Before I Am Brittle

I think the first true sign of maturity is a sense of myself. I do not mean the recognition that I am a being of and by myself, separate from my mother and father.

I am talking about the feeling of beginning to know and recognize both my strengths,and my shortcomings. Creating a balance, a harmony within myself that allows me to stand confidently on my own two feet in a rough and ready world.

Knowing I am strong enough to actually listen to other people without feeling threatened, or superior, learning from their experiences and taking away what is useful for me in my world. Finding myself capable of helping those I can and admitting when I cannot.

Maturity comes after I stop bending to everyone else's will and before I become so brittle that bending will cause me to break. Maturity beats the plowshare until it is smooth enough to excavate the wisdom lying dormant underneath.