I arrive early to catch up on a bit of work before the friend arrives. I open the laptop and dive into the world that is work after hours. The waitress arrives and asks if I want to move seats. She sees me by myself and so assumes I need to be rescued. I may be alone, but I am not lonely.
She thinks I will feel more comfortable tucked away in a corner. I am fine in the middle of the room, but I smile at her thoughtfulness. I put in half hour’s work before shutting down as soon as my companion enters my view.
As always, she raises good points. She is the worrier. I’m the dreamer. She asks me to hold back a little instead of jumping head in. I can’t help myself, I say! How many people do we meet that charges and electrifies every fiber of our living cells? I can count them all in one hand. She agrees.
I agree with her mantra. The Mission of Self is the most important. We must come out on the other side, with the goal not being unscathed, but better and stronger from the previous version. Retain but not hold back the self in the interest of the other person. To love others, we must always love ourselves first. Embrace the whole person inside. Otherwise, how can we embrace someone else outside of our body?