Happy birthday, Vati Nietzsche 🤍

There are 3 aspects of real, selfless love.

Sympathy: understanding what another person feels.
Empathy: feeling what another person feels.
Compassion: the willingness to relieve anothers suffering.

To understand, to feel for, and to take care of another is to love them.

"It takes strength to be gentle and kind over, over, over, over. It's so easy to laugh. It's so easy to hate. It takes guts to be gentle and kind over, over, over, over again." Morrisey

Treating others how you want to be treated, simply putting that kindness out into the world, will ripple outward and eventually will return back to you (in one way or another).

I am Aslög Sigurdsdottir, princess of Götaland.
I am Ildico, the last wife of Attila the Hun.
I am Helen of Troy, warbride of Theseus.
I am Joan of Arc, defender of France under divine guidance.

Remember who you are 💭

Aslög Sigurdsdottir princess of Götaland was the second/last wife of Ragnar Lothbrok. She was a queen and sorceress whose life was full of magic, myth, and mayhem.

Ildico the Germanic princess was the last wife of Attila the Hun. Her name is Proto-Germanic, a diminutive form of the noun *hildaz ("battle"), and refers to Germanic folklore, Hildr ("battle") was the name of a Valkyrie.

Helen of Troy was the daughter of Zeus and Nemisis, the goddess of revenge, who was famous for her extraordinary beauty. She is also called "the face that launched a thousand ships" for setting off the Trojan war.

Joan of Arc was a peasant girl who became a symbol of national pride. King Charles VII allowed her to lead his armies and help him regain the throne. Joan knew details about the king that no one else did, and he came to believe her claim that God had chosen her to lead.

"Father Apollo, I pray to You, all-seeing guardian God, be gracious to me and protect me, watching over my kingdom. Be ever vigilant and warn me what strangers or what subjects of mine conspire against me. Whatever treacherous plots there may be, keep me alert and prepared."

Valerius Flaccus Argonautica 5.244-49

Julie Bell

"You sound like a fool. You don't even know his name."

For a name matters not.
To me, he is King,
Braving the storm with
Great might and fury,
Changing the stars as he rides.
He will return upon the rising sun,
Pulling ocean waves behind him,
And brighter days to come.

Love is giving me wings and I must fly

"They may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom."

Fear no mortal man, only things that can damn the soul. There's always hope for a better world and community. The resilient must face the storm and hold strong.

There is still a dream worth fighting for.