It's my time again, my Aquarian season, the time of year I emerge from my reclusive cocoon and invite the world to notice me. I allow myself to be celebrated, without shame or false humility.
As I embark on my 32nd year, I feel more accomplished, more grounded, more powerful, more grateful and more keenly aware of my purpose and my effect on the world around me.
I begin with gratitude. Gratitude to wrestle the black "you're getting older" birthday clouds that always encroach.
I stop. I breathe in, and I am flooded with poignant, joyful gratitude as I think of the many blessings that fill my life:
For my wonderful family:
My dear Papa, and all the strength he passed to me, all the gifts that are yet manifesting themselves in me as I grow. I thank him for the peace and forgiveness that he and I were able to share before he died. After a lifetime of rage, hurt, violence and resentment, I hold only love, joy and peace in my heart when I summon his memory.
For my Mama - a woman of strength, courage, compassion, generosity, and selflessness, who never seems to run out of love to give to a new adopted member of the family, whose work ethic and faith is a model for all her daughters, who laughs, sings, and enjoys the gifts of life even while working 3 jobs to support her family and even her extended family, as a single mother.
For my beautiful Sisters; for the unique relationships I share with each of them; for our mutual commitments to unconditional support, understanding and love; for the talents we share and express; for the times of silly girlish joys and the deepest compassion throughout life's trials, however big or small. With my Sisters, there is no trivialization of hurts, but there is also no yielding to weakness, because our collective strength, outlook and faith never fails to buoy the spirit.
For my grandparents, for their lifetime of patience, hard work, devotion and love, and all they wish to pass on to us, but sometimes never get the chance.
For my aunts and uncles, for being family, for being human, for being collective parents to me when I need them to be.
For my cousins, who are as close to me as brothers and sisters - for their mutual commitment to defining what family means to our generation - unconditional love, support, no judgement, honesty, generosity, helpfulness, encouragement, fun, integrity and mutual appreciation.
For my husband - my patient, passionate, loving partner, my One. I searched all my life for you, and in the end, had to import you from overseas. Thank you Internet!
Our magnificent collaboration will be born this year, and beyond all other accomplishments, I know this is the true purpose of my life - the family I build with you.
For my true friends, those I've known for years, those new to my life. Thank you for your existence, for being human with me, for supporting me through black clouds, grief, despair, discouragement, and for helping to lift my gaze always up towards the promise of better days. Thank you for never letting me fall. Thank you for letting me be small and weak even when it's so hard for me to admit that I don't always know what to do. Thank you for listening, for sharing, for celebrating, for encouraging me, for sharing sidelooks as we walk along together, on parallel trajectories of personal evolution.
For my clients and students - thank you for choosing me. Thank you for honoring me with your challenges, secrets, trials, triumphs and exposing your lives to me, so that I may be used for healing, for teaching, for learning, and for growing. I am blessed for being chosen as an instrument, if only just for a few hours of cumulative contact, and I am quickened, inspired and enriched by the flow of energy between us.
I am blessed by multiverses of love. I am blessed by divine forces that created me and all things to be vessels of giving and receiving love.
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