My Mother Kept a Garden Poem

Recently I came across this beautiful poem - My Mother while reading the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul'. The words in this poem really touched my heart. I don't know who wrote it, but the words and lines of these poem are so touching and beautiful. Hope you enjoy it too!

My Mother Kept a Garden

  - By Poet Unknown

My mother kept a garden,

A garden of the heart,

She planted all the good things

That gave my life its start.

She turned me to the sunshine,

And encouraged me to dream,

Fostering and nurturing

The seeds of self-esteem.

And when the winds and rain came,

She protected me enough --

But not too much because she knew

I'd need to stand up strong and tough.

Her constant good example,

Always taught me right from wrong --

Markers for my pathway

That will last a lifetime long.

I am my mother's garden,

I am her legacy,

And I hope today she feels the love

Reflected back from me!

Tales of Tenali Raman - Tenali Raman and The Unusual Cat

Once a merchant visited the courts of King Krishnadevaraya, and brought some Persian cats with him. The king immediately bought all the cats as a gift to his queen. The queen was very happy to receive this gift of cute cats and gave few of them to some of her favorite people in the court including Tenali Raman. Before giving one to Tenali, she instructed, "Tenali Raman, since you are one of my favorites, I am giving you this cat. Take care of her properly and feed her well. I have instructed the royal cowherd to give you one cow, so that you can give your cat plenty of milk to drink. I wish to see this cat after a month to check her growth."

Tenali took the cat home and couple of months passed by. The queen seemed to forget about the cats, until one day someone reminded her. All the persons whom she had gifted the cats were immediately summoned to the court along with the cats. The king and queen inspected each one of the cats and were happy to see that the cat which was with Tenali was the plumpest of all. The queen ordered one of her servants to get milk for all the cats. Once the milk bowls were brought, all cats except Tenali's rushed towards it. One of the servants took the milk bowl and kept it in front of Tenali's cat, but the cat ran and leapt into Tenali's lap. Everyone was surprised to see this incident. 

The surprised king asked Tenali the explanation for the cat's behavior. Tenali answered, "Your Majesty, we all know that cats always drink their milk with eyes closed. It seems they do this out of fear. But I wanted my cat to be fearless. So I wanted to get rid of this habit of my cat. To do so, I put a bowl of hot milk in front of it. I repeatedly told my cat to keep her eyes open and drink the milk. But it still closed it's eyes and started licking the milk. Since the milk was hot, it burnt her mouth. I applied an ointment on it. But since then, my cat runs away whenever it sees milk. So I have stopped giving her milk."

The king then asked surprisingly, "So how come your cat is fattest of all the other cats present here?" To this Tenali Raman replied, "My Lord, There are many rats in my house, as well as the neighbor's houses. I allow my cat to roam freely, whenever it is hungry and relish on those rats. My cat simply enjoys this, and recently this has also become one of it's favorite pastime. This way not only she enjoys her food, but also enjoys her freedom. This is how it has put on weight. "

The queen then inquired about the cow that she had given to Tenali for the milk to feed cat. Tenali answered to her query, "Your Highness! The cow gives plenty of milk which is full of cream. My children and his friends enjoy the delicious treat and thank you everyday." The king and the queen roared with laughter on hearing this. They were as usual pleased with Tenali's intelligent and witty jester. 

Why Do We Have Lines on the Palms of Our Hand

The lines that we have on our palm are known as the palmar creases or palmer flexion. These are the tiny ridges on the palm surface which depend upon the bone structure and the arrangement of muscles on an individual's hand. These tiny ridges are strong where the fingers and the thumb meet. These lines that we have on our palm help us fold and stretch our skin, when our hands bend. This folding of skin calls for a better grip and also prevents in the skin from tearing easily. These lines on our palm also help us to hold things firmly.

The lines that we have on our palm differ from person to person. Though Science is yet to figure out why patterns of the palmer creases differ from one individual to other. Yet it is said that the creases start to appear right when the skin starts forming. This process takes place within the womb, as the human hands develop the lines on the palm at around the 12th week of gestation and are present on a infant's hand right when it is born. The few factors that may affect the thickness or the presence of the number of lines on an individual's palm could be family history, race etc.

It is believed by many that the lines on the palms of our hand can tell our future. Many people believe in the practice of Palmistry. Fact to be told, no way one can predict the future of an individual by reading the lines on the palms of our hand.

