Found in a Book
Author: Catherine PulsiferAs many of you are aware by my past writings I have a love of books. In reading books I have found mentors, stories of people who have faced challenges and overcame them; people whom I admire. I have also found wisdom, and words that make me stop and think, words that have given me an "aha" moment! And, some books have given me hope. These writings that have encouraged me to continue with my goals, or have inspired me to take action. I was recently reading a book of poetry that was written in the 1930's. I bought this book at an auction. To me, older books are treasures; they contain wisdom that still applies today.
While I was reading this book, I noticed there we clippings of poems inserted throughout the book. Someone, many years ago, took the time to clip out these poems. I carefully opened these clippings and found, much to my delight, a poem that reminded me to be thankful for all that I have been blessed with. The poem was called "When I Whine". It showed Author Unknown. So I got on the Internet and found the poem; it was written by Red Foley. Upon further research, I found Mr. Foley was a singer during the post-war era who sold some 25 million records between 1944 and 1965. He was born in 1910 and his real name was Clyde Julian Foley. He died on September 19, 1968, but his words of wisdom still live on. Below is Mr. Foleys poem, When I Whine.
By Red Foley
Today upon a bus, I saw
A lovely maid with golden hair;
I envied her - she seemed so gay -
And oh, I wished I were so fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle,
She had one foot and wore a crutch,
But as she passed, a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine;
I have two feet - the world is mine.
And when I stopped to buy some sweets,
The lad who served me had such charm;
He seemed to radiate good cheer,
His manner was so kind and warm.
I said, "It's nice to deal with you,
Such courtesy I seldom find."
He turned and said, "Oh, thank you, sir!"
And I saw that he was blind.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine;
I have two eyes - the world is mine.
Then, when walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play;
It seemed he knew not what to do,
I stopped a moment, then I said:
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word,
And then I knew; He could not hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine;
I have two ears - the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I'd go,
With eyes to see the sunset's glow,
With ears to hear what I should know:
I'm blessed indeed, The world is mine;
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
So the next time you are having an "it's all about me day", or on a day when you are feeling sorry for yourself, or on a day that you catch yourself complaining about the things that truly are not issues, remember Mr. Foleys poem, "When I Whine".
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