Semi-Charmed Kind of Life

I think I'm one of those people.

I think I lead a charmed life. Not anything especially over the top or anything, I don't find diamonds in the toes of my shoes, and I haven't found the love of my life, and I don't roll around in money before I go to sleep...

But I still think that I am an incredibly lucky person. The more people I meet, the more I find out about all of their experience, the tragedies they've survived, the day to day life shit that they deal with that I don't understand, well, the only possible explanation I can come up with is that I am simply charmed.

That kicks ass. And it's a totally good reminder to me whenever I feel like my life is in the toilet and things are going less-than-perfect that I am, on the whole, a rediculously lucky person. I have friends that make me laugh, teach me new things every day, remind me gently when I'm getting too big for my shoes, and love me when I'm moody. I have a small, tightly knit family of which all four of my grandparents celebrated a 60 year anniversary with eachother and only one divorce in my entire (extended). I have two parents who love me and support me and, even though I've been on my own for over ten years still invite me to dinner and not a week goes by when I don't talk with one or both of them.

Bragging, sure. But I think I take a lot of these things for granted. I've never known unsupportive parents, serious illness, stifling loss, or financial ruin. A lot of people I know have experienced one or all of those things. Some of my good fortune has come because I'm smart, and I make smart decisions. Most of it has come through varying degrees of luck.

I had an amazing conversation tonight with some of my writing group friends, and for about half the time it was just three girls sitting around talking. I'm the youngest, and the least experienced in, well, everything, but my friends are amazing teachers and I'm a better person for knowing them. Another writer friend continues to wow me with her energy that I can FEEL through the computer even though she lives, well, in another damn country.

So, yeah, I don't ever give my friends enough credit for leading me through the paths of life, but tonight this is a virtual hug from me to all of them and a thank you for all of the individual things they do for me both intentionally and just simply by being who they are.