A Thought.....

It took me a long, long time to realize that most people in this world are so deeply wounded that they can only feel okay about themselves by trying to make someone else seem or feel less than.

~This above all: to thine own self be true. Thus it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst be false to any man.~ Shakespeare

These days, *I* choose my family. And my family is overflowing with people who inspire me, make me laugh, make me want to be better, who see my beauty and share their own, and who find value in my presence.

Just because I share DNA and life history with someone doesn't make them family. And those who see me only as a means to their own ends aren't likely to see me at all, after a while.

In the end, none of us are better or worse. We are all flawed, and each of us is unique in the world. Each of us has our own path to follow, and all of us are going to die.

I would rather live my life joyfully and in a way that is deeply meaningful to *me* (since, after all, I am the one living it!), than to spend a moment worrying about those who would rather judge others than live *their* lives joyfully and in a way that is deeply meaningful to *them*.

I am sending you thoughts of peace, and the strength to feel your own worth, regardless of what others say about your value. You are the only one of you we have!