One is an actress who has put her career on hold to be home with her four young children. She home-schools them through eighth grade, and runs a small business out of her kitchen to boot. When I met them, I saw right away that these women were special. Both radiate joy. Their smiles never fail, even when the baby has cried all night, or the car's transmission has died.
People love to be in their presence, recognizing that they are lit from within.
Though burdened by unrelenting demands, they seem to thrive on service. In times of trouble, they are first at the doorstep, comforting, extending their aid, and passing on their contagious happiness. But over the years, I have come to see that behind these women's warmth and generosity of spirit lies something even rarer and more profound. It is only when one sees them under conditions of real adversity that one recognizes their extraordinary power. As I've watched my friends face heart-wrenching challenges, I've realized that each has a kind of spiritual gyroscope.