Tie a Yellow Ribbon
(Area H3 International Speech Contest)
Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree, it’s been 3 long years, do you still want me?”
Hey, do you know this song? Aha, don’t raise your hands, else I know how old you are. This song is popular in 1970s!
It’s called “Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree”.
It’s about a prisoner coming home. He is not sure if his wife still wants him. So, the man wrote to his wife, asked her to tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree in front of their house if her answer is YES.
On the day he was released from the prison, the man rode a bus home. He was very anxious. He couldn’t believe what he sees. Not One, but HUNDREDS of yellow ribbons round the old oak tree.
Hmm, isn’t this a great LOVE song?
Besides LOVE, what message do you get?
I hear the mess-age of ……FOR-GIVE-NESS!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I want you now, to pause and think.
Is there someone who has hurt you deeply?
Is there someone who has betrayed your trust or your love?
PAUSE
Is it your mum or dad who neglected you when you were young?
Or your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife who cheated your heart?
Or perhaps, your helper or friend who ran away with your money?
I want you now to hold the image of this person in your mind
PAUSE
Now, tell me how do you feel? Anger? Hatred? Sadness?
I understand how you feel. Many years ago, my boyfriend left me for another girl. Last year, a good friend cheated my money.
When the incidents happened and many months & years after, I still bear anger and hatred. I find very difficult to forgive. The devil in me says: Why should you forgive them? They have done terrible things to you. Punish them for cheating your heart and money!
Ladies and Gentlemen, do you find it difficult too? Difficult to forgive the person who has hurt you or betray you?
For years, my mind is filled with resentment, I have no peace in my heart, no peace in my mind.
Do you feel the same?
In the song I sung earlier, the man told the bus driver
“I'm really still in prison, and my love, she holds the key.
A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free.”
Many of you are sitting here freely, but you may really in prison.
Imprison by your past!
Touch your heart, ask yourselves
Do you want to be a prisoner of the past?
No? Then, learn to forgive! Let’s tie yellow ribbons
When you forgive, you LET IT GO. You LET-IT-GO.
You let go the wrongdoings, the faults, failings. You Let-it-go
When you forgive, beautiful things happened!
the person who hurts you is now free to move forward
And YOU are also free!
No longer prisoner of the past!
Forgive does not mean forget. The past does not come with an eraser. Instead, forgiveness allows you to re-look at the past with a NEW attitude.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am happy to tell you, after many years of struggles, I’ve forgiven my boyfriend. I CHOSE to free him and to free myself. I felt very peaceful after that.
And you know what, when one door shuts, another one opens. A year later, I met someone who really loves me. And we are now happily married.
Certainly forgiveness does not come easily or naturally when you are deeply hurt. It may take years. And to be honest, I’m still struggling to forgive the friend who has cheated my money. But I’m trying, I’m still trying.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the person whose image you hold in your mind, the person who has hurt you or betrayed you, have you forgiven him or her?
If you’ve, well done, you’ve chosen freedom for yourself and that person.
If you’ve not, it’s ok. Just keep on trying, keep on trying esp. when you see a yellow ribbon or hear this song again
Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree…
Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree, it’s been 3 long years, do you still want me?”
Hey, do you know this song? Aha, don’t raise your hands, else I know how old you are. This song is popular in 1970s!
It’s called “Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree”.
It’s about a prisoner coming home. He is not sure if his wife still wants him. So, the man wrote to his wife, asked her to tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree in front of their house if her answer is YES.
On the day he was released from the prison, the man rode a bus home. He was very anxious. He couldn’t believe what he sees. Not One, but HUNDREDS of yellow ribbons round the old oak tree.
Hmm, isn’t this a great LOVE song?
Besides LOVE, what message do you get?
I hear the mess-age of ……FOR-GIVE-NESS!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I want you now, to pause and think.
Is there someone who has hurt you deeply?
Is there someone who has betrayed your trust or your love?
PAUSE
Is it your mum or dad who neglected you when you were young?
Or your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife who cheated your heart?
Or perhaps, your helper or friend who ran away with your money?
I want you now to hold the image of this person in your mind
PAUSE
Now, tell me how do you feel? Anger? Hatred? Sadness?
I understand how you feel. Many years ago, my boyfriend left me for another girl. Last year, a good friend cheated my money.
When the incidents happened and many months & years after, I still bear anger and hatred. I find very difficult to forgive. The devil in me says: Why should you forgive them? They have done terrible things to you. Punish them for cheating your heart and money!
Ladies and Gentlemen, do you find it difficult too? Difficult to forgive the person who has hurt you or betray you?
For years, my mind is filled with resentment, I have no peace in my heart, no peace in my mind.
Do you feel the same?
In the song I sung earlier, the man told the bus driver
“I'm really still in prison, and my love, she holds the key.
A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free.”
Many of you are sitting here freely, but you may really in prison.
Imprison by your past!
Touch your heart, ask yourselves
Do you want to be a prisoner of the past?
No? Then, learn to forgive! Let’s tie yellow ribbons
When you forgive, you LET IT GO. You LET-IT-GO.
You let go the wrongdoings, the faults, failings. You Let-it-go
When you forgive, beautiful things happened!
the person who hurts you is now free to move forward
And YOU are also free!
No longer prisoner of the past!
Forgive does not mean forget. The past does not come with an eraser. Instead, forgiveness allows you to re-look at the past with a NEW attitude.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am happy to tell you, after many years of struggles, I’ve forgiven my boyfriend. I CHOSE to free him and to free myself. I felt very peaceful after that.
And you know what, when one door shuts, another one opens. A year later, I met someone who really loves me. And we are now happily married.
Certainly forgiveness does not come easily or naturally when you are deeply hurt. It may take years. And to be honest, I’m still struggling to forgive the friend who has cheated my money. But I’m trying, I’m still trying.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the person whose image you hold in your mind, the person who has hurt you or betrayed you, have you forgiven him or her?
If you’ve, well done, you’ve chosen freedom for yourself and that person.
If you’ve not, it’s ok. Just keep on trying, keep on trying esp. when you see a yellow ribbon or hear this song again
Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree…
posted by Mae at
8:27 AM
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