The one and only you
“Everything in nature invites us constantly to be what we are.” ~Gretel Ehrlich, author
Many of us spent our early years trying to conform to the norms or ideals dictated by our parents, peers, religion, and culture. On the other hand, some of us rebelled against them — sometimes for the sake of rebellion, or because we didn’t fit the “perfect” pattern someone else wanted us to follow.
Beyond all of this conforming and rebelling is the beautiful, one-of-a-kind essence of who we really are. As today’s thought reminds us, our true nature “invites us” to make that discovery.
I’ve learned throughout my life that if I want other folks to accept or appreciate my individual quirks and eccentricities — and yes, you have a few of those too — I need to do the same for them. ~CL
Cindy La Ferle
Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.
