The path into sunlight. Follow me!

The path into sunlight
Originally uploaded by jhhymas

How is one an individual
and how is one's fate
shaped in interplay
with other persons?
How does one
in turn contribute
to forming those persons?
How close can
one really BE to
other people?
How is an individual
vis-à-vis another individual?
How do I become myself?
How have I really been with you?
How have I come to displace my own self
in order to fit in with other selves?
Where does one self merge with another?

—Alva Myrdal near the end of her life in a letter to her daughter, Sissela Bok

As a parent, and as a daughter and grandaughter, I was struck by this passage. I've been saving this quote for a long time. Look up Sissela Bok on Google to read about her philosophy and the work of her illustrious parents. You will have food for thought for many a long day.

Then go take a walk in a nature preserve like the one in the photo. Or in a garden. Take someone special with you, if you can.