A Life of Many Losses, Many Corrections, Many Changes

I made a lot of mistakes in the past and learned hard lessons from every one of them. The only thing good I can say about my past is that it brought me to where I am today. Because of my own pain, there has been much growth in my ability to accept the things I truly "cannot" change and to maintain my enthusiasm for that which I "can" change. And, from that same pain, I've obtained a measure of accuracy in knowing the difference between the two.

My "greater" family is this earth and all of its inhabitants. Individual self-pity, blame, bitterness swallows up lives that could really be productive. I have no time for that anymore. Things like that pale in the larger picture of the earth, life, and the universe that carries all of the good in every breathing cell. It's not where you've been, but where you're going. And, no ones time is ever wasted if you're going in the right direction. ~ Patty Ann Smith