Peace is a gift we can give t others. When we are kind and helpful to others, we give them the gift of peace. What we give comes back to us too. This spreads the feeling of peace and harmony.

The echo of peace

A little boy had a really bad day. In the morning, his mother scolded him for waking up late. He forgot to take his history book to school. The teacher scolded him for that. After school was over, he almost missed the school bus and had to run to catch it.

In the evening he walked to the park which was surrounded by mountains. Looking at the mountains, he said loudly, `I hate everyone!’

A voice came back saying, `I hate everyone!’

` I hate you too’, he said.

The voice came back again and said, `I hate you too’. The boy was now quite upset. He did not want anyone to hate him. He was afraid of the boy who was shouting at him from the mountains.

He ran home and said to his mother, `There is a boy in the mountains. He thinks like me and says the same things I say. He does not seem like a nice boy’.

`The voice you heard is an echo. It will say whatever you say’.

Mother explained. `What did you say?’ she asked.

`I said, I hate you’, said the boy.

`Now go back and say something nice. Then see what he says’.

So the boy went back to the park. He thought for a while and said, `Will you be my friend?’ the same words came back to him. He said many more nice things. Each time the echo said the same.

The boy went back and said top his mother, `If make him happy, he makes me happy too. If I say nice things to him, he too says nice things to me’.

Mother smiled and said, `that is what we should do with everyone, son. The true gift of peace is making someone happy by what we say and do for them.’

Understand

Whether we are young or old, rich or poor, peace is the most important gift we can give anyone. It does not cost anything and it comes from our hearts. When there is peace in our hearts, there is also love and happiness. We want to share it with those who do not have it. When there is no peace in our hearts, there is anger, fear or sadness. So, we must fill our hearts with peace.

We do not have to wait for a special occasion to give the gift of peace. We can give this gift every day and to everyone through kindness, love, respect, obedience and friendship. In return, we too get the gifts of peace, love, happiness and friendship.