I'm 50 today and, I have to admit, it feels very grand.
By way of celebration, allow me to present 50 things (in no particular order) that fill me with gratitude, or, perhaps, just make me happy. This is not an over-thought or definitive thesis on joy. It's simply a birthday note to self.
Today, I celebrate...
1. Fall colors
2. The smell of rain
3. Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffles
4. Hope
5. Campfires under the African stars
6. The way Byron makes me laugh and laugh
7. Love notes from my children
8. A good cup of tea
9. Heather and friends singing "Happy Birthday" to me on the phone
10. Waking up with the African sun
11. The fact that Jesse and Annie are getting married
12. The way I feel when I dance to The Contour's "Do you love me now that I can dance?"
13. The smell of coffee
14. Meeting someone for the first time and finding out they love my poetry
15. Trevor's music
16. Memories of Sweden
17. Memories of England
18. Memories of Santa Barbara
19. Memories of Kenya
20. Memories of Portugal
21. Loita...
22. Picnic dinners on the land
23. Friends from forever ago
24. Walking barefoot in the stream below camp
25. Watching the sunrise light Frankfurt's skyline
26. My sister (and my sisters in law)
27. Westmont College
28. Good bread with real butter
29. My prayer group
30. The way it feels when I hear a poem in my head and then see it come to life on the page
31. My parents
32. The incredible people of 24-7
33. Heather's laugh
34. Colin's smile
35. Faith
36. Warm days by the Indian Ocean
37. Dogs I know, past and present
38. The way Trevor and Karly are together
39. A really good paneer curry
40. My brothers
41. A few particularly favorite old songs
42. Friendships so rich I can't even begin to speak of them
43. Watching Heather gallop
44. Watching baby elephants
45. Holding Ellie Bea
46. The Chronicles of Narnia (in original order, not the imposed "correct" one)
47. Sleeping in the bush
48. Byron
49. Long walks
50. Wholewheat buttermilk pancakes, (especially when accompanied by gourmet maple syrup)
4 comments:
Lovely :)
I bloggged about my 50th birthday too a few weeks ago
Love your list, Lisa! Happy 50th to you!
Thanks, Nina and Alisa. I'll pop over to your blog now, Nina, to find your reflections on turning 50. It's nice that you both commented here. Most of the responses to my blog these days are left on my FB page so the Kettle feels a little lonely!
OK, Lees, I'll add a little note here too. :-) Today, in Fremont, at a little health food store called Sprouts, Ruth Kish and I are shopping....in different aisles....and Running on Empty comes on the overhead radio....I am bee bopping along, thinking of you, and when I get over to Ruth, she is bee bopping, and when she sees me, she says, "Lisa Repko is here!" :-) We laughed and celebrated you right there in the middle of the store.
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