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Kokoro chan
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#1
Old 11-02-2011, 10:04 PM

I hope I'm doing this right, it's been such a long time since I've used a forum like this, especially menewsha. Ok, so here's a list of words I grabbed off of a live journal entry. I have completed the first two.

A 100 Theme List
Huzzah! Our first post! Our first post! Well, not that anyone is actually here to enjoy this, but we present thee with a nice list of 100 Themes for thine inspiration. Enjoy. ^^


100 Themes 01

1. Bite
2. Green Pen

3. First Flower
4. A Beautiful Day
5. Water
6. Jars
--WIP using both themes
7. Buttons
8. Silence
9. Trash
10. Chain
11. Rain of blossoms
12. Chapstick/lip balm
13. Cards
14. Quiz
15. Fans
16. Fish
17. Smile
18. Chocolate
19. Scissors
20. Pillows
21. Jacket/Blanket
22. Glare
23. Jealousy
24. Misunderstood
25. Holiday
26. Bell
27. Dog
28. Bridge
29. Minute
30. Flying
31. Bird
32. Cloud
33. Umbrella
34. Snow
35. Singing
36. Square
37. Curtain
38. Popular
39. Rubbish
40. Jellyfish
41. Circle
42. Matches
43. Deception
44. Paper
45. Heart
46. Color
47. Moonlight
48. Death
49. Candle
50. 50%
51. Obsessive Compulsive
52. Technology Challenged
53. Lurk
54. Stalk
55. Doom
56. Butterfly
57. Check
58. Make up
59. I feel pretty
60. Clock
61. Midnight
62. Cocoa
63. Tinsel
64. Spiffy
65. Spilled Ink
66. Paw prints
67. Cute
68. Mess
69. I’m coming
70. Late
71. Missed
72. Spellcheck
73. Mail
74. Tied up
75. Nails
76. Small terror
77. Spider
78. Wine/champagne
79. Cross-dressing
80. Instruction Manual
81. Confetti
82. Glitter
83. Shiny objects
84. Rebirth
85. Marbles
86. Lamp post
87. Charcoal
88. Markers
89. Scribbling
90. Board games
91. Love
92. Sibling
93. Coffee
94. Sticky
95. Sweet
96. Sour
97. Hyper
98. Apathy & Empathy
99. Lost cell phone
100. Happily Ever After

----------

"BITE"

Deidre sat in the chair beside the open window, staring wistfully into the rain. It was getting late and she'd been waiting for what seemed like a very long time. Tears glistened on her cheeks and blurred her vision as she attempted to sew the hem on her gown and she put down her sewing in frustration. A slight breeze drifted through the window, carrying on it's back the slight strains of a passerby, singing as they walked along the dusty path. She shivered, and pulling her shawl around her shoulders, stood to pull the shutters closed. He would not be home tonight. Again. As she leaned out the window and grasped the latch on the shutters the singing faltered and a little old woman stepped from the shadows on the road into the glow of candlelight emanating through the window. "Do not be startled, sweet lady" The woman said softly.

Deidre jumped and dropped the latch, the shutter clattering loudly against the house. She stepped back and observed the old woman. She seemed very very old, and her eyes sparkled with untold experiences. Her hair was worn down, softly about her face and she was dressed all in black. The woman smiled. "Forgive me my dear, I did not mean to startle you. I was on my way home when I saw you reach out the window and thought perhaps I might stop in and dry the rain from my clothes for a moment." She held up a covered basket that she had been wearing on her arm. "I have some pretty little odds and ends for sale, if you would like to see them. Perhaps I have something that may cheer you up."

Deidre thought for a second, then nodded. "It is very cold outside, please come in and I shall add another stick to the fire so that you may warm yourself." She unlatched the door and let the old woman in, then shut it securely behind her. After relatching the door she went back to the window and closed it, so that the old woman would not catch a draft. "Please, make yourself at home while I tend the fire. Would you like some tea?"

