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"grandpop?"

yes my boy.

"why do you give things away?
you have a lot of money, but you
don't have a big house."

well, i don't want to have
a big house, and i like giving
things to other people i care about.

"but you give stuff to strangers too."

you're absolutely right. i like doing
that too.

"why?"

when there's been an opportunity,
i've made it.

"made it? isn't it, 'take it'?"

yes, very good catch but i go one step further...
i make something of the opportunity.

"why?"

my boy...God is the opportunity,
but we must be the opportunists.
it's so easy to take and take and take,
but the best part is to take what you've
been given and make it into something great.
God will give you many opportunities in life,
but it's up to you to not only take them, but make them.
when i make them, i make them in my own way.
that's the beauty of it! in my way, i do things and
buy things for people close to me and for strangers too.
i've realized, the more i make---the more content i am.
so---my boy---when they come...when God comes,
make those opportunities no matter how big or small.
do that---and you will grow old
and be content and happy like me.

:::

when we apply accountability to joy,

the head of the flower is cut from its stem;

we create misery.

:::

the best leaders make aware

the commonality of a person,

the finitude of person,

and the unharnessed power of a person.

the anxiety to be uncommon,

the desire to be immortal,

and the inherent yearning

to be an integral part of a greater whole

make aware

the unharnessed power of a people.

:::

those who bring out the light in others

are thought to be lights themselves.

this is wrong.

those who bring out the light in others

will say, "i am the night sky."