What Price Success?

      Here we are on this day devoted to a saint by Roman Catholics, to love the world over, to hearts by cardiologists and lovers alike.  Its symbols are personal and universal but always emotionally-spawned.  Candles, and their ambient hues settling on scenes of affection, fields of flowers, with the red rose bed at the top of the hill; images, Heart-shaped and Red, parade across scented paper, peek out boldly, adorning formerly 'white shoulders' as carefully-applied tattoos are displayed as draped shawls slide to giggle with scented elbows at the dastardly scheming of it all, and then - larger than life -burst forth on garish gonfalons announcing "Let those Feelings Fly".
      (As it turns out, this particular Valentine's Day is sharing the spotlight with an equally warm and loving but - it is hoped - far more significant and infinitely more enduring event: the launching of the book, "Every child is Entitled to Innocence".  An anthology of short stories and poems by an international group of authors who are also passionate lovers - of children. 


Indeed, the lovely leader of this movement cum accompanying art, Niamh Clune, has asked all of us - that would be the citizens of neighborhood 'world' - to "Light a candle in your Heart for a Child's Right to Innocence."
      Through the words and experiences of the book's contributing authors, she asks as well that the book sales' LAUNCH leads to an infinite orbit around our world, doing the work of the larger group to whom all sale proceeds will be donated, Child Helpline International.  These saving soldiers man the phones on the worldwide network  managing the child-help support phone lines in the attempt to keep our children safe. Without those who provide shelter in a storm and solace to a child’s wounded heart, many more of our innocents would be lost to us forever.)

       Every Child is Entitled to Innocence (Kindle Locations 99-101). OrangeBerry Publishing. Kindle Edition. Perhaps, you will be more inclined to be on the 'succeeding team' if we take a brief glance at whence success.
      "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a better place whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." - Anonymous
      So then.  Light your candle, start the flowering of success with this seed - found on Amazon: www.orangebooks.com - "Every Child is Entitled to Innocence."  See you there, Lorane. . . .