That is the mantra that has guided my entire adult life.  When you get up in the morning, you’re given the gift of this day.  You’ve never been given this exact gift, with it’s unique set of circumstances and opportunities, and you’ll never get it again.

Right…but we don’t have to stay there.  It’s important to keep some sense of reality around you as you assess your situation in life.  In a situation like mine, it’s tempting to move to some sense of denial, believe me.

I can decide how to best teach from my experience, and I can devote my energy into helping others be better while it’s going on.

It’s dangerous sometimes.  The commitment of trust isn’t always returned, is it?  When someone takes advantage of my trust, especially a kid, it just cuts me in half.  

My mom believed that “You’ll get mostly what you expect, so you may as well expect the very best,” and she has lived that way every day that I’ve known her.