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I will be forever grateful that my fourth grade teacher had our class memorize this little poem:

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flaut
______________ drew a circle that shut me out,
but love and I had the wit to win,
We drew a circle that took ___________ in.

I have said this little poem to myself many times over the last fifty years when I’ve come across people who are mean and spiteful and who have ill will toward me. A long time ago, I reckoned that it was close to praying for the person because, invariably, the mean-spiritedness changed to good will.

And yes, I pray for people who, although I wouldn’t call them enemies, they don’t seem to have my best interests at heart either.

— Jane Reinheimer