Leveraging emotional intelligence in the courtroom, as in life, depends on being attentive; the key is always to watch and listen. - Sonia Sotomayor

I war running back to the house in Mayaguez with a melting ice cone we called a piraqua running sweet and sticky down my face and arms, the sun in my eyes, breaking through clouds and glinting off the rain-soaked pavement and dripping leaves. I was running with joy, an overwhelming joy that arose simply from gratitude for the fact of being alive. Along with the image, memory carried these words from a child's mind through time: I am blessed. In this life I am truly blessed.

Constructing a chain of logic was one thing; building a chain of emotions required a different understanding.

Without acknowledgment and communication, forgiveness was beyond reach.