The Definition of Love Poem By Andrew Marvell

The Definition of Love

            - By Andrew Marvell

My Love is of a birth as rare 

As’tis for object strange and high; 

It was begotten by despair 

Upon Impossibility. 

Magnanimous Despair alone 

Could show me so divine a thing 

Where feeble Hope could ne'r have flown, 

But vainly flapt its Tinsel Wing. 

And yet I quickly might arrive 

Where my extended Soul is fixt, 

But Fate does Iron wedges drive, 

And always crowds it self betwixt. 

For Fate with jealous Eye does see 

Two perfect loves, nor lets them close; 

Their union would her ruine be, 

And her Tyrannic pow’r depose. 

And therefore her Decrees of steel 

Us as the distant poles have plac’d, 

(Though Loves whole world on us doth wheel) 

Not by themselves to be embrac’d; 

Unless the giddy Heaven fall, 

And Earth some new Convulsion tear; 

And, us to joyn, the World should all 

Be cramp’d into a Planisphere. 

As Lines so Loves oblique may well 

Themselves in every Angle greet; 

But ours so truly Paralel, 

Though infinite can never meet. 

Therefore the Love which us doth bind, 

But Fate so enviously debars, 

Is the conjunction of the Mind, 

And Opposition of the Stars.

Vertue Poem By George Herbert

Vertue

   - By George Herbert

Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright, 

The bridal of the earth and skie; 

The dew shall weep thy fall to-night, 

                            For thou must die. 

Sweet rose, whose hue angrie and brave 

Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye: 

Thy root is ever in its grave, 

                             And thou must die. 

Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses, 

A box where sweets compacted lie: 

My music shows ye have your closes, 

                                  And all must die. 

Only a sweet and virtuous soul, 

Like season'd timber, never gives; 

But though the whole world turn to coal, 

                                      Then chiefly lives. 

Jordan Poem By George Herbert

Jordan

      - By George Herbert

Who says that fictions onely and false hair 

Become a verse? Is there in truth no beauty? 

Is all good structure in a winding stair? 

May no lines pass, except they do their duty 

Not to a true, but painted chair? 

Is it no verse, except enchanted groves 

And sudden arbours shadow coarse-spun lines? 

Must purling streams refresh a lover's loves? 

Must all be veil'd, while he that reads, divines, 

Catching the sense at two removes? 

Shepherds are honest people; let them sing; 

Riddle who list, for me, and pull for prime; 

I envy no man's nightingale or spring; 

Nor let them punish me with loss of rhyme, 

Who plainly say, my God, my King. 

How Do We Get High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of our blood that pushes against the arteries. We do need some blood pressure so that it helps the blood to move throughout the body. But at times, the pressure rises more than one needs and stays high over time. This high pressure keeps pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. In many ways this high rise in the blood pressure can damage our body. This process of the rise in the regular blood pressure and staying high over the time is known as high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is also referred as 'hypertension'. This condition of high blood pressure in one is dangerous as it makes one's heart pump and push more than normal stages. Understand this, the higher one's blood pressure, the greater is the damage risk. High blood pressure needs to be controlled to avoid major damage such as a heart stroke, heart attack or other complications. The situation at times could be fatal.

Symptoms and Causes of High Blood Pressure

Some symptoms of high blood pressure include severe headache, chest pain, tiredness, irregular heartbeat and difficulty in breathing. Some foods that may get you blood pressure higher include intake of salt, packaged foods, frozen food items, heavy creams, etc. Packaged foods and canned foods are the many culprits as they have heavy doses of sodium in it. Foods like canned beans, canned fruits, frozen meats, soft drinks, pastries should be avoided as much as possible.

One can include fresh fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, leafy vegetables, fishes with omega 3s, cow milk and berries to maintain a healthy heart. Other than foods, some other factors that lead to high blood pressure include body temperature, mental state, sleep apnea, over exertion and certain medications or drugs.

How is Blood Pressure Measured?

Blood pressure is measured with an instrument known as the sphygmomanometer, commonly also known as the blood pressure monitor or blood pressure gauge. The blood pressure is measured as systolic and diastolic pressures. Here 'systolic' refers to blood pressure while pumping blood and 'diastolic' means blood pressure when heart is at rest in between beats.