Preface
Some years ago, quite by accident, I happened upon my young daughter, Caroline, standing in front of the mirrored armoire in our dining room. Caroline was dressed in a beautiful princess outfit with a royal crown on her head and a magic wand in her hand.
As I watched her stare at herself in the mirror, I was immediately struck by her intensity. This was not, by any stretch of the imagination, just child's play. This was serious business. I watched and waited, unseen, curious to see what she would do next. And then, to my surprise, even though she was alone, she said something.
“I have a magic wand,” she proclaimed to her reflected mirror-self in an utterly determined voice, “and I am not afraid to use it!”
To this day, I still feel blessed ...
