Live by words. Sr Kim Dung

One of my friends asked me how I could learn wisdom. That was not an easy answer for me, so I said I did not know, “reflect and appreciate” he said. That is true and necessary to appreciate what I have. Those can be my family, my community, my professors, nature, religion, and all things I learn and receive daily. The appreciation is never left over, useless or an extra thing. The more I appreciate, the more I respect people and everything around me, and the more I become a genuine person. Because I cannot create them, they become my special presents. Therefore, I need to appreciate all things in both great and small.

Life is not perfect in our will; what I want to do, I can do sometimesor cannot do sometimes. It becomes normal in daily life. I prefer successfulness as a great thing and failure is a small thing. So, although successfulness or failure happens, there is a message for me; it also brings me to a specific look or specific thought about previous situation or a lesson in that moment. For me, successful is not the only goal I need to achieve; however, failure also brings me an achievement somehow. Even though I said that, I do not refuse that I get frustrated when I cannot get what I will. Because I am a perfect kind of person, successful is still a goal that I need to try the best, but if the result is not good as I expect, I accept it as a “small thing” that I have.

In my opinion, successfulness or failure represents a “trophy” as a straightforward reward or later reward as an experience.Furthermore, there are many other things we need to appreciate during our lives. For example, a small stone is a stone of itself, but when a small stone is given for someone on special occasion, immediately, it becomes a present. If the receiver respect that present, the giver feel happy. Therefore, when appreciation develops into our attitudes, we are never alone.

“Hãy chèo ra chỗ nước sâu” means “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Lk 5:4. That is my community theme to reach out in future. This simple set on the counter in dining room of my community. The words are from New Testament; Jesus spoke to His disciples when they went to catch fish in the early morning, but they got nothing in that day. Jesus told them, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” They did as Jesus said; His disciple got many big fish in that morning. “Into the deep water” is also understood that I need to break down my safe wall and look for another new chance. As a simple example, Daisy does not like her classmate,Ally, because Daisy always criticizes racism about Ally, and Ally comes from African. Daisy hurt Ally day by day unconsciously. Also, Daisy ignores or continues thinking bad about her classmate. Until one day, Daisy recognizes that she is wrong because of her racism. In order to go “into deep” Daisy approach to Ally for a sorry and they become friend. That is the very simple meaning of “go into deep water”.

The picture is placed in community dining room to remind each on of us about this theme. Whenever we pass by, we see it, put it in mind to live and try to “go into deep water”.

In conclusion, appreciation is never waste and “go into deep” to make another chance to reach out to other people. I chose these pictures because it really touch me and help he to stand up every time that I want to hide myself in a safety room.