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Mike Winstead's "Thought For the Day" follows:
"Once upon a time, there was a rich king who had four
wives. He loved his fourth wife the most and adorned her
with riches. He also loved his third wife and was always
showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he
always feared that she would leave him. His second wife
was kind and considerate and his trusted confidante and
advisor in difficult times. Wife number one was devoted
and loyal and although she loved him deeply, he was not so
interested and tended to ignore her.
One day, the king fell ill and knew his time was short.
He thought of his luxurious life and feared being alone when
he died.
He said to his fourth wife, "I have loved you the most,
endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care
over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and
keep me company?" "No way!", she replied and walked away
without another word.
The sad king then said to the third wife, "I have loved you
all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and
keep me company?" "No!", she replied. "Life is too
good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!"
He then said to the second wife, "I have always turned to
you for help and you've always been there for me. When I
die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm
sorry, I can't help you out this time!", she replied.
"At the very most, I can help with your funeral."
Then a voice called out to the king in his sadness:
"I'll leave with you and follow you no matter where you go."
The king looked up and there was his first wife. She was
so skinny and undernourished. Greatly grieved, the king
said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had
the chance!"
In truth, we all have four wives in our lives. Our
fourth wife is our body. No matter how much time and
effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when
we die. Our third wife is our possessions, status and
wealth. When we die, it will all go to others. Our
second wife is our family and friends. No matter how
much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay
by us is up to the grave. And our first wife is our
soul, often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and
pleasures of the ego. However, our sould is the only
thing that will follow us wherever we go.
The moral: Look after you body and keep it healthy so
you can live life to its fullest. Enjoy your possessions
and the comfort they provide. Cherish your friends and
family and the love they provide. But do not forget to
nourish the soul--it is the source of all your life and your
most faithful friend.
--Source Unknown
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