She was so wise and beautiful (duh). Her wisdom seemed to shine through her eyes, and her beauty was truly captivating.

However, as I observed her, some parts of her behavior raised my little alarms. There were moments when I noticed a certain vulgarity in the way she interacted with the youth.

It made me wonder if she was aware of the impact her actions might have on those around her. Maybe she was just being herself, but it still gave me pause.

Despite these concerns, I couldn't help but be drawn to her. Her charm was undeniable, and I found myself constantly looking for more opportunities to be in her presence.

I hoped that perhaps with time, she would become more conscious of her behavior and make the necessary changes. Only time would tell if she would grow and evolve into an even better version of herself.

When I turned the final page and completed reading, my initial thought was, "How strange it is that people would publish their blogs in hardcover prior to the popularity of the internet."

Surely, this book is far more refined and organized compared to an average blog. However, the essence of the book remains very similar: it is a compilation of brief musings on diverse personal experiences and viewpoints.

Many of the chapters are highly perceptive and enlightening. Angelou articulates thoughts that I suspect numerous people, myself included, have entertained. Moreover, she presents them with greater eloquence than I could ever manage. Einstein once said, "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." I observe that Angelou was capable of doing precisely what Einstein advocated. In nearly every chapter, there was a sentence or two that lucidly expounded a truth about life. For this reason, I derived enjoyment from this book. Nevertheless, I did not concur with every sentiment expressed within its pages. In fact, the reason I assigned the book a mediocre rating is that while there are many truisms in it, a significant portion of them appears rather obvious to me nowadays. Approximately 25% of the content in the book was novel to me, and about half of that did not seem entirely correct. I might be too young, male, and white to fully fathom that last 15% (although I'm certain Angelou would be indignant at my having said so), but what I did comprehend seemed exceedingly good.

I was truly amazed by the remarkable quality of the writing. The pages were filled with such concise yet profound wisdom that it left me in awe.

Each chapter was like a precious gem, containing statements of great magnitude. I found myself compelled to pause at the end of each chapter, taking the time to reflect deeply on the significance of what I had just read.

The author's ability to convey complex ideas in a concise manner was truly a gift. It made the reading experience not only engaging but also thought-provoking.

I could feel myself growing and learning with each page turn, as I internalized the wisdom and applied it to my own life.

This book was not just a collection of words; it was a powerful tool for personal growth and transformation. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read it and look forward to sharing its wisdom with others.

If our children are to develop a healthy sense of self-approval, it is essential that they witness us approving of ourselves.

When we persist in self-disrespect and then expect our children to respect themselves, it is an absurd and unjust situation.

It is as if we were to break all of their bones and then demand that they win Olympic gold medals in the hundred-yard dash.

This kind of behavior is truly outrageous and completely undermines the healthy development of our children's self-esteem.

We need to lead by example and show our children that self-approval and self-respect are essential for a fulfilling and successful life.

Only then can we expect them to grow up to be confident and self-assured individuals who are capable of achieving their goals and dreams.

We must remember that our children are watching us closely and learning from our actions, so we need to make sure that we are setting a good example for them to follow.