(An order comes to my pharmacy for a well-known antibiotic. This antibiotic is known to smell exactly like rotten eggs, so most of us just hold our breath while we count it and try not to think about it too much. We dispense it to a woman who is picking it up for her teenage son. Everything is normal and she leaves with the prescription, but about 10 minutes later she comes stomping back into the pharmacy, pretty much shoves the person that I am currently helping out of the way, and throws the bottle of medication on the counter.)
Customer: “I want to speak to your manager right now! You guys gave me rotten medication!”
Me: “Really? Let me look at the expiration date on your bottle. Normally we don’t keep anything that has one less than a year away.”
(I look at the bottle and see that the pharmacist wrote a date of over a year away, and I go over to our stock bottle and check and the numbers correspond with each other.)
Me: “Hmm. Well, ma’am, it doesn’t look like this medication is expired but I will have the phar—”
Customer: “You are just lying! I mean, come on and open that bottle! It smells totally rotten! I can’t believe that you would ever give someone bad medication! My son is very very ill!”
Me: “Oh, that’s just because the active chemical that is in this medication has a bad smell. Trust me, I wish there was something that we could do about it back here, too. Most of us hold our breath while we count it.”
Customer: “Stop ****** lying to me. You just don’t want to admit you did something wrong! I will have your job for this, b****!
(At this point the pharmacist who has been listening the whole time walks over.)
Pharmacist: “Ma’am, while I don’t like the fact that you are calling my staff names like that I will let you know two things. One is, certain chemicals have a bad smell. It’s just a fact of life. So, while I know that smell is unpleasant, it’s just one of those side effects that come with being able to take medications that will help your sick son. I assure you it’s supposed to smell that bad. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t work right. Two, since you don’t seem to want to listen to my employees and call them awful names, this will be the last time that you or any members of your family can shop or fill any type of medication here. Maybe in the future you can learn how to treat people the way you want to be treated.”
(The woman proceeded to turn bright red with embarrassment and tried to apologize, but my boss wouldn’t hear it. That was almost two years ago and he still will not allow her or her family to fill their prescriptions at his pharmacy.)
Canada, Children, Extra Stupid, Hospital, Patients, Toronto | Healthy | August 18, 2019
(A mother and her eight-year-old come into the clinic. She says the kid was using the end of a pencil to scratch his ear the previous day and the eraser came off and he accidentally pushed it in while trying to get it out. She can’t get it with tweezers. I flush the ear to remove the eraser and notice a few things.)
Me: “There are clear signs of a swimmer’s ear infection. Fluid has been trapped behind that eraser for a lot longer than a few hours. The eraser would also not nearly be this… encrusted… after such a short time.”
Mother: “[Son] only told me about it yesterday. He said it had just happened. [Son], when did the eraser get stuck in your ear?”
(We both eye the child. He fidgets for a few moments before…)
Son: “Christmas break.”
(This is in MARCH!)
Mother: “What?! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Son: *defiantly* “Well, it only hurt if I touched it and I don’t sleep on that side!”
Hospital, Jerk, Nurses, UK | Healthy | August 10, 2019
(I am in intensive care recovering from surgery and infection. A nurse is doing her rounds when I ask her if she could pass me the lunch menu, as it was left on a table out of my reach.)
Nurse: “No.”
Me: “Sorry?”
Nurse: “People always think we’re their personal slaves, demanding this and that. The nurses agreed we wouldn’t be tolerating it anymore. You’ve got two legs; you can walk. Get it yourself.”
(I stare at her, confused, and lift my bedsheets revealing my lower half. The nurse’s face drains as she stares at my one remaining leg; I had the other removed two days ago.)
Me: “Believe me, I wish I could…”
(Instead of handing me the menu, she bolted for the door, leaving me to wriggle around for a bit and eventually letting a woman who had just had triple heart bypass surgery get it for me. I never saw the nurse again, but as I left I saw my name on the ward list being wiped off, with “LEG AMPUTATION” in big capital letters.)
Bad Behavior, Dentist, Germany | Healthy | August 9, 2019
(When I was a teenager I had braces. During a holiday, I slipped on a playground and hit a wooden log with my upper front teeth. Because of that, my teeth decided almost ten years later that they didn’t like that; inflammations in the upper jaw were the outcome. Because I am now only in my late twenties, my dentist has tried everything he could so I won’t have to get implant teeth. At the beginning of this year, I had yet another inflammation and his daughter, who took over his office, didn’t feel like she could help me and send me to a specialist a town over. It is kind of important to mention that I live a two-hour train ride away from both dentist offices and go there by train. I do have a dentist in the city where I live but haven’t yet decided how much I can trust him so I mostly have gone there for check-ups and minor issues. This is the first appointment to decide on the treatment and everything related. They make a set of x-rays and I talk to the doctor afterward.)
Dentist: “So, I can see from your history that this is the eighth time you’ll have root canal treatment. Don’t you think you should just get them pulled?”
Me: “Oh, well, I’m really hoping that this is the last time. Because it’s two front teeth, I’d really like to try one more time.”
Dentist: “All right, then, I’ll try to do it. Please speak to the nurse about a date and time, the medication you’re used to, and if you need a certificate for your job that you’re ill and need to stay home. We will try an open healing. You won’t get stitches but a small piece of gauze which will cover the wound. You need to have that changed every three days, which your usual dentist can do.” *leaves*
(I set an appointment and specify which painkillers I usually get prescribed and that I need a certification to prove I am unable to work. Two weeks later is appointment day. I wait an hour and a half in the treatment room before I am finally seen. I don’t say anything because I know it can be busy and I am nervous. The dentist enters the room.)
Dentist: “Good morning!”
(Without another word, he takes the syringe with the local anaesthesia and proceeds to literally ram it into my jaw several times, hitting two nerves along the way. I start crying really hard because it hurts so much, not only because he hit the nerves but also because the area is really sensitive because of all the former scar tissue.)
Dentist: *annoyed* “Ms. [My Name], don’t you think it would have been better if you had a full anaesthesia if you’re already crying so hard?”
(He leaves the room sighing while I try to catch my breath despite the pain I’m in. The nurse shoots me an apologetic look and hands me a handkerchief. The rest of the treatment goes fairly well until it’s time for the gauze thingy to be put over the wound. I have called the dentist in the city where I live and they said they’d do the wound care.)
Dentist: “So, we’re almost done. No need to cry. What do you think? As for the gauze, you’ll need to come in three days to have us change it.”
Me: “But you said I’d be able to let my dentist at home do this.”
Dentist: *in the most condescending tone* “Well, [My Name], you surely realize that we will have to take a look at the wound.”
Me: “No. I told you I live a two-hour train ride away. I am not going to sit in a train for four hours just to have a fifteen-minute appointment.”
Dentist: “Well, if that’s the case, and you’re unwilling to do everything it takes to ensure proper healing, I’ve no other way to help you.” *proceeds to stitch the wound together* “With that, you can come back in two weeks and I promise you that it’ll take more than fifteen minutes.”
(He leaves before I can say anything else.)
Nurse: “Well, here you go. Here’s your prescription for painkillers.”
Me: “But that’s not what I asked for. I can get those cheaper without a prescription. I asked for something stronger because at this point, after so many treatments, I really know the pain and what helps and what doesn’t!”
(The nurse leaves to speak to the dentist. When she comes back in
Nurse: “The doctor said you won’t need anything stronger; the treatment does not justify that. Take it or leave it.”
Me: “Then it’s cheaper for me to buy them over the counter. Thanks, but no thanks.”
(I am about to leave when she stops me.)
Nurse: “What do you think you’re doing? You have to wait another thirty minutes to make sure you won’t faint or something.”
Me: “I am really sorry, but I don’t feel comfortable staying here for half an hour. The whole appointment went different from what we decided on and I don’t feel like seeing anyone of you ever again. I don’t want to be rude, but this whole ordeal was an awful experience.”
(She looked annoyed and made me sign a form stating I left against their advice. Because of that “treatment,” I was in pain for four weeks which I’d never had before. It also didn’t stop the inflammations. I am currently sitting at the dentist in my hometown to have both teeth pulled
Belgium, Doctor/Physician, Ignoring & Inattentive, Medical Office | Healthy | August 8, 2019
(I’m travelling to a faraway place and need to get a few recommended vaccinations. I registered with a local GP after moving, but didn’t go before, since I’m a pretty healthy person and never really needed a reason. Note: our health service recommends getting regular pap smears at age 25. I’m a bit older than that, and just never got around to doing so. On the day of this appointment, I’m wearing jeans, a hoodie, and sneakers. The doctor gets ready to give me my injections.)
Doctor: “All right, little lady, here comes the needle! Prick!”
(I don’t look my age but I definitely don’t look as young as whoever she’s talking to.)
Doctor: “And now for a little bandaid… There we go!”
(I look at my arm, half expecting a glitter or cartoon character bandaid. The doctor asks me if there is anything else I need.)
Me: “Well, I think I should have been getting regular pap smears for a while, but never got around to it. Can I just have that done here?”
Doctor: “Oooh, there’s no need for that yet, you’re only…” *looks at my file* “Oh. Okay. Yes, you can just make an appointment with us and we’ll take care of it.”
(She’s still my GP and never talked to me like that again, but I’m wondering how old she thought I was!)
Doctor/Physician, Idaho, Jerk, Medical Office, USA | Healthy | August 7, 2019
(When my son is three I let him know that I have no choice but to schedule his next doctor’s appointment on his fourth birthday. Although he’s not a fan of doctors, I swear to him that he’ll not be required to get any shots. Even if the doctor says he has to, I tell him that I’m his mother and, in this case, they have to listen to me if I say no. He thinks this sounds like a fair deal and agrees to be on his best behavior. A couple of months go by before we have his appointment. I make sure to reiterate that he won’t be getting shots regardless of what anyone says. He understands and, like any other kid, is excited to turn four so he’s focused on telling every single person he encounters, including the doctor, that it’s his birthday. The appointment goes smoothly until the end.)
Doctor: *cheerfully* “Okay! Everything checks out! He just needs a few shots, and then he can be on his way. Let me go get the nurse.”
(Before she can stand up, I quickly put my hand up.)
Me: “Wait, wait, wait. When I scheduled his appointment a couple of months ago they said he didn’t need any. What happened? Why the change?”
Doctor: *frowning* “I’m not sure. You’ll have to discuss that with the nurse. Let me go get her.”
Me: *shaking my head* “No, don’t bother. I told him he wouldn’t have to get shots today. We’ll just come back a different day.”
Doctor: *insistently* “He has to get his shots.”
Me: “Uh, yeah, I got that. But, uh, you can’t really stab someone on their birthday.” *laughs* “That’s a little cold-blooded, don’t you think?”
(I laugh again, mostly to diffuse the situation, but this lady is not having it.)
Doctor: *even more insistent* “He has to get his shots!”
Me: *frustrated* “Yeah, I know that but–“
Doctor: *cutting me off and shrieking* “He cannot enter kindergarten if he does not get his shots!”
(Please keep in mind that based on when my son’s birthday is and when the school year starts, I have over a year to get him in for these oh-so-important shots. I don’t say this, though. Instead, I take a deep breath and pinch my nose because this lady is clearly crazy. Then, before I even get a chance to say another word, my son, who has been sitting quietly next to her this entire time, leans over and looks right at her.)
Son: “Uh, excuse me?!”
(Startled, the doctor turns and looks at him.)
Son: “My mommy says I do not have to get shots today!” *a bit too loudly and rather forcefully* “IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!”
(The doctor stares in open-mouthed shock, looking back and forth between my son and me for a few moments. I take that opportunity to pick up my son.)
Me: *politely* “As I said, he’s not getting his shots today. We’ll come back later.”
Doctor: *looking like she’s sucked on a lemon* “Well, I’ll just put that in his file, then.”
(I took my son and left. Although he did get a small lesson in how to assert himself with a little less force, I could not help but commend him for sticking up for himself. And for those that are concerned, yes, he did get his shots.)
Friends, Health & Body, home, Michigan, Silly, USA | Healthy | August 6, 2019
(I have a strange sense of humor and enjoy talking about ordinary events in outlandish ways. I am texting a good friend of mine who shares my sense of humor and regularly exchanges joking threats with me. She also happens to be the daughter of a nurse. I am in no way a healthcare professional.)
Me: “Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you something. I performed gastric surgery today!”
Friend: “Oh…”
Me: “I’ve been meaning to get around to it for a while, but there was never a time when I could do it. Well, I did it today and the patient was just fine. Didn’t even want anesthetic.”
Friend: “I… I’m curious but scared.”
Me: “Here she is!” *sends a picture of a stuffed dog*
(The stuffed dog in question is very precious to me and sustained a long rip along a seam running down its stomach. I have sewn it up before the inner netting can break, too, and spill plastic pellets everywhere.)
Friend: “Holy crap, I was terrified, [My Name]!”
Me: *laughing way too hard*
Friend: “We’re gonna get that freaking cosplay blade we were talking about earlier and I’m going to find a way to stab you with it.”
Extra Stupid, Hospital, Patients, USA, Virginia | Healthy | August 4, 2019
(I am a junior volunteer at my local hospital with a decent amount of medical knowledge for my age stationed in the emergency room. As I am a freshly graduated high school student — and most volunteers are around my age — we aren’t really allowed to do much but answer call bells, put together blood draw tube sets, enter data, and, in my case, monitor the heart rate screen and alert nurses to abnormal changes. But this isn’t a story about an abnormal heart rate; this is a story of a complete doofus. I am coming back to Central from being over on North — two of the four sections of my ER — when I overhear this gem of a conversation.)
Doctor: *to a patient’s nurse* “We had [Patient] come in complaining of abdominal pain about an hour ago. [Hospital he was transferred from] suspects a small bowel obstruction, but he can’t think of anything to have caused it and said he was experiencing other symptoms.”
Nurse: “Was it?”
Doctor: “Well, considering his last meal was an entire jar of pickles and an extra-large bag of [Popcorn Brand], take a guess.”
(Spoiler alert, it was. Still my favorite story to date. I have no idea why that man thought it was a good idea to eat that in one sitting, and even less of an idea why he couldn’t figure out why he was feeling so bad.)
