reality check

Magic and dust.
That's what's up.
The beauty of life
tucked into the folds
of ordinary days
like gemstones in
settings of wood.
Full moons and
gold-rimmed clouds
in the midst of
wind and rain.
Moments of joy
and peace in the
midst of questions
and uncertainty.
This is my life, in
its glorious finiteness
and this is my story
in the hands of an
infinite God.

Tolstoy for Business English!

I have the joy of teaching about literature in one of my business classes.  I know, it's not the usual situation for my business English courses, but it is one I enjoy just as much as my student.  We are going through classic short stories (most of which are depressing, actually, but I try to find the more positive ones) by authors such as Pearl Buck, Dorothy Sayers, Haruki Murakami, James Thurber and Ray Bradbury.  Next week we will return to Leo Tolstoy.  I always enjoy our discussions after the stories, because my student likes to philosophize and think about human nature and the world at large.

As I was finishing up preparations for our lesson, the summary of Tolstoy's story "Three Questions" came up in the picture below.  It makes one stop and think about how we live our lives and what is important, what is in our reach.  Live where you're at; bloom where you're planted, and all that jazz.  :)

If you have the time, check out the story: http://www.online-literature.com/tolstoy/2736/.