As I get older, I see the wisdom of gentleness and kindness and value it more and more. The more gentle I can be with myself, the kinder I can be in my own heart, the more compassion I have for the world around me. There’s not a lot we can do about a lot of things in the world . . . but with each breath, we can choose to be a little gentler, a little kinder to ourselves. Life can be tough, and we don’t know anyone else’s path. We are all doing the best we can. If we are hard on ourselves, we will be demanding of others. A little love and grace go a long way. Let’s start with our own sweet selves.