Next Chapter... Nothing but happiness!

As I sit here in my borrowed living quarters listening to the Buble station on my Pandora phone app, sort of watching Practical Magic on my muted tv, typing on my Ipad compliments of my job, I think "man, life really has given me a run for my money this year, but I've come out on top yet again.." I'm glad to be standing on my own two feet, although I've definitely had enough support to get here. In general, I'm a pretty tough cookie. I think the good Lord created me to handle evereything that has happened to me, and I truly thank him for that. I think life would have taken me out in May had I not been who I am.

In no particular order, my year has consisted of gaining 15 lbs, 2 good crying spells, 11 states including Alaska, countless laughs with friends and family, many days of boredom, responsibility of a parent, heated debates with loved ones about love and other drugs, conversations with estranged family members, 2 jobs, 7 months of unemployment, reunions with some great people (3 from 2 different states in particular), a lot of cheese steaks and ice cream, trips to the park, a climb up a snowy mountain, some memorable thank you notes, a few self discoveries, and so much more. I can't say that i've lacked excitement and adventure for sure.

You know, I never really know what's going to hit me, but more often than not, I know when something is coming. I get a feeling when a storm is coming my way. My intuition kicks into overdrive and I start to prepare. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Fortunately for me, my most recent upset wasn't a total surprise to me and I prepared as much as I could to bounce back.

It wasn't all peaches and cream though. Sometimes the days seemed so long and useless that a pinch was necessary for me to believe things were really as they seemed. I shocked myself because those days were still a joy to have.Prior to that time in my life, I had so many blue skies, so much lauhgter, so much love, and so much adventure. I guess I just needed an opportunity to remember to value it all again. The last 8 months have definitely given me that opportunity. All the things that were so natural to me like blue skies, lauhgter, love, and adventure weren't so natural anymore. Money was tight, everyone was doing their everyday routine except me. It was tough. Really tough at times. I value those things and I believe I always have, but it's different when it something changes in routine and you have no control over it. When you're at the mercy of someone else providing things for you. It makes me feel weak and way too vulnerable.

To be sitting here tonight in a place that I paid to stay in, driving myself around, going to my office 5 days a week, ordering food that I want to eat, going to the coffee shop that I prefer versus the one that's on the way, sitting in peace or in chaos whenever I feel like it... Those are some of the things that were taken away from me 8 months ago. Those are the things that I forgot to be thankful for on occasion. Never again though. Never again will I take anything for granted.

I'm so thankful for this year that I can't really begin to compose a sentence that's tells just how great it was... Just know that it was all just so freaking fantastic and worth it...the good and the not so good.

I read a quote once by Martha Washington that said "I've learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances."