One day, two old friends were walking through the desert. During the journey they had a quarrel, and one friend couldn't control himself and hit the other one in the face.

The one who was hit was hurt, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he wrote in the sand, "Today my best friend hit me in the face."

They kept on walking until they found an oasis(绿洲). They decided to get some water. The one who was hit fell into the mire(泥潭) and was in danger, but the friend saved him.

When he felt all right, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life."

The one who had hit and saved his best friend felt surprised and asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand but now you write on a stone. Why?"

The other friend replied," When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can blow it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must write it in stone where no wind can ever blow it away!"

Since then the two friends have never quarreled with each other again and they got on better with each other.

When Spring cleaning season rived this year I decided that it was time to get rid of more than just a Winter’s worth of dust and dirt. It was the time to get rid of years worth of accumulated (累积的) stuff as well. This stuff was lining my walls, filling my shelves, and crowding my closets. This stuff was filling my home and my mind and not bringing me one bit of happiness. I couldn’t even remember how I got some of it, but I knew I wanted it gone.

It turned out to be an even bigger job than I thought. Twenty-year-old bills and receipts were thrown in the trash. Piles of papers were no longer necessary or needed. Broken bowls, dented pans, and cracked knickknacks were finally thrown away. Unworn clothes were taken out of the closet and packed to be given away to the local charity. Old books were boxed up to be passed on for others to read and enjoy.

It took several days to get it all done, but in the end I was able to walk through a home that seemed a little less messed. My heart was a lot lighter too. It felt so good to be able to get rid of all the junk and to just focus on the essential stuff in life again.

What is the essential stuff? What is the stuff that brings meaning to our days? A loving heart is essential. A joyful spirit is essential. A soul full of goodness and God is essential. And a life full of sharing all of these things is absolutely essential. The essential stuff can’t be bought, sold, or stored. It can only be chosen, created, and given away. The essential stuff is the stuff we all really want. It is the stuff we all really need.