I Lead a Charmed, Charmed Life

Time for a listicle to get this week started off right!  This week, Jackie asked that we write about our passions.  I think I've probably already talked about mine ad nauseum here: motherhood, martial arts, photography, blogging, and making a difference in the lives of the children and families I work with (not necessarily in that exact order, depending on the day).  If you've been following along for a while, you know all about my passions.  But I don't want to disregard Jackie's topic choice, especially since this was meant as a tribute to her dear friend Marilyn who recently passed away, so my listicle will just be a slightly different kind of tribute.

I find that sometimes in the wake of tragedy, it is therapeutic to take stock of our own lives and count our many blessings; all the reasons we have to be happy and grateful and passionate about life.  When I do that, tears spring immediately to my eyes and a lump develops in my throat because I am truly one of the luckiest people I know. 

I am also borrowing a page from the Listmaster's book... er, blog, in which she shares bits and pieces of her good life.  Which gets me thinking to how amazing my own life is.  Now, I am not the type to win random draws and lotteries, mind you, but that doesn't mean I wasn't born with horseshoes up my butt. Here are just ten examples to show you what I mean:

1.  I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

2.  I make a very decent living doing something I find fascinating and am passionate about.  As an added plus, it is a female-dominated field that is understanding and respectful of family and motherhood.

3.  I met Captain Awesome when I was just 20 years old, and it only took us a few weeks to figure out that this was it for both of us.  Done deal.

4.  I have never really had to worry about money.  Growing up, I split my time between two houses with two very different budgets, but there was never concern about putting food on the table, and no education or athletic opportunity was ever denied me as a result of  limited funds.  I have never been hungry without knowing there was food coming soon, and I have never had to worry about where to rest my head at night.  As an adult, I have all of my needs and most of my wants met on a regular basis.

5.  I have an incredible support system - both my family by birth/marriage and my chosen family includes many people that I can count on, lean on, and who believe in me.

6.  I laugh every day.

7.  I have an enormous appetite and can eat more than a lot of men I know.

8.  Though I have trained in various martial arts since I was 18, I have never once had to put my skills to the test in a real-life situation.

9.  My daughter has six (!) healthy, active grandparents (four biological, two bonus).  The potential for spoiled-rottenness is exponential. 

10.  I get to be this precious little girl's mama.

 

So what's great about your life?