Bad Behavior, Dallas, Doctor/Physician, Lazy/Unhelpful, Medical Office, Texas, USA | Healthy | August 1, 2019
(I’ve had problems sleeping most of my life. I’ve mentioned this to doctors before, but I have always been told it is stress and/or that I’ll grow out of it by the time I am 20. I finally go to a new doctor at age 23 to try to get a sleep study to find out if there’s an underlying issue, and I decide before going in that I am not taking no for an answer, collecting everything I can to back my case up. This is my exchange with the doctor.)
Me: “I’ve hardly had what constitutes a ‘good night’s sleep’ in ten years. It takes me two hours to fall asleep at night, regardless of what time I go to sleep, but during the daytime, I can fall asleep within minutes.”
Doctor: “Well, maybe if you didn’t take naps, you wouldn’t have a problem. Why don’t you try that?”
Me: “I have, actually. I’ve done tests on myself using a sleep tracking app and trying two-month test periods of going all day every day without a nap, and then again taking a thirty-minute nap each day. There’s next to no change in the nighttime data, and my self-rating of how I feel after I wake up is the same, too. I’ve repeated this for the past year with variables like listening to music and using a weighted blanket with the same results.”
(I show him the graphs I’ve made from my data.)
Me: “Not to mention, I hardly spend any time in deep sleep. It’s all light.”
Doctor: “Well, sleep tracking apps can be very unreliable. You shouldn’t trust it just because it’s on your phone. Even though it says you’re in light sleep, you might be getting deep sleep.”
Me: “I know it’s not 100% accurate, but it still shows approximately when I fall asleep, and it’s never less an hour and a half, and that’s on my best nights.”
Doctor: “That’s normal! You’ll grow out of it!”
Me: “But when? I can’t wait until my 30s to ‘grow out of it.’ It’s affecting both my work and home lives. I can barely get any housework done on the weekends or after work because I’m too tired, I sleep through holidays with my family, and I have to call into work at least once a month due to exhaustion. Just last week, I was pulled over because a cop saw me nodding off at a red light.”
Doctor: “Just get some melatonin and you’ll fall asleep in no time. And if that doesn’t work, try valerian!”
Me: “I have. Both of them. There’s no effect on how long it takes me to get to sleep or how I feel when I wake up. If anything, I feel worse in the mornings after I take them. I really think I need a sleep study to figure out if there’s something wrong with me. I’ve literally broken down crying because I was so tired before.”
Doctor: “Are you sure it isn’t just PMS?”
(We go back and forth like this for almost fifteen minutes, him suggesting ideas and me telling him I’ve already done it and recorded my data — all of which I’ve already mentioned to the nurse and on my new patient forms. I’m growing frustrated and, thanks in part to the continuing exhaustion, nearly start crying again under his line of questioning. Finally, I’ve had enough.)
Me: “I am not leaving this office until you set me up with a neurologist for a sleep study. I have a family history of sleep apnea, and I need answers.”
Doctor: “So, you want drugs, that’s it. You’re too young and skinny to have sleep apnea.”
Me: “What? Sleep studies don’t even involve drugs! I am literally getting less than five hours of sleep a night; that should be reason enough for me to get a sleep study right there!”
Doctor: “I don’t work with people hunting for drugs.”
Me: “And I don’t work with f****** crackpots who don’t listen to their patients!”
(I stormed out without paying and reported him to my insurance, and I have an appointment with a new doctor this Friday. Hopefully, this one will actually listen to me.)
Bigotry, Doctor/Physician, Medical Office, USA, Utah | Healthy | July 29, 2019
(I just found out that my fiancé of five years has been cheating on me for three of those years. To be safe, I make an appointment to have a full STI panel done. The only appointment I can get is with the physician’s assistant and not my usual doctor.)
PA: “Okay, dear, I’m just going to give you the swab and let you take the sample.”
Me: “You aren’t going to do it? I don’t know what to do.”
(She explains how to take a culture and leaves the room to give me privacy. When I finish, she collects the swab and begins to leave again.)
PA: “Okay, we should get results in about a week and we’ll call you.”
Me: “Aren’t you going to take my blood, as well, for HIV and syphilis testing?”
PA: *laughs* “Oh, you only have to worry about that if you’re gay.”
Me: “You know what, I’ll just go and make an appointment with the actual doctor.”
(That was the second issue I had with her, and the last time I ever saw her working there.)
England, Extra Stupid, Hospital, Ignoring & Inattentive, London, Nurses, UK | Healthy | July 24, 2019
(I am a nurse practitioner, assisting my coworker inserting a vascular catheter for dialysis use. The patient is very restless.)
Coworker: “Please stay as still as you can; we don’t want to puncture the wrong blood vessel.”
Patient: “Okay, okay, sorry. It’s just that it really hurts.”
(My coworker continues with the catheterisation, but the patient still keeps wriggling.)
