The most beautiful flowers of courage
are not seen in the showy,
loose petalled bouquets of our leaders,
enormous gardenias perfuming whole banquet rooms.
No, they are blossoms like this:
a child-sized young woman with a homely face,
alone on a seat on the city bus,
eyelashes thick with mascara,
lipstick smudged onto her small, determined mouth.
~ Ted Kooser, July. The Wheeling Year: A Poet’s Field Book
Image Source: Ziemowit Maj
Live & Learn 
Caitlyn Jenner was awarded the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage last night. How many others exist without the publicly, the support of the public, the power of celebrity?
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A very very large number.
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Indeed…indeed..
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Everyday acts of heroism are all around us if we look.
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Yes! Beautiful reminder.
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And sitting in the seat next to her is Fear. She knows it and recognizes it. It takes courage to be present to our fear.
❤️
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I agree Val.
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Yes! I’ve never been a fan of those strongly perfumed gardenias.
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Reblogged this on sherriemiranda1 and commented:
A belated thank you for all my birthday wishes! I flew to NY the next day and caught a terrible bug/sinus infection. Finally went to the clinic there as I was afraid I would be able to do my book event otherwise.
Finally back home, enjoying the comfort that one only finds in their own quiet, joyful home.
Do you know a/b my debut novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador”? A young American woman goes to war-torn El Salvador:
http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
The video my husband made for my novel. He wrote the music too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P11Ch5chkAc
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