A General Apology

[Adele Poppy]

Goodness gracious. Have I been a little irritable lately?

"Yes, Adele, you great oaf," you answer in that charming way you have. "You have been a BRAT."

Guilty as charged, dumplings. Deepest apologies to anyone who may have wondered at my crankiness.

/me digs a hole in the garden, pops the crabby old self in, covers with nice crumbly soil and hopes something better emerges.

[Chancandre Aquitaine]

Dear Miss Poppy, you are such a darling. Did you know that? Of course you didn't - you have no idea how sweet you are. But everyone else knows.

Being a little cranky is something we can all do. I think we have been infested by a cranky-bug just lately. Those bad old Fs of D try every means to get us, and their favorite weapon is our own weaknesses. Right now a spirit of divisiveness and carping seems to be the chosen nerve-gas that is being sprayed at us.

Is there an antidote? There certainly is, and you just demonstrated it. Humility. A willingness to admit our own faults and not defend ourselves just because we are ourselves.

The Fs of D are mistresses of using our weaknesses against us. But there are weapons against this that they cannot overcome: humility, goodwill and kindness.

And - did I mention humility? I hope I did, because it is the most important.

Thank you for showing us all the way, Praefecta Morum.