Coworker: “On a scale of one to ten, what is the pain level? I have given you lots of local anaesthetic already.”
Patient: “Nine to ten!”
Coworker: “Okay, let’s give you a little bit more local.”
(My coworker turns to me.)
Coworker: “Okay, let’s give him some more [anaesthetic].”
(I then point to the tray containing all the items required for the procedure, specifically the syringe containing the local anaesthetic — the FULL syringe that hasn’t been used.)
Coworker: *eyes bulge* “Oh, s***!”
(She turns back to the patient.)
Coworker: “Okay, we’re giving you some more local now. How is that?”
Patient: “Oh, much better!”
(The rest of the procedure went by without a hitch. To clear it up, my coworker has been working in the dialysis ward for almost twenty years and this was her first minor mistake at the end of a very long cover shift, but she d*** well hasn’t made that mistake again!)
(I am at the dentist for a routine teeth cleaning. I am a new patient as I have recently moved; this is my first appointment at this dentist. Note that I originally scheduled an appointment in the middle of the month, but when I called with a question a few days after making that appointment, the receptionist was able to get me in earlier due to a cancellation. The hygienist takes me back to the room and is asking me some questions about my dental history.)
Hygienist: “And how are your wisdom teeth? Are they still hurting you?”
Me: *confused* “Um… I don’t have wisdom teeth; I was born without any.”
Hygienist: “Your record says that your previous dentist in Saint Louis made a note that you were having some pain from them.”
Me: *now very confused* “I’ve never lived in Saint Louis; I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Hygienist: “Wait… You’re [My First Name] Smith, right?”
Me: “No, I’m [My First Name] Jones!”
(When the hygienist called me from the waiting room, she had only used my first name, not my last. Turns out the person who had previously been scheduled and then cancelled the appointment I subsequently took had the same first name! I was even more surprised about the mix-up because my first name is not very common.)
Canada, Halifax, Medical Center, Nova Scotia, Patients |
Healthy | July 21, 2019
(I am in the co-op program at my high school, and I have a placement at a local university medical clinic. Since I am a high school student, there are a lot of things at the clinic that I am not qualified to do, so I am often tasked with calling patients to inform them of specialist appointments that they have been referred to.)
Me: “Hello, is this [Patient]?”
Patient: “Yes, it is.”
Me: *reading the referral sheet* “I’m calling from Dr. [Doctor]’s office to let you know about an upcoming mammogram appointment on [date] at [Location].”
(Pause.)
Patient: “Well, I just had a double mastectomy, so I don’t think I’ll be needing that appointment.”
Me: “Oh.”
(I was mortified and apologized profusely; thankfully, the patient laughed it off. I informed my supervisor and she, while shocked, commended me on how I handled the situation.)
Kansas, Medical Office, Nurses, USA | Healthy | July 20, 2019
(I go to a walk-in clinic because I have a bad poison ivy rash on my face. My eyelids are swollen almost shut and my eyelashes are stuck together with gunk. I am sitting in the room waiting for the nurse practitioner when she opens the door.)
Alabama, Bizarre, Great Stuff, Patients, Psychiatrist, Sons & Daughters, USA | Healthy | July 19, 2019
(My seven-year-old daughter was recently tested for ADHD, which means she and I have to go back to the psychiatrist’s office two weeks later to review the results. While I am talking with the psychiatrist, my daughter is sitting on the floor playing with an Etch-a-Sketch. The psychiatrist is explaining to me that although my daughter does now have an ADHD diagnosis, she wasn’t able to specify a subtype. Specifically, the tests are less accurate with exceptionally bright children because if a task is designed to take ten minutes but the child solves the problem in two, the test is only able to measure two minutes’ worth of attention span instead of the ten it was supposed to.)
Psychiatrist: “So, it’s clear that your daughter’s brain is working on a different level than her teacher expects–”
Daughter: *interrupting* “Mom, look! Can you guess what I drew?”
(She’d gotten almost the entire Etch-a-Sketch screen to be black.)
Me: “Um… a black bear at night?”
Daughter: “MOM. No, it’s the void! And now I’m going to magically make the void disappear…” *shakes Etch-a-Sketch* “There, now I’ve deleted that dimension.”
Psychiatrist: “So, as I was saying… different level
Triết Lư Sống Của Người Do Thái: “Cho Đi” Là Một Lọai Hạnh Phúc, Càng Là Một Loại Biết Ơn
Cho đi mới là hạnh phúc, cũng là một loại biết ơn. (Ảnh: Soha)
Người xưa có câu: “Hành thiện tối nhạc” (ư nói làm việc thiện là vui sướng nhất). Ḷng người quả thật vô cùng kỳ lạ, khi chúng ta làm bất kể việc ǵ không tốt th́ trong ḷng sẽ thấy bất an, không vui vẻ nổi, nội tâm cũng không thoải mái. C̣n nếu như một người làm việc thiện tuyệt đối không v́ điều kiện ǵ th́ trong ḷng người ấy chắc chắn sẽ vô cùng hạnh phúc.
