Thirteen things I treasure in my life, in no particular order:
- My tween, even when sullen and angry because I am making her wear a turtleneck and leggings under her sugarplum fairy costume.
- My family, even when they are too far away to hug and hold; even when I am angry with them or they with me; even when they make me feel bad for not being who and what they want me to be; even when they are not doing their best to be who they can be. I love them and treasure each and every one of them.
- My friends, who love me and support me emotionally; encourage me in all of my endeavors; accept me for who I am now, and do not expect me to be anything other than who I choose to be.
- My freedom to go, do, be, and say anything and anywhere I choose.
- The brilliant minds of the authors (books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers) who entertain and inform me whenever I am absorbed in my favorite past time (reading).
- My cat, Rascal Lee Kitten, even when he’s a stubborn coot and refuses to do/go what/when I want him to, and especially when he’s sweet and loving and curls up on my feet.
- My tools that provide connections to the “world” … cell phone, laptop, internet. Sometimes, I don’t know what I would do without being able to reach out to someone at any time during the day or night, when I don’t want to wake up one of my RL peeps to talk.
- Social websites (and @n8k99 for dragging me to Twitter!), for providing me a simple but effective manner in which I can speak up and immediately receive what I need, whether it be human contact, an answer, encouragement, information, or direction.
- My daily choice to live my life my way, even when it is a constant uphill battle, even when others do not see my way, and especially when I connect with someone else over a random good will act.
- My ability to look past the facade and see the truth within, my ability to love wholeheartedly and completely, without end, and my ability to accept people for who they are without judgment.
- My tween’s father, who no longer gives me reason, but who I will love always for helping me to create one of the most incredible children, ever.
- The world around me, so incredible it must have been created by an incredible artist with a true passion for beauty.
- My wonderful, incredibly supportive, amazingly strong, absolutely beautiful best friend, who has protected me, encouraged me, saved me, grieved with me, celebrated with me, and who has always been the one consistent source of strength and love in my life for the last 19 years.
xoxo
What an amazing thing, this world wide web … it closes the gap between here and there, between you and I, between all the miles across the whole, wide, world.
It is times like now, when I know a friend received potentially bad news - and certainly difficult news, at the very least, that I dislike the miles that the web stretches across … because I cannot offer anything tangible, anything concrete.
So, my friend … please know my heart is with you. The special person in your heart and on your mind is in my prayers. And if you need to talk, vent, or share … I am here for you. I know you have a wonderful best friend there, by your side, who will offer you all of this and more … but I wanted you to know, nonetheless.
I won’t call this friend out, nor will I be more specific, because I am not sure if he would be comfortable with me doing so. But if you can spare a few warm thoughts and/or prayers, please keep my friend in mind.
xoxo
