Aprovechar

That some of the people who have known me the longest are still some of the people who are most important to me;

That I married someone who never gives up on me, and who laughs with me many times a day;

That I get to have sex with said man as often as I like, no guilt or worries;

That I live in a place and time where at least the struggle for equality is taken seriously by many;

That Dr. Harry first told me, “I can tell by looking at you that you have gluten intolerance”;

That I have the privilege of many life options and choices, which offer a burden but one that is contained within a great gift;

That I live in a society where I have access to amazing foods influenced by the cuisines of Mexico, Thailand, India, China, Italy, France, Ethiopia, Morocco, and many other countries;

That I live in an apartment with insulation in the walls, glass in the windows, heat and a/c from the vents, clean hot and cold water in the faucets, and electricity through the outlets;

That poetry, and plays, and music, and paintings, and sculpture, and photography, and dancing exist;

That when I am home, sweet kitties come to curl in up in my lap;

That I get to know some of the farmers who grow my food;

That I am learning to accept paradoxes, ambiguities, and other complexities as an integral and even beautiful part of life;

That I have access to the thoughts, beliefs, feelings, wisdom, and experiences of others by my ability to read what they have written;

That some others embrace me, and offer grace for my faults and limitations;

That I have learned and keep learning how to extend myself mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally;

That, as an adult, I have found a church community where I feel at home;

That I get to keep growing so that, even in the painful times, even when I feel inadequate or alone or depleted, I can know that I am wiser each day, with more to offer than the day before;

That I can take naps when I am utterly tired;

That I have a web of people around the world I can support and be supported by, through this electronic medium:

I am grateful.