Một số người cho rằng, phải có điều kiện, có tiền bạc mới có thể giúp đỡ người khác, mới có thể cho đi. Nhưng kỳ thực, ngay cả khi chúng ta không có những thứ vật chất ấy, chúng ta vẫn có thể cho đi một cách rất ư nghĩa và hữu ích.
Đôi khi chỉ một lời nói động viên khích lệ, một cái nh́n hay một nụ cười ấm áp là chúng ta đă có thể chuyển một người buồn thành một người vui vẻ. Thậm chí chỉ bằng những cử chỉ nhỏ ấy, chúng ta đă có thể cảm hóa được một người ác thành người lương thiện hơn.
Tại một số nơi trên thế giới, người ta không chỉ cho đi một cách tự nguyện mà nó c̣n được xem là một “nguyên tắc ngầm” để quy định mọi người.
Câu chuyện của người Do Thái
Ở vùng nông thôn của đất nước Israel, mỗi khi đến vụ thu hoạch hoa màu chín, người ta sẽ để lại phần hoa quả ở bốn góc ruộng mà không thu hoạch. Bạn có biết v́ sao không? Đó là phần hoa màu người ta để lại và bất kể ai cũng có quyền hưởng thụ.
Họ cho rằng, chính là Thần đă ban cho người dân Do Thái vốn trải qua nhiều tai nạn nay được sống cuộc sống yên b́nh, hạnh phúc. V́ thế, họ để lại hoa màu ở bốn góc ruộng với ư nghĩa tỏ ḷng biết ơn Thần đă ban cho họ cuộc sống như ngày hôm nay.
Họ làm như vậy vừa là để báo đáp Thần cũng vừa là để cung cấp thức ăn cho những người đói khổ đi ngang qua nơi đây.
Hoa màu là bản thân ḿnh trồng được, giữ lại một chút cho người khác hưởng thụ, đó chính là sự chia sẻ, sự cho đi vô điều kiện. Họ cho rằng, cho đi, chia sẻ là một loại cảm ơn, một loại hạnh phúc và càng là một loại đạo đức tốt đẹp của con người thế gian.
Ngoài ra, hàng năm, người Do Thái đều tổ chức lễ hội Hanukkah (lễ hội ánh sáng) để gợi nhớ về sự sung túc. Vào dịp này, họ sẽ ở bên người thân và bạn bè tề tựu quanh một đài có nhiều nhánh để cắm nến mỗi đêm. Họ vừa thắp nến và vừa cầu nguyện.
Người Do Thái cho rằng sống với cảm giác sung túc khiến họ giàu có hơn cả về vật chất và tinh thần. Và từ xưa đến nay, người Do Thái vẫn luôn được dạy dỗ để tiếp nhận quan niệm này.
Quan niệm sung túc của người Do Thái c̣n được thể hiện trong các điều răn, khuyên yêu thương người khác như yêu chính ḿnh. Đó là bởi v́ mỗi người Do Thái đều trải qua sự đau khổ và kiếp nô lệ, ít nhất là tổ tiên ông bà họ đă trải qua. Nếu không có sự rộng lượng từ những người hàng xóm, những người lạ mặt, và Chúa Trời th́ không ai có thể tồn tại được.
V́ thế, họ quan niệm rằng, cho đi đơn giản là việc đúng đắn cần làm, giống như lời dạy của vị giáo trưởng Maimonides nổi tiếng ngày xưa đă nói: “Không ai nghèo đi khi làm từ thiện cả”.
Câu chuyện ở vùng nông thôn Hàn Quốc
Nguyên tắc “ngầm” về sự cho đi này không phải là chuyện “độc nhất vô song” của người Do Thái mà nó cũng xảy ra ở đất nước Hàn Quốc.
Ở ven đường của vùng nông thôn phía bắc Hàn Quốc có rất nhiều vườn hồng. Đến mùa thu hoạch, những người nông dân nơi đây đều để lại những trái hồng chín mọng ở trên cây. V́ thế, những trái hồng vừa to vừa chín mọng ở trên cây đă tạo thành một con đường có phong cảnh vô cùng đẹp. Du khách đi qua nơi đây ai cũng trầm trồ khen ngợi vẻ đẹp của con đường và vẻ quyến rũ của những trái hồng to chín mọng.
Người dân địa phương ở đây nói rằng, cho dù những trái hồng có to đến cỡ nào đi nữa, có ngon đến cỡ nào đi nữa, họ cũng lưu lại để làm thức ăn cho chim Hỷ Thước. V́ sao lại có tập quán như vậy?