The old woman nodded, and as Deidre set about getting the fire and tea ready, took off her cloak and shook the rain from it, then spread it out on the hearth. Then, satting her basket one the floor, she began to carefully remove each object and place it gently onto the cloak, only stopping after she had laid out a great many peculiar items. When Deidre had returned with two steaming mugs of tea she began to point out specific items. "This may interest you my lady," And she held up a flask encrusted with jewels that sparkled and glittered, "This is an elixer that will make your skin soft and creamy, and will give you the appearance of youth until you die of old age." She set the flask back on the cloak and picked up a beautifully engraved silver comb who design seemed to dance. "Combing your hair with this, just once per day, will make you hair thick, and lusterous it will never cease to grow strong and healthy. Your hair would be the envy of all." She placed the comb down and retrieved a lovely golden bracelet that seemed to glow of it's own light. "This particular item will make your hands dexterous and skillful at all you do. Everything you create with your hands will be beautiful and valuable beyond compare." She smiled as Deidre toyed distractedly with the silver comb. "This," She picked up an intricate lace choker with a dazzling diamond brooch at the center that flashed as it moved. "Now this is a rare piece indeed. This trinket, when worn, will give you the voice of an angel. You will sing like a nightingale, and when you speak your orations would move even the stoniest heart to tears." Placing the choker back in it's place on the worn cloak she waved her hands over her wares. "Now, is there something here that interests you?"

Deidre looked at the pretty objects with a small amount of skepticism and a large amount of wonder. She seemed struck by the difficulty of choice when she noticed something hidden by her skirts. She moved them aside and found an apple, only this was not like any apple she'd ever seen, this one was pure, endless white, even to the stem. As she picked it up it turned a deep churning blue. The colors seemed to pulse and dance under her fingertips, yet other than that it seemed like a completely ordinary apple. It even smelled appley.

"Ahhhhh, yes." The woman's eyes sparkled with understanding. "The apple. That my dear is indeed a prize, truly one of a kind, the only in existence, more valuable than a kingdom of jewels. This apple, while being delicious, reflects your most inner feelings when held. One bite of it's sweet and juicy flesh will granted you your hearts greatest desire."

Deidre gaped at the apple, staring into the swirl of color, allowing the meloncholic hue to draw out her tears once more. She brushed a tear from her cheek and dared to ask. "H-hw much do you want for this one?" She hesitated, afraid of the answer.

The old woman stared at her for a long moment, the only sounds in the little cabin being the crackle of the fire and the chatter of rain on the roof. Then she began to gather her baubles into her basket and secured the cover. Then she picked up her cloak, shook it off and placed it back onto her shoulders. "Thank you for the lovely tea my dear, I really must be getting home, I've got supper waiting you know." She placed her hand on the door latch to go.

"Oh!" Deidre put her hand out to stop her. "Don't forget this." She held out the apple toward the woman, somewhat regretfully. The old woman gently pushed her hand back toward her. "No dear, you keep it, a gift from me." She smiled. "May it bring you some happiness."

Deidre thanked her and latched the door behind her, then snuffed out the candles and then sat on the hearth in the warm, dying glow of the fire. She held up the apple and stared at it, contemplating.

What would happen if she took a bite? Would it truly grant her deepest desire? Would anything happen at all? Perhaps it was not magical at all, perhaps it was, instead, poisoned! What if it did grant her hearts desire and it caused her greater unhappiness than she now experienced? Perhaps it was simply all a dream, or illusion. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts and shut her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. She hesitated a moment, and then slowly took a bite.

----------

"Green pen"

It was his favorite color and he was sure to surround himself with it. He ate it, drank it, slept on it, wore it. One would think he might become bored with just one color, but not him, he was a man obsessed and he would not be satisfied until all other colors were removed from his abode. He strode sulkily through his green bedroom into his green bathroom where he splashed some cold water on his face, the lighting in the room, tinting the water green. He stormed through his green dining room into the green hallway and entered his green study where he sat at his green desk and allowed himself a small smile of satistfaction.

The desk was a recent aquisition, made of oak but cleverly finished with a green tinted laquer so that it had a green sheen to it. He picked up a stack of documents requiring signature and perused them. The papers were indeed white, but the green lighting in his study rendered them the same shade. He picked up his writing pen with some annoyance and cursed irritably as he scratched his signature out several times in blue ink. frustrated he threw down his pen and stood. Donning his green top coat and hat, he put on his green lensed glasses, (which were more like goggles really), and stepped out.

