But be gracious

Be pretty if you can, witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you.  Elsie de Wolfe

Elsie de Wolfe lived and died a long time ago.

Her words are timeless.

What is gracious?

The term “gracious” may seem old-fashioned.  To some it may represent pretentious behavior, putting on airs.

To me it is being aware of ourselves in the world and how our behavior may affect others.

Here are a few words that describe what being gracious means to me.

Well-mannered

Considerate

Accommodating

Merciful

Compassionate

Kind

Forgiving

I believe that many of our leaders, celebrities, journalists and other figures on the world stage would benefit by being gracious.  Not that anyone asked me, of course.

That’s my soapbox for today.