Nguyên lai, nơi này là nơi mà chim Hỷ Thước thường xuyên dừng lại. Mỗi khi mùa đông đến, chim Hỷ Thước đều kéo đến đây, xây tổ trên những cây hồng và sống sót qua mùa đông giá rét.
Năm ấy, trời đặc biệt lạnh, tuyết lại rơi rất nhiều. Hàng trăm chú chim Hỷ Thước v́ không kiếm được thức ăn, lại lạnh giá nên trong một đêm mà chết hết.
Mùa xuân năm sau, những cây hồng ở đây lại nảy mầm xanh non, ra hoa và kết quả. Nhưng đúng lúc ấy, bỗng nhiên một loại côn trùng không rơ tên từ đâu đến tạo thành một loại dịch họa, khiến cho năm đó hồng gần như không c̣n quả nào.
Từ đó về sau, mỗi năm đến mùa thu – mùa thu hoạch hồng chín, người dân nơi đây lại để lại một số hồng chín, làm thức ăn cho chim Hỷ Thước ăn qua mùa đông. Những trái hồng trên cây vừa to vừa ngon, hấp dẫn rất nhiều đàn chim Hỷ Thước đến nơi đây sinh sống qua mùa đông.
Chim Hỷ Thước dường như cũng biết ơn con người, đến mùa xuân, chúng không vội vă bay đi mà ở lại bắt sâu cho cây, cứ như thế năm nào cây hồng cũng cho ra những quả hồng chín mọng ngon ngọt.
Kỳ thực, cho người khác một con đường sống, thường thường cũng là cho ḿnh sự hy vọng và cơ hội sinh tồn. Hết thảy giới tự nhiên, đều là sống dựa vào nhau, nhờ vào nhau mà sống. Cổ nhân cũng từng dạy: “Nhất vinh câu vinh, nhất tổn câu tổn”, tức là một người vinh hoa th́ tất cả vinh hoa, một người tổn hại th́ tất cả tổn hại.
Cho đi là một loại khoái hoạt, vui vẻ. Bởi v́ cho đi không phải là hoàn toàn mất đi, mà là một loại thu hoạch cao thượng. Cho đi là một loại hạnh phúc, bởi v́ cho đi càng có thể khiến tâm linh ḿnh tốt đẹp. Nếu có thể, hăy nguyện ư cho đi nhiều hơn!
Cái Ǵ Của Bạn Sẽ Là Của Bạn, Vậy Nên Không Cần Cưỡng Cầu
Tiền là vật ngoài thân, nhưng nhiều người v́ nó mà không màng sống chết. Người sống ở đời, quư ở chỗ giàu mà có đức, đối với tiền tài, sinh không mang theo đến, tử không mang theo đi. Đừng quá truy cầu mà dính mắc vào nó, cái ǵ là của bạn sẽ là của bạn, nếu không phải của bạn dù có cưỡng cầu cũng không được.
Tôi vẫn nhớ tới một câu chuyện cổ được nghe bà ngoại kể lại trong làng quê tôi. Từ xa xưa người dân làng tôi ai ai cũng đều tín ngưỡng tin vào thần Phật. Cứ đến tết nhà nào cũng làm bánh nếp vừa để thành kính dâng lên thần Phật vừa để làm quà biếu.
Có một gia đ́nh nọ vô cùng nghèo khó, v́ không có tiền mua gạo nếp nên chỉ có thể dùng ngô làm bánh để bày tỏ ḷng thành. Khi làm xong những chiếc bánh đầu tiên, anh cung kính dâng lên bàn thờ và khẩn cầu: “Con nghèo quá, nhà chẳng có tiền, chỉ có thể dùng ngô để làm bánh kính dâng lên Ngài, xin ngài tha tội và nhận lấy tấm ḷng thành của con”. Anh vừa nói dứt lời, th́ bỗng nghe thấy tiếng nói vọng lại từ trong không gian: “Anh đă cung kính ta như vậy, thế th́ ta sẽ giúp anh!”. Lời nói vừa dứt, người đàn ông nghèo khổ thấy trên bàn có tám thỏi vàng. Anh giật ḿnh và vội vàng hỏi lại: “Thưa thần, sau này con làm thế nào để hoàn trả nợ Ngài?”. Thần trả lời: “Ngươi hăy trả cho một người có tên là Đông Lai Vũ nhé”.
Người nghèo nọ bắt đầu dùng tám thỏi vàng này để làm ăn buôn bán, lâu dần cuộc sống của anh trở nên khấm khá hơn. Có một hôm anh ta đi ra ngoài để làm ăn, vừa đúng lúc trời mưa to mây đen kín trời. Anh đi tới một nơi không có thôn làng cũng không có quán trọ th́ sấm chớp ầm ầm. Bỗng anh phát hiện xa xa có một nhà dân nên vào tá túc nhờ, đây cũng là một gia đ́nh rất nghèo khó. Đến nửa đêm vợ người chủ nhà chuyển dạ, người chồng phải đi ra ngoài t́m bà đỡ. Sau khi đứa bé được sinh ra, bà đỡ nói, nhà cậu ở phía đông, đêm nay trời lại đang mưa, cậu hăy đặt tên cho thằng bé này là Đông Lai Vũ đi! Vừa nghe thấy cái tên Đông Lai Vũ, người này giật ḿnh bỗng nhớ tới lời Thần dặn – “Trả tiền cho người có tên Đông Lai Vũ” năm xưa.
