Good Morning Digital Neighbors! Happy 11 Pipers piping to those of you still counting the days of Christmas and not rushing out to get your Valentine's Day candy. Your quote and commentary for the morning musing provided by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross most often remembered for her work on death and grief.

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen. — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Beautiful people do not just happen, something more than just experience has to enter into the mix. Many people get dealt difficult cards in life and it makes them worse, they become prisoners of their tragedy. In fact, it is far too easy to become mired in the depths and turn to addictive fixes that are ultimately self-destructive. Alcohol and drugs are probably the clearest example. Beautiful lives that are never realized as they become trapped in their tragedy. It is one of the hardest things to witness if you have friends or family trapped in those depths.

Either something or someone usually helps us traverse those dark valleys, they need not even be alive. Sometimes the right book, a song charged with meaning, some expression of the arts, or your spiritual-moral compass provides you with a path out of the sorrow or trial. If you are fortunate, you may even have a friend who is with you for the long-haul. A really fortunate friend is one who has familiarity with those depths and can help you find your way out of them. While their experiences are not necessarily identical, they are familiar enough to serve as a trusted guides. Most of us need shepherding at one time or another in our life journey. Shepherds need not be a religious person, but more of a life-paying-attention-person. That life-paying-attention aspect is probably the deep loving concern that Elisabeth is talking about in the quote.

Well my friends, I hope and pray that you have good shepherds in life when you need them and may you in turn be a good shepherd to a friend in need, for that person lost in the depths that needs to find a way out to a better tomorrow. Happy Thursday to all and to all a good day.