a chance to earn some easy money, wrote him a note on a piece of paper, selling him his place in Paradise. I told my husband that he wouldn't eat in our house tonight if he didn't get that piece of paper back, and he ended up having to pay one hundred gold coins for it. Did I go too far? Could a place in Paradise really cost that much?”

“Firstly, your husband was able to show great generosity on this, the most important day in the Christian calendar. Secondly, he became the instrument of God through whom a miracle was performed. But to answer your question: when he sold his place in Heaven for a few pennies, it wasn’t even worth that much; however, when he bought it back for one hundred gold coins simply to make his wife happy, that, I can assure you, made it worth much much more.”

(Based on an Hasidic tale by David Mandel. Translated from the Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa. This story is courtesy HarperCollins Publishers India. HarperCollins are the publishers for all Paulo Coelho titles which include Alchemist, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, Devil and Miss Prym, Eleven Minutes, Fifth Mountain, Manual of the Warrior of Light, Pilgrimage, Valkyries, Veronika Decides to Die and The Zahir.)

Quotations@their Best

When you're in love with someone it inspires you and gives you hope.
You have faith that even if you can't be with them on earth,
You will be with them one day in heaven...
No one realizes the beauty of love, until you're caught in it
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You know you're in love when at those times you're apart,
you find yourself gazing at the sky in the direction she lives
and feeling some peace in knowing that you live under the same sky
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If you smile when you are alone, then you really mean it
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I can forgive you for everything, except for not understanding that I was in love with you
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Being in love is a wonderful feeling, but being loved and appreciated in return can be the most wonderful experience that can happen to your life
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You know you're in love when everytime you close your eyes, you see that special someone
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I must be in love with an angel because there is nothing like her on earth
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When asked what is love, what would you say? Well the simple answer to this is complete silence. It is a feeling that only one in love can answer to themself, without words
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Love is not finding someone to live with, It's finding someone you can't live without.......
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Maybe i know you maybe i dont,
maybe i'll see you forever maybe i wont.
But wherever we will be whatever we'll do,
I'll always remember that I got a nice friend, thats you.
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In Life, Love is never planned nor does it happen for a reason.
But when the Love is Real, it becomes your Plan for Life and your Reason for Living...
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Look into my eyes and you'll see what your love is doing to me.
My eyes have learned to smile
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I wish I could see through your eyes so I would know what you like to see.
I wish I knew your wishes, so I could give you everything you want.
I wish I dreamed the same dreams you do, and together we could make them come true.
I wish I knew what makes you happy, so I could make you the happiest person in the whole world.
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If your love does not work with that person, it just means that someone else loves you more
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Wanting to be with the one you love is like
trying to touch a star you know you'll never accomplish
but you just keep trying.
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You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see,
but you can't close your heart to the things you don't want to feel.
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You cannot make someone love you, you can only make yourself someone who can be loved
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Never cry over somebody who would not cry over you.
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Nobody understands the beauty of love... until they have fallen in love atleast once.
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Never wish for something that is not possible;For it would just create hopes..
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Never Love someone so much... that life becomes difficult without them
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Love is never demanding... But It has a lot of expectations.
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Just believe in yourself and people will start believing in you.
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Love may not ask you to give up your life, but it will require lots of sacrifices
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True love is being able to look into the other's eyes... and see your own self.
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Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
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Things don't always come your way... sometimes you have to reach for them.
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Years come and years go by, some bring happiness & in some you cry.
Even though my friend we are far apart, never worry because you will always be in my heart.
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Things Go Wrong...
You sometimes get sad..
and for no reason..
you just start gettin mad..
Just keep your cool..
and god will do the rest..
the happy days will soon come back..
and you'll be again at your best.
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CHAT WITH GOD

God : Hello. Did you call me?
Me: Called you? No.. who is this?
God : This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.
Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something..
God : What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.
Me: Don't know. But I cant find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.
God : Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.
Me: I understand. But I still cant figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.
God : Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.
Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?
God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.
Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?
God : Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.
Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?
God : Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.
Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty..
God : Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.
Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?
God : Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. G"

My First notes to my blog

Hiya world,

This is my first attempt at creating a blog... and its already started to feel zimply GREAT 8-)

Ciao,
~Amar