"We are not born for ourselves alone." Plato

This message arrived in my email box this morning and has been dwelling on my mind all morning. Today is my beloved's birthday. Charles Dennis Mross was born on January 29, 1948 in Oakland, California.

In my times of contemplation on who I am, there is never any doubt that a very large part of that identity is tied to Charlie. I came into my "womanhood" with my idea of what that meant tied to my relationship with Charlie. We met at quite a young age ... I was 15, he was 16. It doesn't happen often that two people's lives become entwined by love so young and can withstand the changes that entered our lives through high school, college, the rigors of married life, career changes, and with the addition of four children, developing a healthy family life. But through it all we worked to make that so, and we were rewarded with the strengths we gave each other. I know Charlie was born so that we could meet, to see the story of our lives played out as it did. I was born for him in the same way. We paid attention to the intention that our combined forces might bring about a way of life that could help to change the world in a good way. And our four children are the means upon which we hope to continue to add a positive intention towards goodwill for us all ... and Simon Charles Racicot is now the next generation -- moving that intention along further.

This can be translated into the much larger picture ... a message that we seem to hear almost daily now in the general populace ... a changing tide of "service to others" as a way to enhance your own sense of self-worth. Remember your life is a gift, but not only to you, or your parents, or your loved ones, but to all mankind. Let's pay attention to that and try to make the most of it.