Goodbye 2011

Photo courtesy of health-local.com

As I sit down to write this blog, I am amazed (once again) the year has flown by as fast as it has. How did that happen??

I have to say that 2011 was a great year for me. Not only did I celebrate a milestone birthday, I was also lucky enough to do a lot of travelling (to various locations in the U.S. and to Portugal), to work at a job that I enjoy, to spend time with people I love, to spend more time making art and to share my home and assist in the adoption process for a number of furry felines who would have otherwise been homeless, abandoned and/or euthanized.  I am very grateful for all of these things.

Someone sent me the following words, with the suggestion that we should start noticing how wealthy we are right now.  I thought it was very appropriate for this time of year: 

Henry David Thoreau once said, “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” Even when times are tough, it’s always important to keep things in perspective. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night. You didn’t go to sleep outside. You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning. You hardly broke a sweat today. You didn’t spend a minute in fear. You have access to clean drinking water. You have access to medical care. You have access to the Internet. You can read. Some might say you are incredibly wealthy, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.

I know these things are true for me and I am grateful for that.  I hope that you can say the same.   Although I have to say, I think we all spend more than a few minutes in fear but hopefully it is not the type that makes you fear for your life or that of someone you love but rather, the kind that makes you fear wasting your life or your time or your energy.

I wish you all the very best for a happy and healthy 2012.  Thank you for being here to read my blog and share this journey with me.