How to Know If Your Spouse Still Loves You

No matter how situations are in your relationship there are words that you should never say to your partner.  Once you say things you can never get back the words.

Words are the most powerful weapon you can use against your partner. If you want your relationship to last, then you should avoid saying these hurting words.

“I regret the day I met you.”

When you say these words, you are saying so many things, such as,

“You’re nothing to me now,” “You’re unworthy,” and several negative interpretations, which are hurtful. Once you inflict this pain, the scar would always be there to haunt you for the rest of your life.

“You’re a slut.”

If you are a man, never say these words. This is an insult, as well as a slap. Not even a person who characterizes that adjective wants to be called as such.

You should never say these words because you are attacking the core of her being, her character. Talk about the situation and do not attack her character. Character is the only thing left for a broken-hearted woman.

“You’re a good for nothing …”

Again, in this sentence, you would be attacking your partner’s character. You are putting a label on your partner using a personal attack, which should not be the case.

Let go of personal insults, and talk about the situation or incidence, without degrading the morale of one another.

“You’re ugly.”

The day you say this to your partner means that you no longer love her/him, because couples who still love one another would see each other as the loveliest or most handsome person in the planet. Saying "you're fat" is also mean-spirited.

Attacking the person’s physical characteristics, because the outward appearance is a relative thing.

Persons may see things differently; what is beautiful to you may look ugly to some people, and vice-versa.

“I don’t love you anymore.”

Unless you mean it, never say these words, even in jest, because it is a direct declaration that would hurt the person you love, tremendously.

This statement is the end of the line for any relationship. Don’t say it, if you don’t intent to break off right after the words come out of your mouth. You can never take it back again.

If you value your relationship, these are the words you should never say. There are still several of these words; you just have to determine yourself what would hurt your partner or not, and follow your heart.

When you love a person, you would learn to say only loving words.

Learn to say "Thank you"  and "I love you" as often as you can. One pointer that you may want to remember is to be generous with praise but slow with your criticism.

Amazing Double Rainbow Pictures

Rainbows are Mother Nature's wonders. Looking at the rainbow is like viewing a miracle that can happen to you. There are several rainbow quotations that you can take note of: "At the end of the rainbow is a pot of gold." "Reach for your rainbows."

Image credit: From a student abroad

Image credit: From a student abroad

Pictures of Flowers in Bloom

Flowers are part of Mother Nature's wonderful flora.

Without flowers, how would the world appear? In some countries, they have festivals for flowers.

One of the most loved flower is the rose.

It's a symbol of life, full of pain and joy that both co-exist to make people live complete lives.

Its petals are incredibly beautiful, but along its stem, are sharp, harmful thorns that can inflict pain, if you're not careful in handling it.

Roses come also in different colors; you have pink roses, red, roses, purple roses, blue roses and the virginal white roses.

Together with roses, orchids are likewise popular for Valentine's day and special occasions. This is because of their exotic appearance.

What about you? What's your favorite flower?

Bottoms Up

By: LESTER TAGA CAPAS
 

He takes the bottle to his mouth and sits on his favorite wooden chair. "A beautiful antique, isn't it? All these years and this chair is as beautiful as ever." 

He puts the bottle down and gently touches the arm-rests. "The same can't be said for me can it old friend?" 

He pulls his pet dog gently towards him. "All time ever did was turn these old bones brittle." The dog licks his cheek and he smiles sadly. 

"To think , nearly 45 years ago I told my mother this would be a waste of money. They don't make chair like these anymore. Born from hard labor and skill."

" Mr. Carbonel..Mr. Carbonel? " Knocks on the door "Mr. Carbonel?". He stands up to check on who it is. "Hello Karen how are you?" 

"Mr. Carbonel, can we borrow your bike?" He taps her head gently, of course you can. Be careful." He waves her goodbye when the girl's mother scolds her from afar. 

"Return that.." Her daughter argues but returns it. "Mr. Carbonel please, stay away from my children." "But ..Elle.." Without even looking at him she turns away.

He walks towards his chair slowly with a heavy heart.

Looking up he prevents the tears from further coming out and sits down. He gulps down a large portion of the vodka in his bottle. "At least..I have you..." 

He looks at the bottle with a miserable grin. He finishes the contents and blacks out. He unconsciously falls to the floor crying and laughing at the same time. 

"I shouldn't have moved here, I should have just let them live their life without me. They would have been happier.." 

He falls asleep on the floor until the next morning when someone knocks at his door. The man finds the door unlocked  " Mr. Carbonel are you alright?" 

He helps him up "We saw you from the window..Mr. Carbonel.." 

He sees the blood on the floor. "Mr. Carbonel you're bleeding!!" They rushed him to the hospital. He was accidentaly stabbed by the knife in his pocket when he collapsed on the floor. 

The wound is fatal, penetrating his stomach and intestines. 

The doctor holds his hand as she prays, knowing it's only a matter of time. "My fault, it was all my fault.." He whispers. "You should never keep knives in your pocket." 

The doctor whispers back. " I should have never have left them back then, now, even my grandchildren don't know who I am.".

 He looks at the doctor " I thought I was doing the right thing by following my heart. I couldn't bear her constant nagging I was weak." He whispers angrily at himself and the woman he was forced to marry. 

"I should have never gotten her pregnant." He frowns.

"We had children, we had children but I chose the woman I truly loved. I thought I was right I was right wasn't I??" 

The doctor shakes her head "I don't know sir, It was your life and your decision, I can't judge." He looks at her " I thought I was right, I guess the blues got the best of me after all. I saved the best of me for someone who's love I couldn't have. 

Instead of giving the woman who loved me a chance. She wasn't always bad, It's my doing, I was the reason she became the cold-hearted nagger she was before she.." He coughs up blood. The doctor wipes his cheeks.

"Now, here I am dying with a complete stranger." The doctor looks him in the eyes. "Surely you must have done some things right in your life?" The doctor inquired. " Not that I can remember, all I did was sit Idly in that chair thinking of my mistakes never solving them. I'm going to die anyway. Please do me a favor doctor." 

He writes down a number on a sheet of paper. "Please tell my children that I'm sorry for taking their mother from them, It was the spur of the moment when she caught me with the .."

The doctor stands up. "I'll lend you a phone, you can use your dying breaths to apologize and say goodbye." " No! They might hang up if they recognize my voice, but for a stranger it would be easier." 

The doctor looks at him . "I am not a doctor nor am I a stranger, you have known me all your life." 

The old man is confused. " I was there whenever you beat your wife and kids, whenever you fell asleep in church, I was even there when you killed your wife. You had so many chances to atone for your sins but did not, all you did was reason your conscience away, you did me a favor." She laughs. 

The old man stares gasping for air. When suddenly his breathing stabilizes. The lady is gone and he touches the bed sides but they are red hot. 

Stung by the heat he recoils when the surroundings burst into flames and a voice is heard. "I have known you all your life, but now, you will know me, that I am real and that all sins must be paid by fire.." 

The old man sees a vision of him dying that afternoon, and screams...

Pictures of Flagellants during Holy Week

The Holy Week or Lenten season is the time when flagellants perform their act of penance by flogging themselves.

Here's a picture of one flagellant having the skin of his back sliced by a blade so it could bleed while he flogs himself.

How Would You Know If Your Man Is For Keeps?

By: Lester Taga Capas

First of all, finding true love is the craziest obstacle course you'll ever experience in life.

There is no real telling if you've found the person who will love you for a lifetime unless you find out for yourself.

But there will always be signs that the person you've found is for keeps or just another almost was.

A person with strong family bonds is more likely to stick it through with you.

Good family familial ties are a strong indicator of good grooming with plenty of family values.

However, this is not absolute, as people can be great at having a family even if they didn't grow up with a good family background.

