~~I changed the title to this entry because my original intentions for this entry got side stepped because of the lack of time, but I will soon get into it when I have the chance to focus on my thoughts. Thanks, The Dragonmommie~~
One of my favorite authors is/was Henri J. Nouwen. I am such a fan that I even know how to spell his whole name! I think these are some of his quotes, though I cannot tell by looking at this page of HenriJ. Okay, I’ve found another site, Henri Nouwen Society. I own several of his books, reflections, really. I urge everyone to check him out, if you have not already. He was the Wounded Healer, the Broken One, the Beloved. He explained to me exactly how even my broken life can serve to heal. His words are exquisite. He told me how a person can die well in “Our Greatest Gift”. He gives a whole new perspective on the subject from the point of the person dying and from those left behind.
A lot of what I have written thus far has been influenced by this man’s writings. He’s got something to say on just about any subject. I’ve always been left with a desire to be a better person because of this man, who was, himself a tormented soul. I can really go on and on, but I need to get to bed. Maybe I will write more tomorrow, but now, bed.
DragonMommie's World 
He is a beautiful soul; thank you for bringing his writings to my attention! I will have to spend some time savoring the websites.
I love people who have grown spiritually as a result of both the joy and sorrow in life.
I guess my growth began with me in “survival” mode. It was either grow or die. So much pain had to find an outlet somewhere. I am just glad that it was for the light and not darkness. I look back and I could have so EASILY gone the other way by letting the resentment, frustration, anger take over. When I was a kid, I was wicked for awhile. Very vindicative and spiteful. I even swung a cat by the tail because of the pain of rejection because he was, well, just being a cat..
You are right….. painful memories.,… but I believe that you must come to know the pain intimately in order to be able to look back on it objectively with sort of a form of indifference… because we know that we can never truly be indifferent to really deep pain. It becomes a CHOICE to let it roll off your shoulder; but that doesn’t mean that the pain is totally gone.