On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

In my head, I have been excitedly preparing the first post in a new series for today. "Materialistic Monday" will bring my fair readers some of my very favorite stuff, new and old, each and every Monday. I'm going to start out by sharing my super-amazing new eye concealer, because what it does for me - for which I shall kiss it every morning - is to conceal those tired circles under my eyes quite perfectly! I mean, really, who doesn't want to read about that??

But then it hit me: today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I simply cannot write about eye concealer, for God's sake, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Bad enough that I am doing the opposite of commemorating it by going to work - I cannot make things worse by using this space to talk about cosmetics. You'll have to wait another week for that.

So here's what I want to say to you all, kind and thoughtful Wonderwheel readers near and far:

On this day, I am going to think about how I am using my time in this world.

It is imperative that I see the people around me, and do what I can to make the world safer and more comfortable for everyone, not just my little family, starting within my own community and moving beyond it.

I need to continue to serve the families I work with to the fullest. I need to continue to reach out to those less fortunate than me, and hug the panhandlers in the grocery store parking lot, even when I don't know if their problems are as they describe. And I need to do more. A lot more.

I refuse to lead a small life. I want my life to be big, and full, and exciting. I will continue to seek out new experiences and learn new things, and then I will share all of that with whomever will listen. And a few who won't. In light of that, I am going to share a quote that I've kept posted over my desk for years. It's Nelson Mandela's inaugural speech from 1994:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you.

We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not in just some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela, let your own light shine today and every day.

And may we all be liberated from our fears.