Love doesn't drop on you unexpectedly; you have to give off signals, sort of like an amateur radio operator. Character isn't inherited. One builds it daily by the way one thinks and acts, thought by thought, action by action. If one lets fear or hate or anger take possession of the mind, they become self-forged chains. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart. Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience. Hope is generally a wrong guide, though it is good company along the way. There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings. So never lose an opportunity of urging a practical beginning, however small, for it is wonderful how often in such matters the mustard-seed germinates and roots itself. All's fair in love and war. As it is our nature to be more moved by hope than fear, the example of one we see abundantly rewarded cheers and encourages us far more than the slights of many who have not been well treated disquiets us. |