�Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control � these three alone lead to sovereign power.� � Alfred Lord Tennyson
The other day M.s. reminded me of one of my favorite quotes, this one by Eleanor Roosevelt. �No one has ever insulted me without my permission.� I can sometimes forget that all of the power to control my emotions, my perceptions, my opinions, lies within me. The power of communication. The power of words. The power of love. The power of apathy, of pity, of fear. I have all of these powers and more. It is she who learns how to deftly wield these powers who is wise. I may be able to tap into them from time to time, but I don�t yet trust my aim.
Today is my father�s birthday! Yesterday, we celebrated with my sisters and baby Bella. Three of us joined Dad for church, and the fourth met up for brunch after church. After the meal, we walked back to Dad�s for presents and cake. To look at my father�s face at any point yesterday, was to see pure joy. I have written time and again how much I love my sisters, and the energy we create when we�re all together. I am so lucky that we all live so locally, that we have so many opportunities that we take so that we CAN be all together like that. I just love to be around it, to be around them.
After my sisters headed home, I hung out with Dad for a while. After we reflected on half a day well spent, and verbalized our appreciation for the love we each have in our lives, we turned the conversation to the upcoming week. Dad gave me some great advice for handling a certain situation I am in (I�ll tell you more about it when the smoke clears). Then we made a list of family members to whom I�ll be sending signed copies of the Reader. Don�t think I didn�t keep a few from the local distribution box.
Tonight I have the honor of dining with my father on his birthday. I can�t wait! I�ll have to break the news to him that they went with another guest for the NPR show I was briefly considered for. C�est la vie! Here�s to bigger and better things in life. I do believe we�ll drink to that!
-Barbarella
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