My Birthday Is Full of Gratitude and Love

I am so incredibly blessed and grateful to be celebrating my 70th^th birthday.  Yes, I said “70th.”  Our lives are not measured just in years but by the impact that we have had on other and others have had on us.  As I have done in the past, I like to celebrate and give gratitude to those who have been part of my journey. We all learn so much from everyone who is part of our journey even those we have had to struggle against to become our best selves in spite of efforts to make us less.

I am grateful for and blessed to have my wonderful husband, Frank.  Although we started our lives together later than most, the past 15 years have been an incredible and I can think of no one else I would want at my side. I am grateful for my family, friends, mentors, mentees, and supporters for without their unconditional love and support, my journey would not have been as full for it is in the giving and receiving of love, encouragement, and support that we learn what it really means to be loving, encouraging and supportive.

I am also extremely grateful for YOU – anyone who is taking a few minutes out of their day to read what I have posted on my blog or my social media.  Your time is precious to you and for you to give me a few minutes of it, I thank you and I am grateful for you. I hope that what I have to say in some small way makes you think, makes you say “oh, yeah” or inspires, encourages, or uplifts you if only for a moment.  I am especially excited about this coming year. This summer has been difficult for a number of reasons but has only made me stronger and more grateful. I have heard from so many people from so many stages of life, and it has been very inspiring to me.  More on how I am making changes to reflect this in my blog with exciting changes will be coming.

I want to continue to offer words of encouragement, words that make us think and ask questions about ourselves and others even if we have heard it before because hearing it again from someone else at a time when we need it makes all the difference. I want to continue to connect through shared experiences, laughter, inspirational words of my own or sharing profound words of others and, occasionally, more mouth-watering “Dining at Home” suggestions. While we may stumble at times, hurt at times, or laugh, love and smile at times, we should all be loving our journey and sharing it with others along the way.

Photograph by Xavier Photographic Art.  Fashion by Folake Kuye Style Pantry.  Location is the Ovation Art Hotel in downtown Sarasota, Florida.