I found a website where people share with the world their most hopeful and uplifting moments - real stories (twitter-length) that show how much difference simple gestures of love and hope can do to a wretched soul. This allow others to draw strength and inspiration from their experiences; thus encouraging people to never give up on love or lose hope. And that is - GivesMeHope.com. It is a response to the popular site, FMyLife.com (FML) where people share stories of how their day was completely ruined or how f***ed up this world is.
GMH is like Chicken Soup for the Soul - the 21st Century, Twitter-style version. it is the FML for the optimists.
The creators of this site also made a separate page for those stories which are more focused on the Love category. They called it LovesGivesMeHope.
Now, isnt this a very good idea? Why settle on the negative aspects of life when you can actually brighten up your day and others with cheerful gestures and uplifting acts? How can you move on from all the hurt and pain of the past if you are to dwell on those things instead of finding hope and love even in the smallest and simplest things?
Well, let me share to you some short stories which captured my heart and soul...
When my brother was in kindergarden, he couldn't stop talking about how cool and funny his best friend Jeremy is.
When we met him, we saw he was in a wheelchair. On the way home we asked my brother why he never told us that Jeremy was in a wheelchair.
He simply said, "Because it isn't important."
***
I was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
I told my husband I would understand if he wanted to leave, he didn't sign up for a mentally ill wife, and I have made his life hell for the past three years.
He just smiled and said, "In sickness and in health covers crazy, too."
***
I was so nervous/scared the day i brought home my first boyfriend.
I was afraid that he'd judge or be uncomfortable around my little brother Aby who has Down Syndrome.
But as soon as he saw my brother he gave him a high five and they started playing together.
Now we have little fights about who Kevin, my boyfriend, loves more.
***
My boyfriend was eager to meet my Mom, despite my various protests.
I pulled into the parking lot of the cemetery where she's buried, expecting him to completely freak out.
When we approached her grave, he sat down, said hello, and talked with her for an hour about how lucky he was to have me.
***
One day I got a phone call from my daughter's Grade 1 teacher saying I was to provide my daughter a lunch EVERY DAY!
Confused, I asked my daughter what she was doing with her lunches.
Her response? "A girl in my class doesn't get a lunch so I give mine to her."
***
Today, a married couple asked me to take their picture with the digital camera they had.
I counted 1... 2..., and right before I said 3, the man in the couple snuck a kiss on her cheek.
***
My daughter goes to kindergarten, and there is a boy there who is blind.
She didn't understand what this meant, so I explained.
The next day when I picked her up, I found her sitting across from the boy with her eyes closed, describing what trees looked like. The boy was grinning from ear to ear.
- their stories of love, acceptance and selflessness GMH...
Now, here's mine:
(I had a girl friend in grade school who was kind of boyish. One day, she got into a fierce fight with a male classmate who was actually close to her. Of course, they ignored each other after the fight. It was also during that day when some seniors bullied the guy. My friend hurriedly ran into his side and yelled at the bullies, "Don't you dare.. he's mine."
Now, they're engaged.)
These Stories Gave Me A Better Understanding and Appreciation of Life.. ;)
5.28.2010
5.27.2010
They Could Kill You...
However, they may also help you survive a disease as life-threatening as Cancer.
Isn't this amazing? Though it's kind of confusing and hard to believe, I think such creatures deserve more attention than fear itself. Since they're already considered deadly, most people would not even try to go near them. Just the sight of these creatures is more than enough to scare you away.
However, do you know that these deadly wildlife/rainforest creatures can also lend you a hand in times of distress? In fact, they are the favorite subjects of many scientists. Their hidden benefits made it possible to discover conventional means to curing serious diseases. Also, we're being taught to accept our differences. ;)
These are some of the top poisonous creatures that could either kill or cure you:
Scorpions against Brain Cancer
Scorpions would usually use their poison or toxins in order to defend themselves, hunt for their prey as well as drive way rivals when mating. If you accidentally startled a scorpion and it stung you, you might end up dead in an instant or suffer agonizing heart or lung problems.
The good news is, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have discovered that a scorpion's venom can also be used in cancer treatment, particularly to a form of brain cancer called Glioma.
They found out that the venom of the giant Israeli scorpion is harmless to humans but is certainly deadly to its cockroach prey. They tried to inject a drug derived from the venom into cancer-infected human brains; they soon found out that the poison destroyed the glioma cells only and left the surrounding healthy brain cells unscathed.
Poison Dart Frogs for a Healthy Heart
Poisonous animals or insects usually kill, intentional or not, through fluid secretions such as sweat. As for a poison dart frog, its sweat is not something you should just take for granted. A highly-dangerous neurotoxin called batrachotoxin can ooze from a poison dart frog's pores which will then stop your heart from functioning well. In fact, its poison is used by various tribes in hunting and warfare. It was even considered as a state-of-the-art military technology.
