More Blessings

I am in such a happy mood today. It just feels like everything in my life is moving forward and into balance.

It's only fair to share this with you, since I'm willing to vent out all my negative anxieties when they cloud my mind. So I have to let you in on the amazing stuff too.

My work life keeps improving. I've just come from a job interview with the Board of Directors of an organization that does prison ministry work. Seven black men, one Filipino and one black woman meeting in the classroom of a tan stucco church a few miles from where I used to teach. Looking at the beautiful faces around the room, I almost cried. I felt like I had come home, back to my calling.

I'm pretty sure they'll hire me to write grants. They asked me about lots of possibilities, if I would be willing to do fundraising for them, marketing, maybe teaching or reentry work. I'm open to it all. I have such a heart for their mission and the community they work in.

I didn't tell them this, but if I can make it fit with my schedule and financial needs, I'd do the work for free. That's how much I want to help them help others. It's God's work and I would be honored to touch people's lives through their mission.

That brings me up to five ongoing writing clients - a full time work load for fall. Plus I have my beautiful new "office" to work in! I'm so excited about routinizing my days that I'm going to simplify my schedule. I was going to juggle this complex mix of yoga classes and errands and writing and work. But now I'm leaning towards the simple.

When everyone's at school, I work. First thing in the morning and last thing at night, I clean (a full time, never-ending job right there!!). I'm going to go to yoga classes in the evening (or do them as home practice), and I'm going to drag the family along with me. It's good for me, good for their health, and it gives us more time together. Sprinkle dinner, enforced chores and nonstop homework into that and the evenings will be deliciously full.

My husband and I are getting along great. Better than we have for years. Although we have tough moments, we keep getting through them. I think we are finally putting a rough patch into our past and moving forward together. I love my husband so deeply and I am so grateful for everything that we have done together, especially for the kindness and compassion we show each other. So much of a successful marriage is having a willingness to see the good parts of the other person, and to stick it out through the unpleasant aspects. We are in our third decade together and I marvel at how we got here when so many others don't.

Love, I suppose, and compassion, teamwork, and sheer stubbornness on both our parts.

So much of being happy lies simply in making the determined decision to BE happy.

I'm feeling grateful today for my ability to balance. I may swirl around in a haze of powerful emotions - you'll see those in my writing - and they're all perfectly valid. But I think I thrive because I don't get stuck in the negative. I arrive at a center point where I can see different points of view. That's one of the most helpful things in dealing with other people - seeing things as they may.

In December, I wrote a post about unconditional love. When I look deep into my heart, that is as true today as it was when I wrote it. I love people and especially those I count as friends. Being human and making mistakes doesn't mean I don't still care about you.

I'm excited because I can tell that my writing is about to take off. In a big way. My first story will be in print in August. I'm starting a new fiction class on Monday. Over the course of the six weeks, I will write six stories. With the guidance of my writing mentor, they are going to kick ass. At least one of them is going to get published and pay me back for the investment in the class. Three of the others are going to be the seed stories for a series of children's books that I believe will sell to a main stream publisher. Just like Cynthia Rylant's Henry and Mudge series.

In any case, my daughters will always have the stories I created just for them. And so will my niece.

Oh, did I mention my niece? Another monumental reason to be happy. Lillian Dae - two weeks old and thriving. My brother's child who makes me an aunt. Finally, our family grows. I could not be more thrilled!! We're flying to Frisco in October to visit and spend quality cuddle time. We also might spend Christmas with them.

Assuming of course that my kidney donation surgery goes well. I have a few more hesitations to get past, but my gut feeling is that I'll still go through with it. The ability to improve K's life outweighs any insurance concerns. God has provided for me in abundance every single day of my life so far. I think I can trust that to continue in the future, especially in light of this good work. So I think I'll be having surgery in early November, celebrating my health, my prosperity and my freedom!

To sum up - family vacation days in sunny California places, great work for great causes, improved writing, fabulous relationships with people I will always love, a blossoming marriage, ridiculously abundant finances, an increased spiritual and physical yoga practice, and radiant, beautiful health.

See why I'm happy? I hope it spreads to you - a little thanks for your support in reading and caring.