Storytorch

My daughter Hannah lives in New York City. Attracted since childhood to strength and beauty, she's comfortable in a city famous for its steel, concrete, and sparkly lights. She walks confidently on the gritty, glittering sidewalks of Manhattan, adding height to her already 5'10" frame by wearing high-heeled black boots.

As the oldest of three, Hannah was naturally protective of her sisters. She assuaged Rebecca's childhood phobia of bridges by patiently explaining girders, pilings, and engineers. She scared away a middle school bully who tormented Mary. During her teenage years, she was in charge of the household when I taught quilting classes out of town. In college, she attracted other strong, colorful people, many of whom are still steadfast friends.

Months ago, acute pain in her right shoulder compromised Hannah's practises of Bikram yoga and jiujitsu, as well as her weightlifting regimen. Fearing a torn rotator cuff, she visited her doctor, who ordered an X-ray. Happily, the diagnosis wasn't a torn cuff but a case of relatively easy-to-treat bursitis—inflammation of bursae at her shoulder joints.

The film showed something else, too. Hannah appears to have pairs of hook-shaped spurs at the heads of her humerus bones.

When Hannah reported her unusual shoulder growths, I immediately envisioned vestigal buds of the protective wings she spreads so often around her family and friends.

My eldest daughter flew back to New York on Friday, and Mary, still recuperating from serious surgery, went with her. Mary's mission was to hear Liza Minnelli at The Palace Theater the following night. Hannah's wings gently wrapped Mary's thin shoulders on the flight to LaGuardia, in the taxi on the ride to the apartment, and throughout the weekend.

This morning, Hannah reported almost pain-free shoulders. She plans to return to jiujitsu sessions next week.

Today's Fortune Cookie Fortune:
You will feel powerfully protected.