A New Year, A New Me

So, it's 2011. The last decade flew by in about 12 nanoseconds, or so it seems to me. At the beginning of 2001, I was pregnant with my son. My father in law would soon be unexpectedly taken from us, and shortly thereafter, my own father would be diagnosed with small cell lung cancer.

Fast forward 10 years. I have a 4th grader who challenges my patience every day. Multiple times a day. I'm still married (15 years this May), even though I've watched up close and personal what a divorce does to a family in both my brother and my sister in law's marriages. Gone through several jobs, left them on my own terms, and am excited to be starting a new gig with my current company.

Moved three times, purging things along the way. Managed to rekindle a friendship into something potent and meaningful. So grateful for that. Also managed to maintain friendship with my dearest friend even though we see each other once a year.

I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago. Life circumstances have molded me into who I am. Some good, some not so good. A work in progress. What I do know for sure is that I am grateful to be alive. Grateful for the opportunities that I have been given. Grateful for the blessings of my family and friends. Grateful to be given the chance to start again.

In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln