The Laughing Buddha, legends say, Was born in China, on an ancient day. His heart was big and his belly GRAND! He carried a bowl and a sack close to hand.

Like a Zen Santa, I'd say he was, Except he was bald as a peach, with FUZZ. He'd look at each child with a magical twinkle, And pull from that sack, in the corner, by a wrinkle ...

... JUST the right gift at JUST the right time, He'd do it without effort or reason or rhyme. "Oh, thank you Santa," each child would say, Except in Chinese, in their inscrutable way.

I, a young monk, asked the great man, As we walked on the path, bowl and sack in hand, "How do you guess? How do you know? What gift to offer? What seed to sow?"

The Laughing Buddha gave a great chuckle. He laughed so hard I thought his knees might buckle. "It's easy, when you know where to begin: Picture their face and look within.

"The greatest gift doesn't come in a box, It's rarely a doll and it's never more socks. The greatest gift comes from the heart. That's the very best place to start."

The Buddha winked once, patted his belly twice, Then disappeared in a shower of rice. He left me the bag to hand out more stuff. Why, there's something for YOU, right under this fluff!

Rodney Robbins

Rodney Robbins, A Paradox in Motion

Rodney Robbins is novelist with a quirky sense of humor and a quality expert with 15+ years experience in manufacturing and restaurant management.

Rodney Robbins also has a rare muscle disorder called Periodic Paralysis and enjoys the shooting sports. He grew up in a New Age family, writes fiction about modern day Witches and attended a wonderful Lutheran college. He has Celiac Disease (an autoimmune response to grains) and complex migraines that cause him to actually bite people’s heads clean off. Rodney also has a strong sense of compassion for everyone who suffers and is not comforted.

In short, Rodney Robbins is just the kind of person you would expect to draw zany cartoons, to write books for young adults, or to help people turn their restaurant into the kind of magical place that draws a crowd and sends them all home satisfied!

"I hope you enjoy the articles I’ve posted for you here at ezinearticles.com," says Rodney, "and I hope you remember to love much, laugh often and enjoy your life."