Thoughts on Being Strong

This mountainside cradles a grove of bristlecone pines about 1600 years old. They epitomize strength to me; they are so soft yet endure in a harsh climate.

• When you are strong, you get things done. Through grit and determination, you meet goals that others said were impossible. (Yup, I started law school as a single mother of three, ended as a married mother of four. And I still passed the bar exam the first time.)

• When you are strong, others lean on you. If you are on a team with people who are not strong performers, they let you do more than your share and no one notices that they didn’t carry their own weight. (Yup, but I’m afraid to tell my teammates that I noticed their lack of performance. I did more than my share just so that the psychological beatings for all of us would lessen, if you…