Paulo Coelho

By Paulo Coelho

I would like to thank each and every myspace friend who left a comment yesterday. Let me write a few lines on how did I spent my birthdayOn the eve (23/08)

I drove to Lourdes at 11:15 PM, so I could be in front of the grotto at 00:05 AM and pray for everything that happened in my life in the past, and ask Her protection for the future. I was surprised to see how connected I was with the Spiritual Energy (it is not always like this). On the other hand, as there were only my wife and I, I felt a bittle lonely, and I told her my feelings.

“It was your choice” she answered. Indeed, it was my choice,. I said earlier I had a fantastic birthday party in March 19, with friends and readers. Still, I was feeling alone, saying to myself that I made the wrong choice. I met many celebrities in my life and, believe it or not, they all have this strange sensation: loneliness.

On my way back to the grotto I put the mobile on, and it rang. It was Monica, my friend and my agent. Arriving at home, at 1:00 AM, there was the birthday cake, more phone calls, a quick chat with a friend (Rosa de los Vientos).

And when I woke up, I knew that there were no reason to feel alone. I don’t need to elaborate, as you can guess (calls, flowers, etc). I walked for 1 hr. in the Road to Santiago (it is 30 kms from here), then back to work, talking to people, a chat with my Brazilian readers, etc. But I would like to talk here to to myspace friends.

I could not moderate the comments during the day, so I asked Paula (the first thumbnail on my top friends, and my assistant) to do this. She was impressed. She did it again at 7:00 PM, and I myself did it at 11:00 PM. We got over 500 messages, all of them approved (if you sent a message, you will see it on the first 10 pages of comments). If you consider that I have currently 5.000 friends, at least 10% wrote.

At 1:00 AM today, I start reading all of them. Nika made a youtube card from Facebook friends, Susana sent a slide show of her daughter drawing my t-shirt, Marcia also made a slide show (they are also in my blog this weekend: www.paulocoelhoblog.com ). Other readers and friends sent me words of love. Thank you very much. You are part of my life, and this is so important, you cannot imagine.

As you can see in my favorite books, “The Prophet” is one of them. So I would like to ask Gibran to express what I feel:

“Your friend is your needs answered.

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.

And he is your board and your fireside.

For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the “nay” in your own mind, nor do you withhold the “ay.”

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

When you part from your friend, you grieve not;

For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.

For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.

If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?

Seek him always with hours to live.

For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”

Love to you all

Paulo

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