However, such frogs dont directly produce the said toxin or poison. They got it from either the insects they ate that ate poison plants or from the plants itself. So when poison dart frogs have been subjected to experiments, it was found out that the toxin speeds up the heart before putting it to a stop. Thus, patients experiencing cardiac arrest can still be saved once the scientists can successfuly tweak the toxin's elements coming from the frog's sweat. Batrachotoxin is also a potential ingredient in anesthetics.
Lower Blood Pressure with Vipers
Nobody wants to bond with vipers no matter how attractive they look. Although some people like to take care of some snakes, jararaca vipers should be an excemption because they are more venomous than you can ever imagine. This viper's venom works in a unique manner. It prevents blood clotting; thus, a victim is killed after bleeding to death. And this is why scientists suggest using small doses of this viper's venom for cardiac patients. It can prevent or stop arteries from hardening; this way, blood clots can be avoided or remedied.
A synthesized version of jararaca viper venom is a significant ingredient in most of today’s ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors. ACE inhibitors slow down the enzymes or prevent it from producing peptides which are causing muscle constriction that can set off a chain reaction around blood vessels. This lowers the risk of high blood pressure leading to heart attack and other ailments. ACE inhibitors with the venom of a jararaca viper are now used to treat millions of people with high blood pressure.
Who would've thought that these creatures we usually consider as nothing but deadly and creepy can actually help save human lives? Well, there are always two sides in a coin, as they say. ;)
Isn't this amazing? Though it's kind of confusing and hard to believe, I think such creatures deserve more attention than fear itself. Since they're already considered deadly, most people would not even try to go near them. Just the sight of these creatures is more than enough to scare you away.
However, do you know that these deadly wildlife/rainforest creatures can also lend you a hand in times of distress? In fact, they are the favorite subjects of many scientists. Their hidden benefits made it possible to discover conventional means to curing serious diseases. Also, we're being taught to accept our differences. ;)
These are some of the top poisonous creatures that could either kill or cure you:
Scorpions would usually use their poison or toxins in order to defend themselves, hunt for their prey as well as drive way rivals when mating. If you accidentally startled a scorpion and it stung you, you might end up dead in an instant or suffer agonizing heart or lung problems.
The good news is, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have discovered that a scorpion's venom can also be used in cancer treatment, particularly to a form of brain cancer called Glioma.
They found out that the venom of the giant Israeli scorpion is harmless to humans but is certainly deadly to its cockroach prey. They tried to inject a drug derived from the venom into cancer-infected human brains; they soon found out that the poison destroyed the glioma cells only and left the surrounding healthy brain cells unscathed.
Poisonous animals or insects usually kill, intentional or not, through fluid secretions such as sweat. As for a poison dart frog, its sweat is not something you should just take for granted. A highly-dangerous neurotoxin called batrachotoxin can ooze from a poison dart frog's pores which will then stop your heart from functioning well. In fact, its poison is used by various tribes in hunting and warfare. It was even considered as a state-of-the-art military technology.
However, such frogs dont directly produce the said toxin or poison. They got it from either the insects they ate that ate poison plants or from the plants itself. So when poison dart frogs have been subjected to experiments, it was found out that the toxin speeds up the heart before putting it to a stop. Thus, patients experiencing cardiac arrest can still be saved once the scientists can successfuly tweak the toxin's elements coming from the frog's sweat. Batrachotoxin is also a potential ingredient in anesthetics.
Nobody wants to bond with vipers no matter how attractive they look. Although some people like to take care of some snakes, jararaca vipers should be an excemption because they are more venomous than you can ever imagine. This viper's venom works in a unique manner. It prevents blood clotting; thus, a victim is killed after bleeding to death. And this is why scientists suggest using small doses of this viper's venom for cardiac patients. It can prevent or stop arteries from hardening; this way, blood clots can be avoided or remedied.
A synthesized version of jararaca viper venom is a significant ingredient in most of today’s ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors. ACE inhibitors slow down the enzymes or prevent it from producing peptides which are causing muscle constriction that can set off a chain reaction around blood vessels. This lowers the risk of high blood pressure leading to heart attack and other ailments. ACE inhibitors with the venom of a jararaca viper are now used to treat millions of people with high blood pressure.
Who would've thought that these creatures we usually consider as nothing but deadly and creepy can actually help save human lives? Well, there are always two sides in a coin, as they say. ;)
But honestly, I felt cold while looking into the photos of these creatures. They're still my least favorite creatures, next to spiders. :D
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