Yes. Yes they do. [Still smiling, but not close to laughter any more. It's a warm smile, coming from memory and the heart.] The past is always part of you, always a fact, always true. No matter what you might lose, you still had it once, the bad and the good. And my tragedies are in the past, but I've done everything I can to learn from them and grow. So I guess what I should really say is that what I want now is to help others learn and grow, the way I had people help me. The kindness I show myself is believing I have learned and grown enough to be a help.

[Did that make sense? He's not sure it can, to anyone who hasn't lived his life. But with the weight of his past actions and choices behind him, believing in himself today and now can be very hard, some days.]

[No, where he really lets himself down is refusing to believe that he could become what he knows is within his potential. But maybe he deserves some more kindness there, too.]

You know how to find me when you need me. Business or friendship either, of course.