There was a time when...
My life was so simple.
I made the rules as I went along
and my worries were few.
I have learned many lessons.
Some mistakes can be corrected
and some can only be forgiven.
To just exist from day to day is basic survival.
To really live and seize life's lessons
is the greatest gift you give to yourself and to others.
Your strengths and weaknesses will be constantly tested.
The tests you give yourself are the hardest
and yet you will feel the most rewarded in passing.
Compassion and a sense of fairness should govern your life.
Without either quality, you cannot grow
in mind or in spirit.
My life is no longer simple.
There is much that I still have to learn
and regardless of the rules...
I am still in the game.
By A. L. Franklin