"It's the thought that counts" means that the intention behind a gift is more important than the actual gift.

Have you ever heard of the proverb “it’s the thought that counts”?

A friend recently told me a story about how he prepared a birthday cake for his wife when he was in graduate school.   He faced a problem.   He didn’t have enough ingredients to fill the baking pan to make a properly sized birthday cake.

So he asked his wife indirectly about which ingredients to use to make a baked good expand and she suggested baking soda or baking powder.   From what he told me, it sounded as if he used baking powder, because the finished product tasted like chemicals, even though it expanded nicely in the pan.

His attempt failed, but I thought to myself, I hope his wife appreciated his efforts and said, “it’s the thought that counts”. More »

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:59 — 3.9MB)

"Time heals all wounds" means that negative feelings lessen over time.

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It happens to the best of us.   Something happens to us which arouses feelings of anger, hatred, bitterness, or sorrow.

In time, those feeling dissipate, the anguish which we feel is softened by the passage of time.

In English, we have a proverb to describe how feelings moderate over time:  ”Time heals all wounds”.

In reality,  “time heals all wounds” isn’t an ironclad proverb.   Some people never let go of a grudge, but for the most part this proverb is true.

This proverb came to mind today when I saw a news item which made the headlines in the U.S. and Canada.  Two Canadian football players were reunited on stage fifty years after they played an emotional game in which one of them was injured. More »

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:32 — 4.4MB)