Striding down the green (to him) tinted street, he stepped into a green (to him) tinted shop and began to browse the green (to him) tinted merchandise. He mused over the gloves and selected a pair (to be dyed later of course), and then mused through a great many top coats of various shades of green (to him, anyways.) Afterwards he stopped in housewares. This particular shop was well aware of not only his peculiar tastes, but also the size of his pocket book, and so they kept a nice variety of green lamps in stock. Then when he passed through the section of the small shop that contained an eclectic collection of office supplies he came across an ink that was truly deeply vibrantly green. He tore off his glasses and looked more closely at the ink to make certain that it was indeed a perfect emerald shade. And next to it, the most beautiful green pen made of a pearlescent green metal, encrusted with emeralds and with a fluffy grean feather protruding from the end. Replacing his glasses he cheerfully paid for his items with green tinted coins and began the green tinted walk home to his green house. This had been a good day. It really was the perfect color.
__________________
My life is the story of one who always wants to carry too much. My spiritual quest is the painful process of learning to let go of things not essential.

Last edited by Kokoro chan; 11-17-2011 at 06:11 PM..

Kokoro chan
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#2
Old 11-03-2011, 03:35 AM

"First Flower"

Inara had never seen land in her four years of life. She'd been born on the starship, and lived there ever since, but now, on the eve of her fourth birthday, the ship was finally returning to it's home planet. On the day of her birth Inara was finally going to set foot on real land, feel the earth beneath her toes and the wind in her hair. She was so excited she could not even sleep.

"Mommy, is it tomorrow yet?" She would call from her bedroom to her mother, who was packing their things for the trip.

"Not yet honey." Her mother would reply. "Tomorrow will come much faster if you sleep."

"I know mommy. How much longer?"

"Go to sleep honey."

Finally Inara slept. When she awoke they were on the shuttle bound for the planets surface. Looking out the window she was greeted with the sight of a fluffy white blanket, getting closer and closer and then they were enveloped in gray mist, condensation building on the windows, then, suddenly, they were through the cloud barrier. The ground rose to meet them, patches of colored land as far as she could see.

"Mommy look! It looks just like the blanket you made me last year!" She crammed her little nose against the window.

"I know honey, I made it from what I could remember of this view. This is what I saw when I was pregnant with you and we were first joining the starship. I wanted to be sure you would always know what home looked like." Her mother smiled over her head at her father, both nostalgic at the memory.

"Are we staying her forever mommy?" The little girl asked, her nose still firmly pressed against the window.

"Not this time sweetie, this is just a today visit. But we will be coming here to live soon." Her father gave her mother's hand a hopeful squeeze. Inara kept her nose pressed firmly against the window for the rest of the flight.

When the shuttle landed, Inara did her very best to remain calm and walk slowly beside her parents, a habit she had had to learn on board the starship due to limited space and patience with children, until they reach the visitor's park. The park was bursting with flowers in full bloom, the grass was lush and there were childrens toys galore. Families played on the open green, couples lounged on blankets in the shade of the trees, and joggers ran through the bountiful flower gardens.

Inara danced impatiently, running back and forth between her parents until her father laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Go play Inara! You're driving me crazy! You're mother and I will set our blanket out over there."

Inara squeeled and clapped her hands with delight, and then tore her shoes off and ran onto the grass where she promptly dove face first into the ground.

"Inara!" her father called, "Are you alright?"

She giggled and rolled around on the grass.

"What is it daddy?! It's prickly and tickles! It smells funny!" She rolled onto her stomache and grabbed fistfuls of grass, burying her nose and breathing deeply. "I like it! Can we take some back with us?"

Her father laughed uproariously. "No, no grass Inara, but perhaps we shall bring back a flower to grow. Would you like to have a flower Inara? You would have to take are of it, it's a big resposibility for a little girl."

"Oh daddy YES PLEASE, PLEASE can I have a flower, PLEASE can I daddy? I promise I'll take care of it and be good and it will never ever die! PLEASE mommy, PLEASE daddy?"

They laughed, "We'll see Inara."

She rolled over onto her back and lay in the grass for a long time, content to let the smells and sounds soak in, feeling the coolness of the earth on her back. Suddenly she sat bolt upright.

"Mommy... What's a flower?" She asked inquisitively.

