daughter of the rain and snow

No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away—until the clock he wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life, they say, is only the core of their actual existence.

Real fearlessness is the product of tenderness. It comes from letting the world tickle your heart, your raw and beautiful heart. You are willing to open up, without resistance or shyness, and face the world. You are willing to share your heart with others.

before you make fun of a person doing something brave and vulnerable like dancing or singing or reading poetry in front of a lot of people:

So, go easy on yourself. Yes, push yourself every day to be the best you can be and improve your work, your mind, your body and your relationships. Work hard to achieve the things you want to achieve. Find out who you are, by looking into yourself, by listening to your hunches and cultivating your tastes, exploring your desires. Be courageous and daring with your interests and your work… The rest will come in due course, or not, but I promise you, you will feel whole. Turn your look for love inward, what you will find there is vast and divine and quietly waiting for your return. Be patient with that too. That too is like a fine growing thing that develops over time.