Don't Settle

Life is a given.  Living is not so simple.

Some people simply go through life taking what they need, giving what they want.

Others become cornucopias of giving, like Old Faithful, with no thought of the aftermath.

There are those who only take no matter who it is from or what is left behind.

And then there are those people who give and take but with great care and even greater consideration.  They realize that too much is just as bad as too little and that although there is a formula or recipe for acceptable, living well is an art.

I don't really know if people are born with it, or learn it; and if it is learned, how.  I only know that there are people whose lives seem to be fairytale places where the dragons are all slain or become cherished mentors and pets; where the certainty of love makes even travail bearable; where the day dawns brightly even if the sun doesn't shine. And eternal night is a reason to huddle close to the fire and tell stories.

I do know that rubbing shoulders with all people can be the most frustrating thing in the world, or a dream come true. It just depends on what we ask and expect and maybe more importantly, will settle for.