to be beaten down and beaten up. Perhaps our many trips to Sunday school and my prayers to the Virgin Mary had some impact. Perhaps not. What we both needed to do was work through our fears. My wig was securely pinned in place, and Nancy was stronger than she ever realized. It wasn't pretty, but I can see how it was the most appropriate response in the moment. We had to go through it in order to realize that we could overcome it. Those girls never approached us again. In fact, one of them became very close to Nancy and me.

Many people pray as a last resort, after their human efforts have failed to yield the desired results. Others pray with a limited expectation that what theyhave found this concept particularly helpful. After a consistent and conscious practice of self-reflection, I discovered that my drive to fix, change, or correct others was actually of function of the things _I_ feared. And the things I wanted to correct in my children were the things _I_ was ashamed of or guilty about in myself. I also noticed that each time I attempted to drive someone else's car—in other words, fix their life—something in my own world crashed. Well, of course! If no one is driving my car—meaning my life, my mind, my heart, and my affairs—it is headed for danger. I also realized there was a distinction between _helping_ someone and _supporting_ him. "Help" meant I was attached to the outcome. "Support" meant I waited to