Sunday, July 18, 2021

Gratitude For Life’s Blessings As I Approach 62


 I turn 62 this week! How can this be? It seems impossible that so many years have gone by since my first memories of looking out my brother’s bedroom window, gawking at the school busses across the street and dreaming of starting Kindergarten. It feels like I’ve lived several lives since then: childhood; high school when I dreamed of a brilliant future; college days when I played a bit of the wild child; early work life in the 1980s when anything seemed possible; my first marriage which took me from Indianapolis to Dallas to Taipei & then Hong Kong~ when I experienced international travel, playing bridge, enjoying cocktail parties & lounging by the pool at the American Club; returning to the States under a cloud of ignominy due to my ex-husbands addiction; rebuilding a career; diving into another idiotically toxic relationship; followed by peace, happiness, serenity & contentment with my current 15 year marriage.

So as I write this, I’m sitting on my rustic screened porch while listening to our glorious water fountain contemplating my good fortune.

Despite those  Shakespearean slings & arrows of outrageous fortune, the painful losses of loved ones, my frustration with the ineptitude of those who fail to embrace the good fortune they have to live in the USA, I celebrate these blessings:  a partner that I love, lots of furry friends, a challenging career that recognizes my talents, retirement savings, a peaceful retreat on a quiet ridge in rural Virginia, my father, a kind hearted brother who cares for our father, a few very good friends, access to books, a lovely house with heat & air conditioning, clean water, nourishing food, reliable transportation, education, the ability to dream, flexibility, common sense, and the freedoms that derive from my being born & raised in the most diverse, beautiful, equal opportunity driven, country in the world that stands for the belief that we are all created equal. 


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