宽容的心

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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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/ B) J2 {6 y8 Z" ]# r8 ybag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

* }3 `/ q  D+ O* }* G& ~of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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2 S/ ~6 @" e% o' g8 B: X% [: z2 Ta child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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- }; k+ p, {( o) Wof people he/she hates.
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4 \7 u: `) Z! Z5 ], x1 ?8 FSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

: P4 {1 ~; I0 _, \6 QThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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+ |9 g& m  G2 |in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain

: Z$ v' X* v1 C" o3 E4 r8 Hdue 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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$ F1 j! h' T" Xweek, 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

3 j  r5 ^1 c2 v9 x- c  u% ywith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
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Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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) O6 H! p1 U2 w) K3 }+ e, jyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
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will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever

) E$ P0 f5 {2 m8 v- i4 L# b8 ~6 pyou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

in your heart for your lifetime???"
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: P& x" H$ b/ E& W# u"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

  B$ J& t) `# dit is something you do for yourself.
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.