Putting Out The Fires

Six-year-old me, 1975

There is an art to controlling your temper, and fortunately I am learning how to play with every single nuance of said medium. I have no clue what I did before I developed strategies to soothe those fiery flames, but I'm sure it wasn't pretty!

Today, when I could feel that heat licking at my emotions, the first thing I did was seek out someone whom I knew would talk me off the ledge just by her lovely presence. My confidant and sounding board comes in a bubbly package of a woman with a sweet personality and often a happy dance in her step. It's tough to do anything but smile when she's around. She patiently listened to my silly rant, giggled when I reverted to toddler tantrum phase, and when it was all said and done, sent me on my way (...I, too, nearly danced out the door).

There are people in this world who are balm to my soul, and sometimes they come from unexpected places. Man, do I love it when that happens! It's like getting a gift you really want on some random day when you REALLY need it. I hope I've been that person to at least one someone in my life, even if that someone was just passing by. If not, it is a quality I aspire to develop, because to my mind, those individuals are true magic in a world that really needs a bit of that (...or perhaps more than just a bit).

Note: The image above was taken in 1975. My grandmother wanted me to model all of my new school clothes she'd bought for my first grade school year. As you can see, I was not happy about this at all! I probably still make that face when I'm torked.