What struck me most about today, apart from this unnecessary devastation, was the amazing love and spirit from the families. Their openness in speaking so personally to a load of strangers piled into their homes and their - I can’t find a way to say it - community. They have nothing but they support each other, taking care of each other’s children. With Houra, so many people, family members and friends came in to speak about her and the impact of her illness on everyone. I remember when I was 18, walking through the slums in Addis Ababa on a charity trip and it started raining. At least 10 strangers invited us into their homes to have coffee and take shelter. These people were similar. They live in abject poverty, their children struck down by diseases but the kindness they offer to each other and to strangers is definitely unlike anything I’ve seen in London; anything I’ve ever offered or received. I don’t want to sound sentimental but it is humbling. Totally humbling. [×]
(via hermiola)
this photo look familiar? its of my sister and I. I posted it not long ago, and its since gotten 1000+ notes on Tumblr and counting. The caption of the photo is talking about our bond, and how strong my sister is for continuing to fight her battle of cancer everyday of the past 5 years. Since I posted the photo, my sister lost her battle. She passed away on the 20/12/11 at 8:49pm in my arms. My sister was my bestfriend, and I want to continue to honor her. Reblog to keep my sisters spirit alive for as long as possible, she deserves it.
Everyone to reblog this will be watched over by her tonight <3i love this so much
This is beyond beautiful.
(Source: tojustdieinyourarms, via mazjerk)
You were on your way home when you died.
It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.
And that’s when you met me.
“What… what happened?” You asked. “Where am I?”
“You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.
“There was a… a truck and it was skidding…”
“Yup,” I said.
“I… I died?”
“Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,” I said.
You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?” You asked. “Is this the afterlife?”
“More or less,” I said.
“Are you god?” You asked.
“Yup,” I replied. “I’m God.”
“My kids… my wife,” you said.
“What about them?”
“Will they be all right?”
“That’s what I like to see,” I said. “You just died and your main concern is for your family. That’s good stuff right there.”
You looked at me with fascination. To you, I didn’t look like God. I just looked like some man. Or possibly a woman. Some vague authority figure, maybe. More of a grammar school teacher than the almighty.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “They’ll be fine. Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way. They didn’t have time to grow contempt for you. Your wife will cry on the outside, but will be secretly relieved. To be fair, your marriage was falling apart. If it’s any consolation, she’ll feel very guilty for feeling relieved.”
“Oh,” you said. “So what happens now? Do I go to heaven or hell or something?”
“Neither,” I said. “You’ll be reincarnated.”
“Ah,” you said. “So the Hindus were right,”
“All religions are right in their own way,” I said. “Walk with me.”
You followed along as we strode through the void. “Where are we going?”
“Nowhere in particular,” I said. “It’s just nice to walk while we talk.”
“So what’s the point, then?” You asked. “When I get reborn, I’ll just be a blank slate, right? A baby. So all my experiences and everything I did in this life won’t matter.”
“Not so!” I said. “You have within you all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives. You just don’t remember them right now.”
I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. “Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It’s like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it’s hot or cold. You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you’ve gained all the experiences it had.
“You’ve been in a human for the last 48 years, so you haven’t stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness. If we hung out here for long enough, you’d start remembering everything. But there’s no point to doing that between each life.”
“How many times have I been reincarnated, then?”
“Oh lots. Lots and lots. An in to lots of different lives.” I said. “This time around, you’ll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.”
“Wait, what?” You stammered. “You’re sending me back in time?”
“Well, I guess technically. Time, as you know it, only exists in your universe. Things are different where I come from.”
“Where you come from?” You said.
“Oh sure,” I explained “I come from somewhere. Somewhere else. And there are others like me. I know you’ll want to know what it’s like there, but honestly you wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh,” you said, a little let down. “But wait. If I get reincarnated to other places in time, I could have interacted with myself at some point.”
“Sure. Happens all the time. And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan you don’t even know it’s happening.”
“So what’s the point of it all?”
“Seriously?” I asked. “Seriously? You’re asking me for the meaning of life? Isn’t that a little stereotypical?”
“Well it’s a reasonable question,” you persisted.
I looked you in the eye. “The meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.”
“You mean mankind? You want us to mature?”
“No, just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect.”
“Just me? What about everyone else?”
“There is no one else,” I said. “In this universe, there’s just you and me.”
You stared blankly at me. “But all the people on earth…”
“All you. Different incarnations of you.”
“Wait. I’m everyone!?”
“Now you’re getting it,” I said, with a congratulatory slap on the back.
“I’m every human being who ever lived?”
“Or who will ever live, yes.”
“I’m Abraham Lincoln?”
“And you’re John Wilkes Booth, too,” I added.
“I’m Hitler?” You said, appalled.
“And you’re the millions he killed.”
“I’m Jesus?”
“And you’re everyone who followed him.”
You fell silent.
“Every time you victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.”
You thought for a long time.
“Why?” You asked me. “Why do all this?”
“Because someday, you will become like me. Because that’s what you are. You’re one of my kind. You’re my child.”
“Whoa,” you said, incredulous. “You mean I’m a god?”
“No. Not yet. You’re a fetus. You’re still growing. Once you’ve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born.”
“So the whole universe,” you said, “it’s just…”
“An egg.” I answered. “Now it’s time for you to move on to your next life.”
And I sent you on your way.
(via sunshinedaisieswindmills)
![-redux:
imwithkanye:
Meryl’s heart of gold. In 2010 alone, Meryl Streep and Don Gummer donated $2.13 million to Vassar College, Oxfam America, Meals on Wheels and Coalition of the Homeless. [forbes]
#you should be crying at least once a day because you are not meryl streep](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m05z9ifnOR1qanm80o1_1280.png)
Meryl’s heart of gold. In 2010 alone, Meryl Streep and Don Gummer donated $2.13 million to Vassar College, Oxfam America, Meals on Wheels and Coalition of the Homeless. [forbes]
(via thelastconfessor)
He deserves a million reblogs <3
I can’t help but lol at the last frame. It’s so inspiring that he can keep a smile on his face, and even crack jokes about his disabilities. This man deserves all of the awards.
Such an inspiration <3
Truly a magnificent human being :’)
(Source: randomness-is-epic, via lefatgirldiaries)
A well-known speaker started off his seminar holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?” Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, “Who still wants it…?” Still the hands were up in the air. “Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now, who still wants it?” Still the hands went into the air. “My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We may feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who do love you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by who we are. You are special; Don’t ever forget that.
(via linhbuii)
Lionel, 99, and his wife Ellen Buxton, 100, met in March 1930, married on July 18th 1936 and have been inseperable ever since.
The couple, together a total of 82 years, have not spent more than one night apart.
Upon speaking of their marriage, Ellen says:
“We have never been apart really and have never wanted anyone else. We have been married happily because we have been good friends as well as husband and wife.
We have always made sure we have had nice evenings out together. Whether it is going for a romantic meal or out to play bingo
‘We are more in love now than ever. We keep each other going.”
Literally crying….
oh my god , kill me <3
wow :’)
(Source: existenceisfutile, via can-you-feeel-it)
This is a tattoo I got very recently for my dad who passed away. He said “tell Morgan I love her” in the last letter he wrote to my sister so I had them tattoo his exact hand writing. I’m so in love with it. It’s so simple and yet has so much meaning behind it. It’s a reminder to myself everyday that I am loved.
(via anjanaaaa)
