"Lama called me daughter. I assumed that he called any number of other single women daughter as well. But I know that he thought of me, in some way, as being special. His mission was to make me feel that specialness, too, and to teach me to trust my own power.
"There is a vast gulf between 'different' and 'special.' My mother had seen me as being different; Lama Yeshe saw me as being special. And special means loved for one's self alone, for one's core, which is ultimately pure, wise, compassionate, and powerful. Lama Yeshe knew this about me, as he knew it about all beings. And this is what genuine teachers do: they love us without reservation because they truly see us as precious, each in our own right — as nothing less than Buddhas. The wonder is that if someone whom you trust and admire views you in this way, even you begin to feel that way; and with continued reminders, you begin to see yourself in this way."