People who are paranoid or possessive may be for keeps but there's a high chance you won't enjoy it.

Sometimes it's better to choose a cool headed person than someone who frowns every time you're around friends.

People who are too possessive will only dampen the relationship.

Horror on a Quiet Night

By: LESTER TAGA CAPAS


“Get up, it's almost time." The guard taps the cell bars with his stick and looks at the shadowy figure within.

The room is pitch-dark with only a single beam of light coming through a crack.

Image credit: wallowatch.com

The sound of chains echo throughout the massive corridor.

"Get up!" The guard yells as he strikes the cell bars repeatedly.

"I heard you the first time" A faint whisper is heard in the deafening silence.

"I am already standing, you just can't see it."

"Where is your lamp? You've broken it again haven't you?"

The guard scratches the side of his head irritably.

"Put your hands through the bars so I can cuff you."

Angrily, the guard reaches into the darkness to feel the prisoner's hands.

They feel cold, thin and frail. "How long have you been here?" he asks.

"Back when the guard was polite" The prisoner answered.

He squeezed at the prisoner's hands tightly.

"Say what?" But the prisoner doesn't reply.

He grips tighter as if wanting to break the fragile arms.

The prisoner stays silent. He tires from squeezing the fragile arms and lets go.

"Can't feel anymore can you?"

But the prisoner doesn't reply.

"You must have been down here so long; you don't even know what pain is.

"But the prisoner still doesn't reply.

 The guard's temper cools down a little feeling guilty for hurting what is probably skin and bones.
"What crime got you in here in the first place?"

Finally the prisoner speaks, noticeably in pain with a thirsty rasp "I can't remember."

The guard reaches into his pocket for the cell keys. He tries them all but none would open the cell.

"What? Must have brought the wrong set."

He takes a deep breath and rubs his eyes.

He decides to go back to the office and get the right set of keys.

"Sure is cold tonight." He says to himself as he prepares to walk back to the office.

"What would you do if a friend told you he'd done something horrible but doesn't want to go to jail for it?" The prisoner asks with a sad tone.

The guard picks up his broken flashlight "Well, tell him he should pay for it, do the right thing and face the consequences. What else?"

The guard answered with a noticeably angry tone.

He walks away and finally steps into the lighted hallway just above the staircase.

"He calls flashlights lamp, must be an old geezer".

He thinks of how silent the place was even when he was yelling.

At the guard station the warden yells at him for taking his time.

"What took you? I had to order another guard to fetch the prisoner for transport!"

He thinks a moment. "Sir, there was no other guard."

My flashlight went out and none of the keys fit in the keyhole.

The prisoner was being annoyingly polite. On top of that none of the light switches worked.

The warden looks up "Have you not been oriented properly?

Where exactly did you go to fetch the prisoner?

The second guard already took him to transport vehicle minutes ago!"

The warden yells with frustration. The guard scratches his head "

The first hall down the staircase of building F sir."

The warden's voice changed into a calmer tone.

"The first hall of Building F?" the guard looked at him sincerely.

"Yes sir, it's true sir none of the...” The warden signaled him to stop talking.

"I understand. Just don't go there anymore especially at night, you could trip you know."

The old warden pats him in the back. "But sir I put the handcuffs on the wrong prisoner."

The warden looks at him "I'll get it, wrong person indeed."

Holding a candle in his hand he walks towards the old building.

He sets it on the floor and picks up the handcuffs.

He falls to his knees and says "Forgive me for having let you suffered all these years for my sin because I was a coward. Thank you for the life I have now I owe it to you. Forgive me for the nights No one has lighted a candle for you because I was sick".

His face hits the ground as he kneels crying.

A cold hand holds his shoulder. “You are forgiven, you always were".

The warden looks at the figure "Then why haven't you moved on yet? After all these years?"

The ghost stands up with a smile "You have been in prison as long as I have, because you haven't forgiven yourself. Free me by freeing yourself."