"Well Inara, do you see those plants with the bright colors over there?" The little girl nodded. "Those are flowers."

Inara's little face scrunched up as she contemplated this, and then her eyes grew wide and she broke into a radiant grin.

"I get to have one of THOSE?!" She cried, clapping her hands to her face in an expression of utter delight. She jumped up and raced over to the flower beds, carefully scrutinizing each flower, her brow furrowing in concentration.

"I'm going to pick the VERY BEST flower mommy, so you'll know what one to get me!" She started to wander into the garden.

"Alright darling, but don't go far, we will be having supper soon." Inara's mother began unpacking the picnic basket as her father settled in to a comfortable spot on the grass to read. Inara soon returned, clutching a beautiful snow white flower with hundreds of petals in her hand.

"Inara," Her mother scolded, "You are not supposed to take things without permission!"

"But I didn't mommy! Honest! There was a nice lady pulling ugly plants out of the ground and I told her that I was getting one for my birthday and I asked her to please watch the flower for me so it didn't go away while I went and got mommay and daddy to show them and she just cut it off and gave to to me. Honest!" Inara relayed this message with such intense sincerity that it was almost comical.

Her parent's hid their grins. "That was very kind of her. Did you remember to thank her?"

"Yes mommy."

"Well, sit down and eat then so we can play before it's time to head back."

So they ate and played and when the time came to head back to the ship Inara's father went to go purchase a plant while her mother securely stowed their luggage. Then she tucked the cut flower into her daughter's hands.

"Now, make sure you hold on to this and take good care of it, don't lose it or smush it and when we get back I'll show you how to dry it."

She smiled at her daughter and gently squeezed her shoulders.

"Your first flower."

--------------------------------------- Happy ending (Warning, do not read further if you prefer happy endings.)

On board the shuttle Inara's mother showed her how to place a label on the flower.

"You see this tag Inara?"

"Yes Mommy, that's the paper Daddy puts on the clothes... right?"

"Yes Inara, these are cargo tags, but for right now we are going to label your flower. Do you remember your letters?"

"Yes Mommy."

"Well then, let's get this labeled. My..... First.... Flower. There, all do- AH!"

Inara's mother cried out as the shuttle shook with sudden violence, nearly throwing her out her her seat. She righted herself, it was turbulance, just turbulance. The craft shuddered again. Maybe it was just really bad turbulance.... Then the emergency light came on and the pilot's voice came over the com.

"Attention passengers, we are having some slight difficulty with the shuttlecraft. Please fasten your restraints and hold tight, we will have it under control momentarily."

The tension in the shuttle mounted exponentially and the ship once again quaked with great force as passengers scurried to fasten themselves in. Inara was the only child aboard this flight and she was very very frightened, but her daddy was calm and so she would be too. Her father reached over and fastened her seatbelt.

"Daddy," she whimpered quietly, "What's going on?"

"It's ok sweetheart. Everything will be ok, it's a little rough outside right now, but the pilot is a professional and he'll make it all right again." He wrapped his arms around his daughter for a moment, and then sat back in his seat.

The shuttle went dark and silent as the power completely failed, and then was filled with screams as it began to plummet from the sky.

Hours later the salvage crew was picking through the twisted wreckage of the shuttle. It had broken almost cleanly in half, spilling the front half of the passengers along the ground, intermingled with smoking debris. Parts of the hull were still on fire so the rescue team had to move slowly. A seperate medical team was preforming the futile task of emercengy medical procedures and checking for vitals signs. There were none.

The second half the shuttle was still intact, wedged against a rock face, the door to the rear passenger compartment blocked with rubble that had to be removed before the door could be pryed open to allow the rescue and medical teams through. As they forced the doors opened hundreds of snow white petals tumbled onto the ground. They were everywhere, little splashes of white in the dark.

After the rescue team had ascertained the relative safety of the interior the medical team stepped in and began to examine the bodies inside. The carnage was sickening. One of the medical officers noticed the small, ragged body, half hidden beneath a twisted pile of what used to be passenger seating and he began to dig her out.

"Sally, over here, a little girl, she looks like she might have been 3 or 4 years old."

