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come from?
• Two years ago, when my then wimpy, whiny 13-year old boy, announced that he wanted to take a martial art, I was positive that this would be a short-lived expensive proposition.  He said no, it wouldn't.  He said the same thing about cub scouts (lasted one month), tennis (5 months) and drum lessons (2 years).  Nobody could have blamed me if I had said "no."  It was his reason that convinced me.  He said, "I want to be a leader."  This boy, the one who, when stubbing a toe, acted like he'd been shot, wanted to be a leader?  Well, stranger things have happened, I thought.
• He worked harder than I've ever seen him work at anything, with the exception of surfing YouTube, and now, at 15, he is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do; a leader and mentor to many other students.  Go figure!
• My daughter is more subtle.  I have always known that she was on the right track.
• For most of my life, I have scrupulously applied foundation, blush and mascara with the hope of showing the world the best face I could.  I always told my daughter that I had to try a little harder to look as lovely as she does.  One day, out of the blue, on a day when I wore no makeup at all, she looked at me and said, "Mommy, you're beautiful."
• From my daughter I learned to be

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