Self Respect; the greatest love of all

On self-respect and release of false hope - a Valentine to oneself:

Earlier this week, my daughter’s competitive skating team coordinator sent out the annual email inviting the skaters to make/decorate a box for collecting valentines and leave it at the side of rink: “leave it there all day, bring love home Friday night.” My daughter, who has never received a Valentine from anyone outside the family in the last 16 years, didn’t bother this year to create a receptacle to take home empty.

However, she did bring bags of candy for everyone else, and has joyously and with the flourish only those who live in sequins can carry off, deposited them in the aforementioned donation boxes which are dotting the boards along with rogue gloves and used tissues.

At this writing, she is skating better than I have ever seen her skate in 11 years:

Flowing

Found - this elusive focused serenity -

Light, free, strong

Red balloons tied to her heart

Liberation -

The weight of the expectation of disappointment

no longer anchored in the pit of her stomach

Wings of self-respect

Powering her above the ice

Powering her above the conformists’ fear

Powering her above the norms that seek control

Flowing with power