Sally helped unbury the body and gently they turned her over. The still, lifeless body of Inara clutched a headless flower stem to her chest her small hands coiled tightly around it. There was a cargo tag dangling from the stem and Sally turned it over to read it. She and the other medical officer looked at each other, tears welling in their eyes. They dripped unashamedly onto the childs cold, lifeless face.

"It was her first flower."
__________________
My life is the story of one who always wants to carry too much. My spiritual quest is the painful process of learning to let go of things not essential.

Kokoro chan
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#3
Old 11-04-2011, 02:47 PM

"A beautiful day"

Azura slept fitfully, and little surprise for her bed was comprised of dirty straw placed on a stone floor. She stirred and sat upright, combing sraw out of her crimson hair with her fingers and abandoning the hope of sleep. It was a miserable day. Every day was a miserable day lately. She stretched, standing, giving her cramped legs and aching muscles a little room.

And little it was. She was locked in a tiny cell, imprisoned. The room was made of stone bricks help together by crumbling mortar with shackles bolted to the walls near the back. When she stood in the center of the room she could place her palms flat against both side walls with her elbows slightly bent. The cell was longer than it was wide and int he back was a small window that let in extremely weak light, even that was a blessing however, as her previous cells had had no windows at all, and unless a guard passed with a lit torch she had been kept in total darkness and damp. And there were rats. Not here though. Under the window was a tiny wooden table and stool, a wooden bowl and a clay pitcher containing her drinking water.

Approaching the table Azura picked up the clay pitcher and tearing a small strip of rough cloth from her prison garb she wet it and pulled up her sleeves, revealing angry welts and cuts in her once milk white skin. She dabbed the cloth at the wounds for a moment, clenching her teeth against the pain. When she had cleaned the wounds as well as she could she lowered her sleeves and began to pace, trying to walk off the pain. The cell sloped sharply upward towards the door and hoping the physical exertion would not hurt too much she approached the cell door.

As she reached the barred door and looked into the dimly lit hallway a night elf in the cell across from her also approached his door and leered at her, pressing his ugly scarred face into the bars.

"Well," He sneered, "You're a pretty one. What are You in for, harlotry? What was your going rate?"

Azura frowned and ignored his, turning to pace the length of her cage, but there was no escaping the poison tongue of the bastard night elf.

"Have the guards.... inflicted their "Favors" upon you yet? No matter, they soon will unless... Well, I could have you transfered to my cell, I could protect you. For a small... consideration of course."

He sneered lecherously at her and she shuddered in disgust, her temper firing up. She wished desperately that she could hit him with a spell of cloudkill, or a fireball or something, but she was silent. She swallowed the urges and calmed herself.

"Utinu en Lokirim!" Sone of serpents! She spat. "If I had a price you would never be able to afford it, and even if you could I would rather be hung by my ankles over a pit of poisonous snakes than be within ten meters of you, Saurar." Vile one.

The night elf growled furiously and flung his water pitcher at his cell door where it shattered into a thousand pieces and splashed water everywhere. The sound of a metal door scraping against stone calmed him.

"Do you hear that, Filiken?" prostitute "The guards are coming for you, you're going to DIE in here, and I hope that is it slow and excruciating."

Azura contemplated that thought but discarded it. She had endured much during her inprisonment, but it had been a long time and they had not killed her yet. Nontheless, she moved to the back of her cell, absently brushing her fingers across an ornate tattoo that was seared into the back of both hands. There were many meanings behind the various tattoos of her race, the blood elves believed that the runes enhanced their magika, making it ever more powerful. This one though, this was the only one they burned into the flesh. The mark of the outcast. The runes that had been branded into her stifled her power, silencing her magical ability and severly limiting her spells to only the most basic. If battle was now required of her, malnourished, wounded and weaponless, she may indeed perish. She banished the thought.

A clang of iron caused her to jump and whirl around. There were three human guards at her door, the formost beckoning to her. It seemed they had indeed come for her. She moved toward them and only when she was directly in front of him did he speak.

"Prisoner Azura Melwasul, You have been ordered to appear before Magistrate Marcus Andorran to review your case."

"Marcus who? I thought-"

"Please." The guard inturrupted. "Save your questions for the magistrate."

He motioned for her to proceed him, flanked by the two other guards. The dark elf across the hall gripped his bars as she passed.

