“Ordinary eyes categorize human beings” — (Rumi)

   These long January nights give me too much time to reflect on the past.  I recently found a few of my grade school report cards,  and reading through the teacher’s remarks, I see that I was labeled as “quiet,” even to the point that one year a teacher labeled me  as “withdrawn.”  I do remember seeing those words as a child and the worry about myself those words invented, worse still, my mother agreed with the teacher in her parental response.  Naturally I began to believe there was something wrong with me and I viewed myself through those words until my junior year in high school when one of my teachers “re-labled” me as “creative,” which finally gave me permission to accept who I am without misgiving.  I have come to love winter, although I love summer and fall more, I at last, understand the mysterious secrets of winter.