It is a gorgeous morning in the Rose City today. I think I slept extra soundly due to the anticipation of nice weather. Being a born and raise Portlander, it is days like today that we, as a city, live for (the image to your right is a live image from this morning when I wrote this). Days like this make those other nine months of dreary and drizzly rain worth it. When everything is blooming (as well as my allergies), the sun shining over the pristine mountains, and all the greenery everywhere.
As well as being in a great mood this morning I couldn't help but think of a few things that I am thankful for. Not just to live in an amazing place, although on the many rainy days I do day dream of San Diego or Moab or Aspen, but to get the opportunity to go on all kinds of adventures. Food Cart adventures, hiking adventures, kayaking adventures, climbing, camping, rafting, skiing, and all those 'Keep Portland Weird' adventures (it really is a weird place).
One of my roommates thinks my family is so weird (but not for the obvious reasons) in that we don't really fight or argue. Not to say that we don't all have problems, because we do, we're human. But I'm so thankful for my low-drama, supportive, and funny family. My sarcastic and sweet Dad, my goofy and generous Aunt and Uncle, my smart-ass cousin Mike, my teasing and wise cousin Jeff and his sweet and funny wife Stef. My amazingly funny, cute, sweet, and smart nieces and nephew.
For as much as I complain about working. I'm really blessed to not have just one job, but three, in an economy that is struggling where so many people can't find work. Not just work either. I get the opportunity everyday to help coordinate giving some of the most vulnerable kids an opportunity to begin the healing process from being abused. I also get the chance to work with kids that have either had less than ideal environments to grow up in or made poor choices, to being making positive
changes. So excited that I have the opportunity to further my career in studying for my Master of Social Work this fall, I'm officially a USC Trojan! Now, with all that said, if for some reason I won the lottery or found a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, and never had to work again and could just volunteer with organizations that I loved, I'd be alright with that too.
Being in a transitional stage in life (and learning that I'll probably always be in a transitional stage), and working through the stress that goes along with it, I'm so thankful to have the friends that I do. I get to share in those transitions, the heartaches, the victories, the sweet moments and the ugly stuff. When friends celebrate the accomplishment of grad school, get a great job, get engaged and married, have babies and go on adventures, I get to share in that...how awesome is that?!
I was having a conversation with a woman that is sort of a mentor to me. She has walked through many more seasons in life that I have and is so wise because of it. Makes me wonder why we worry about getting older sometimes, because if I could be
half as great as that woman, I'd be in good order! I digress. Recently I was lamenting on how I've gotten to where I am in life. It wasn't a part of my master plan, because when I started college, I wanted to 'grow up' and be a photographer! I have sort of meandered to where I am at now. Not to say that I'm unhappy with where I am or that I don't find purpose in the things I do, because I find great purpose in these things. What she told me was that if you look back on my life, 4 years, 10 years, or all 25 you can see a path. That the things I've done or gone through, the choices I've made and things I've seen have all been building on each other to get me to where I am now. That the choices I'm making in the present will impact the future. That God has a plan, there is a path and I'm on it...not trying to find it. I know that this information isn't exactly new or novel or life changing. But it does make me thing, to look back AND forward with perspective so that I live life in the present.
With all the good and even the heavy things in life, it is good to look at the small things with thankfulness. Like the sunshine and mountains on a beautiful day, or delicious Stumptown Coffee, or Nine West strappy heels and platform pumps, or new backpacking gear, or Sharpie Pens, country music, silly dogs, funny youtube videos and homemade scones.
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