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THE STENCH OF HATRED ' _1 z1 a1 v6 z0 w
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' r! U3 Q! ]$ v+ l) |) @# T- ?9 I: |A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. * J3 L+ d- i7 c5 X
' E9 u! j' V: @6 ?The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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* M+ g! f! L$ v+ Z8 B5 bbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that & m1 J' w( h; x' H8 @% f0 g
- }0 m" j$ i, P1 k. N- k% Ba child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number 2 {& n; e" J5 @# r
/ ^! L5 b2 Y! h& S% pof people he/she hates.
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( X5 r% }0 r; W- r0 NSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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2 X1 S4 U: {+ H& E0 X8 h- |# Cthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some % c2 _; t/ |' F7 T
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3 while some up to 5 potatoes. . t$ A9 C" Z7 [: T
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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4 y1 ?) V6 A* m- T# ~in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain |& E4 o; b K- Q8 c
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due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
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/ N# H; b( e$ k% j" W1 h |those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 # Q G2 j1 P* e1 j
2 F; t9 P2 g0 y, ~week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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) x: B" ]& l$ K3 T, swith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and ( [' a1 [+ H1 _* Y7 u" A7 m/ Q; i% n
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started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through ) I$ i( H! c4 Q4 O" _, K: _
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having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go. 9 H0 D$ I3 b: C
+ k9 ^* u8 G6 SThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. 5 |& H `0 r% l* |! i- I6 n' ]2 S) l- N+ d
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The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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" Y9 O8 p: Y" W u; Eyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred 1 i5 ?: C- s4 n# o6 V* P% Z
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will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever ( |3 Q& `, F- b" T
: I$ `7 c5 l: ]you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just - g3 S+ b* {! i$ A& a; F
( h# V( U* h& V# O" S1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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in your heart for your lifetime???"
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"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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it is something you do for yourself.
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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