Giving and Receiving

"A relatively healthy sense of self lets you accept what others can give you, even when it isn't quite what you yearned for . . . It's also dependent on trusting that your life matters--whether or not it is lauded by others. And that you deserve to care for yourself as respectfully and supportively as you would a trusted and cared-for friend . . .

"In illness, our world shrinks. In social isolation, our world shrinks. Yet it's precisely now that our vision must enlarge. Choosing to be the smallest bit more generous, perhaps more tolerant in both directions (giving and receiving), is itself an act of empowerment, an act of self-respect and even love--for ourselves and for all with whom we share this planet."

(Spirituality quotes. Stephanie Dowrick).