"Morwen Huan lle!" Daughter of dogs! "I hope your death is painful outcast! Please, be sure to scream loudly so I can hear it."

The guard slammed his shield against the bars, smashing the elf's nose.

"Be quiet pig, or I shall come back and teach you how."

Azura allowed herself a quick smirk that disappeared as soon as it appeared and followed the captain into a vast room completely shrouded in darkness except for a small glow emanating from a single candle perched atop a heavy looking desk in the center of the room. There were faint outlines of massive doors on each of the four walls every door about 4 meters high. A man, the magistrate she assumed, was seated behind the desk, looking at a scroll, but not reading it.

"Prisoner Melwasul. You have been-"

"If you please, sir."

She inturrupted. His eyebrows raised slightly, but his face remained neutral and he nodded for her to continue.

"Sir, I have absolutely no idea how long I have been imprisoned here. Where is Magistrate Thorne?"

Andorran consulted the scroll and after a long moment, in which he seemed somewhat perplexed, answered.

"It has been recorded that you have been imprisoned in this facility for 7 months, 14 days and six hours. Overall imprisonment od 1 year, 11 months, 8 days and 4 hours. Reccomendations for flogging and interrogation weekly, no official charges filed."

He looked back up at her.

"That was his specialty. Thorne loved to punish those he hated for no reason."

He cleared his voice and spoke with finality.

"Ex-magistrate Ulyses Thorne has been investigated and found guilty of crimes against the empire and its people. Last week he was subjected to four days of torture and then summarily executed. His cases are now being reviewed and, if possible, overturned. Miss Melwasul, for a woman with no criminal record with the empire, and no official charges brought forth, your punishment has been severe and for that I, on behalf of the empire and it's legal system, deeply apologize. Of course, nothing can hope to fully repair the damage that has been done to you, but this should help toward compensation."

He placed a small scroll on the desk in front of him and motioned her toward it. She took it, numbly. The scroll was an order for the city to supply her with a staggering amount of gold and a line of credit to three of its best shops. Her head started spinning with the sudden and absolute changes of her situation.

"I am curious though,"

The magistrate leaned forward on his elbows, his fingertips pressed together.

"What did you do to cause Thorne such intense hatred of you?"

Azura's fists clenched in rage, crumpling the scroll in her fingers. Her anger was deeply evident in her deep red eyes.

"The Nadorhuan" Cowardly dog "Thorne," She spat, "Made unwlecome advances, so I slapped him. The next thing I knew I was locked in irons, being moved from one cell to the next, each smaller than the last, being beaton with switches and flogged with whips weekly. Last night I was placed in a rediculously small cell across that most vile Agaryulnaer" Blood sucking " Night elf. I was deprived of light and food and water and clean clothes and bedding. This scrap of paper means nothing, But it is a little solace to know Thorne suffered before he died. How was he executed?"

"Public draw and quarter."

She smiled at that.

"Excelent. Now, are we quite finished?"

"Yes."

The magistrate shuffled his papers and tore the scroll of her record into two.

"The captain here will take you to get your wounds properly dressed and a change of clothing. You are free to go."

"Please do one thing for me."

She reuqested.

"And what is that?"

She smiled quite innocently.

"Please tell that bastard night elf that Le uanui a lin naneth hab le gladhaen" You are ugly and your mother dresses you funny "please."
The magistrate looked puzzled.

"Ok, I think I can remember that. Say it once more?"

"Le uanui a lin naneth hab le gladhaen"

He nodded and stood to go, waving her off.

Azura allowed herself to led away and when her injuries had been dealt with and she had changed from her dingy, torn, and dirty sackcloth into soft silken robes she stood before the great door that led to her freedom. Without a moments hesitation she leaned with all her might against the heavy door and they gradually opened, allowing the bright beautiful sunlight to seep in.

She stood outside for a moment, inhaling the sweet scent of plumeria, listening to the sweet musical melodies of the birds. A butterfly flitted past and she caught it, letting it flutter about in her hands before releasing it once more. A bubble of laughter welled up in her chest and escaped her lips and she burst into a fit of giggles. She was free. FREE.

It truly truly was a beautiful day.
__________________
My life is the story of one who always wants to carry too much. My spiritual quest is the painful process of learning to let go of things not essential.

 


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