Celebrate
The entire process of creating List Your Life was remarkably similar to celebrating my birthday! I looked forward to it, my anticipation grew as the project unfolded, and I gave myself time to be wowed by the magnanimity of it all — that I finally wrote something that mattered.
It was fun to think about all the people, all the places that brought me to where I am here in the middle of my fourth decade. Because I don't often grant myself time and space to relish in my marks of accomplishment, I was surprised to see just how many beautiful pieces of life have accumulated to help me arrive at my mid-forties in a pretty good place.
I was quite stunned as I created my memoir at just how much I've done and how many people I've welcomed along the way. The decisions that I've pushed through, the drive that I muster because I know I have a team of positive people behind me, the spirit that I try to maintain to keep looking up and ahead — it seems there is a lot that's happened to lead me to today, considerably more than I realized, and I am rewarded heartily that I took the time to remember and write those important memories.
Writing through List Your Life allowed me to take time to be more present and ponder the days and joys and loves on the page — which ultimately granted me twice the celebration, in the moment and in retrospect. Writing my memories in list format, whereby I could lift up others who walk with me, freed me to write with abandon. List Your Life illustrated to me how very fortunate I am.
A List for My 46th Birthday
- Inadvertently ended up with a night of touring and tasting in the city with friends (scheduling snafu — apparently I can't remember which weekday my birthday actually falls on), but missed my kids' football game … mom fail.
- People said and wrote the kindest wishes all through my birthday week. I am lucky to have people who really get me (sentiments and trinkets to inspire me in matters closest to my heart).
- Handmade gifts from my guys (hand-formed cuff bracelet with all kinds of hidden meanings to remind me that I'm loved), who also knew that the birthday goes beyond the day (dinner out the next night) and all through the weekend (a bit of shopping and, kapow, a second night out).
