[Wisdom of Wizardry]

Finwe and Lhundardawen have poingnantly stated what I believe to be the greatest gift of literature, and the particular gift of LOTR; and that is the magic of being able to take truths from fiction, and apply them to improve our own lives.

Finwe, your admiration of Sam is significant, because Sam, to me, is the clearest expression of selfless love in the books. Many great deeds are done; in desperation, or for duty, or to uphold kingly tradition, or to support neighbor states. But Sam ALWAYS acts out of love.

I think you should perhaps think as well upon Eowyn, who alone among the characters, experiences two loves during the course of events.

Her unrequited love for Aragorn drives her to a desperate act; but it results in revealing her truly heroic character. Through love for her father, and despair at his falling, she achieves a greatness on a par with Frodo and Sam. In the fullness of her recovery, and in the maturation that her heroism engenders, she falls in love with Faramir and finds the true love of her life.

If you can find your own heroic character amid all the desperate and draining incidents in your present circumstances, you will owe some measure to your eventual fulfillment to JRR Tolkein, and to Sam and Eowyn in particular. I trust that you will.

Lhundardawen, you seem to have a pretty good handle on your own particular set of challenges. Merry is a good idol to choose, for one who feels isolated from others. I might suggest that the performance of a heroic act is not the true way out of isolation. Take a look at Finwe's idol, Sam Gamgee, for one possible route: perseverance and cheerfulness. Heroism comes in many shapes; taking one more step is sometimes a heroic deed. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]