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Tiffani Swarnes's avatar

So cool. What a great read. I am still searching for my spiritual back scratcher. But honestly, I think my favorite heroes are every day women like my mom, my mother in law, people like you, seeing people who overcome adversity, people that are brave enough to show authenticity or fully apply themselves to something they feel passionate about.

I did meet Bob Barker, one time… Hahahaha. He was kind of a dirty old man 😆who’d lost his filter, rest in peace Bob 🫶🏻. Maybe there’s still time for me to meet Glennon Doyle, Chuck Norris, Shefali Tsabary, Oprah, Michelle Obama, Lewis Howes or Dave Ramsey.

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Celeste Davis's avatar

Love this list and your list of everyday heroes- love it 😍

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C.W. Lippert's avatar

I am envious! Padraig is a key spiritual and literary mentor of mine, and I hope very much to meet him.

(I also believe he is Irish, just in case you’d like to update that in your piece. His accent is truly delightful!)

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Jacob's avatar

'Twas poets who wrote the Bible's Prayer.

Considering the lilies and the endless night.

Where Shakespeare nursed and Newton fared

A thought of future's faithful fight.

We wonder still and wonder more

Searching til we're old and gray

A bigger meaning of this tour

And nourished strength from day to day

Tis impossible yet the poets curse

To cease this trade of wonderment.

Our ink is full and lips unpursed

To spread the joy as well lament.

For Death and Duty are standing near.

Breathing down our hair spiked necks.

Uttering words in passions tears

Of our purpose through these costly treks.

Like milk spilt slowly on a deserted tongue.

The words when felt can vitalize

A hungered soul that came undone

Could piece anew in Spirit's ties.

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Mary Hutto Fruchter's avatar

This is beautiful. I love the pics of the river and all the missteps that got you to see Padraig. I love this.

“It reminds me of my favorite advice I ever came across about how to choose a partner back when I was a marriage blogger. We can get so stuck in the questions of are they good enough? attractive enough? ambitious enough? clean enough? The advice is to set all those aside for a minute and instead ask yourself:

of all the people in the world, all those potential partners, towards whom do I want to direct my love? I have a lot of love inside, who do I choose as my love’s chief recipient? Who do I most want to be the catcher’s mitt for the love I bat out?”

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