Sisters

My favorite books are a fantasy series by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson for the last three) called the Wheel of Time. And like all epic fantasy series, these novels are filled with the fight between good and evil and, of course, magic. The majority of magic users in these novels are Aes Sedai, a group of women with great political power formed to serve the people (in their own way, of course!) In fact, Aes Sedai means "Servant of All."

About seven years ago, I joined a community based around Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Unlike many communities based around fantasy novels, this site I joined was not (and is not!) a role playing community, but a community of people brought together by their love of WoT to be Servants of All. In becoming a part of the TarValon.Net community, I found a huge extended family and network of friends that spans the entire globe. Among this family and friends, I have 54 (or so) of the most amazing Sisters, all very individual, strong, and independent women.

This morning I mailed off a Christmas package of cookies (The Best Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunk Cookies You've Ever Had and Snickerdoodles) to one of my Sisters. In it I also included a poem called "Start the Day with a Smile."

Start the day with a smile.
Make everything worthwhile.
Live this day the best you can;
For it will never come again.

Say a little prayer now and then
and now be good to all men.
Today banish all sorrows
and make good to all tomorrows.

Let your works shine before men
And so you can say "Amen."
Toil in all kinds of weather.
Be kind to sister and brother.

May your joys be so plenty
That they glory you immensely.
You shall know them by their fruits,
Be they animals or brutes.

Your sufferings are not in vain
Even though they cause you some pain.
Live by the sweat of your brow.
Live happily then and now.

It seemed a fitting poem, wishing happiness and joy in a way that is a little less cliche than asking for "peace on Earth and goodwill towards men."

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And in other news, I suppose it's time to set up my winter altar, though I'm fairly certain I'm lacking any sort of winter-y paraphernalia aside from our (small and fake) Yule tree.