We're getting ready to move. Again. I think I used to take my house for granted - the one that I owned for 12 years, and the one that I owned for 10 years before that. Roots are a wonderful thing, and when you can't put any down you feel like a hefty wind or a good hard rain might could uproot you at any second. Exposed roots suck. Still, I think I'm faring better than my daughter, who is always traumatized by moving ever since her dad split and we were forced to make the first move (due to his financial indiscretions.) Still, I can't complain. The places where we've lived have been perfect for what we needed at the time, and now we will be living apart again. But for the first time since becoming a college student, my daughter has traded dorm living for an apartment in our neighborhood. And I'm staying in our neighborhood. That feels a little like "home" but not as much as I'd like it to. At the same time, I'm thinking about all of the people all over the world who don't have shelter, running water, electricity, and indoor plumbing (much less wood floors, slate tile, new carpet, track lighting, and state of the art appliances.) As Pee-Wee Herman might say, the secret word for today is "gratitude." I'm thankful for my new condo, for my daughter's apartment, for all of the luxuries I sometimes take for granted. I'm thankful for being able to make a living doing something I enjoy. I'm grateful for my loving boyfriend, my amazing children and grandchildren, my family, and the fact that I am able to walk and talk and hear beautiful music, and see breathtaking things. I'm thankful for the strong, sweet cup of coffee I'm drinking right now. I'm so glad I don't have to worry whether or not I'll eat tonight, or if my children will have enough. If I've learned anything over the last 3 years, it's this: It's all going to be o k a y. I will have what I need at any given time, whether it's able-bodied people to help us move, strength to pack boxes, friends to confide in, or wisdom to make the choice that is right for me.
Peace. Be still. That's my mantra for today.