Sáng hôm sau anh lấy trong túi ra tám thỏi vàng đưa cho chủ nhà. Nhưng chủ nhà dứt khoát từ chối, nói không dám nhận ǵ cả.
Anh chủ nhà kể lại, tối qua sau khi vợ ḿnh sinh xong, v́ để t́m nơi chôn dây rốn của con, anh ra sau nhà đào góc vườn lên và đào được một hũ vàng. Do vậy anh không muốn nhận thêm ǵ nữa.
Người đàn ông nọ kể lại câu chuyện thần Phật hiển linh ngày xưa của ḿnh và nhất quyết vẫn khăng khăng muốn tặng lại gia đ́nh kia 8 thỏi vàng. Không c̣n cách nào khác người chủ nhà liền nhận lại vàng và làm 8 cái bánh nếp, rồi cho 8 thỏi vàng vào trong đó và tặng lại anh chàng kia để mang đi ăn đường.
Người đàn ông nọ rời khỏi gia đ́nh kia, đang đi trên đường th́ gặp một người bán hàng rong gánh một gánh hàng nặng đi qua. Anh liền hỏi người bán hàng rong có muốn mua bánh nếp không? Người bán hàng rong trả lời có, hàng ǵ anh cũng bán! Thế là người bán hàng rong mua lại tám cái bánh nếp có chứa tám thỏi vàng.
Người bán hàng rong vừa đi vừa rao bán hàng trên đường, th́ vào tới đúng nhà gia đ́nh vừa sinh con nọ. Người trong nhà nghe thấy rao bán bánh nếp, liền ra mua tám cái bánh nếp kia mang về, nh́n kỹ lại th́ phát hiện ra đó chính là tám cái bánh nhà ḿnh đă làm!
Xem ra đây đúng là ư trời rồi! Thế là gia đ́nh nọ lấy vàng trong tám cái bánh nếp ra, cho vào trong hũ đang đựng những thỏi vàng đă đào được, th́ phát hiện kư hiệu trên tám thỏi vàng đó giống hệt những thỏi vàng khác trong hũ.
Đạo đức cao quư của con người thời xưa: Cho dù là người nghèo hay người giàu có đều tin vào sự tồn tại của thần Phật. rất thành tâm kính ngưỡng, hiểu rằng nhất cử nhất động ḿnh làm đều được Thần Phật nh́n thấy, nên giữ ǵn đạo đức phẩm giá, không tham lam, tin rằng mọi sự đều được ai bài công bằng. Cái ǵ là của ḿnh th́ sẽ là của ḿnh, nếu không phải của minh th́ dù bạn có cưỡng cầu cũng không được như ư muốn.
Alabama, Bizarre, Great Stuff, Patients, Psychiatrist, Sons & Daughters, USA | Healthy | July 19, 2019
(My seven-year-old daughter was recently tested for ADHD, which means she and I have to go back to the psychiatrist’s office two weeks later to review the results. While I am talking with the psychiatrist, my daughter is sitting on the floor playing with an Etch-a-Sketch. The psychiatrist is explaining to me that although my daughter does now have an ADHD diagnosis, she wasn’t able to specify a subtype. Specifically, the tests are less accurate with exceptionally bright children because if a task is designed to take ten minutes but the child solves the problem in two, the test is only able to measure two minutes’ worth of attention span instead of the ten it was supposed to.)
Psychiatrist: “So, it’s clear that your daughter’s brain is working on a different level than her teacher expects–”
Daughter: *interrupting* “Mom, look! Can you guess what I drew?”
(She’d gotten almost the entire Etch-a-Sketch screen to be black.)
Me: “Um… a black bear at night?”
Daughter: “MOM. No, it’s the void! And now I’m going to magically make the void disappear…” *shakes Etch-a-Sketch* “There, now I’ve deleted that dimension.”
Psychiatrist: “So, as I was saying… different level.”
Diễn Đàn Người Việt Hải Ngoại. Tự do ngôn luận, an toàn và uy tín. V́ một tương lai tươi đẹp cho các thế hệ Việt Nam hăy ghé thăm chúng tôi, hăy tâm sự với chúng tôi mỗi ngày, mỗi giờ và mỗi giây phút có thể. VietBF.Com Xin cám ơn các bạn, chúc tất cả các bạn vui vẻ và gặp nhiều may mắn.
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