Between Two Lungs

[how great is this photo?!]

******************************

So, over the weekend an unexpected, metaphorical storm swept through and left some very unpleasant and hurtful debris from the past. That debris is being cleaned up right now and instead of writing about the not-so-old wound that was ripped open again (and is healing again and even stronger as we speak...type), I've decided to focus on things that I am grateful for. I consider myself one of the luckiest humans alive and think it's important for all of us to take time to be thankful.

I know it sounds a bit corny, but when you dedicate time (even 2 minutes!) to express gratitude for the amazing things you have, you'll probably receive more of the same and it also serves to diminish the less than perfect aspects of your existence. So, in no particular order, I am grateful for:

-fireflies
-the changing leaves of a Vermont autumn
-real Vermonters
-my incredibly supportive and amazing, drama-free family
-the friends who have been there through it all (also drama-free)
-freshly ground peanut butter
-shared experience
-my inner guide
-the Truth and how it always reveals itself
-the smell of the atmosphere after a rainstorm
-fingernails with dirt beneath them
-Jones
-bikes
-spontaneous adventures alone or with loves
-the sound of the Mediterranean crashing against rocks during a sweet Italian night
-the scar on my leg that will always remind me of such a beautiful weekend
-Walnut Hill (Natick, MA)
-fresh honey
-bees and everything about them
-literature that makes you want to dive into the text and eat the words
-poetry
-rainy Sundays
-BBQs
-the abundance of love in this Universe and how it always prevails
-compassion
-humility
-thirsts for knowledge
-Chloe
-starry nights where you have nothing to do but lie in the grass, look up, and marvel
-yoga
-my new food processor
-herbs
-healing powers
-reiki
-gelato
-the constant motion of rivers
-the fields in Germany
-Ayurveda
-Ballet Memphis
-the smell of sun on a pillow
-happy memories
-laughter
-wisdom
-wine
-music music music
-an active body
-brownie batter
-cooking in general
-journals
-authenticity
-my toe ring which has been on for over 5 years
-Chicago
-Paris
-All of the opportunities I've been given and have taken advantage of
-New York City
-hilarious abbreviations (ridic, adorbs, def, deets, sitch, nervo pervo)
-the light
-enlightenment
-epiphanies
-The Universe and it's mysterious, beautiful and wondrous ways
-wild flowers

-NPR
-the scar on my forehead
-Olivia (the Olivia that Cathy named!)
-my gigantic backpack
-Bristol Yoga
-remembering who I am
-the people who have helped me remember
-the crazy characters I come across while traveling
- being playful
-cappuccinos
-picnics
-summer days on the lake
-broken English
-foreign languages
-Bali (because I will go there one day)
-fossils
-purging (not in the throwing up sense, but in the getting rid of a bunch of material stuff you don't need sense)
-cleansing (in every sense)
-massages
-Church Street
-freedom
-the moments when I trust the path I am on (those moments become less and less rare)
-Grass Valley, CA
-the possibility of house-sitting in France
-simplicity
-color
-people who aren't judgmental
-being well-differentiated
-skateboards
-Pandora
-forests
-dirt paths
-silence
-not being afraid to live loudly and courageously
-the myriad role models in my life
-safety
-risk
-community and the concept of "home"
-knowing when to let go, and the freedom of doing so

-This night in Paris in 2007 (even C.K-H. calling me "lame", haha):

-cheese. like, really.....I love cheese. Cow, goat, sheep, bring it on!
-and while we're at it: chocolate
-cold microbrews
-meeting up with girlfriends at a vino bar
-that guy on the street who helped me out with my bike a few days ago
-change
-the impermanence of most things, and the permanence of what matters
-shedding the ego
-being aware, awake
-sunrises, sunsets
-the variety of our race
-Toms
-staying true to myself
-pods around the world where vanity is close to nonexistent
-volunteer work
-snow snow snow
-homemade marshmallows
-hot cocoa (obvi)
-hop scotch
-sand
-drumming
-moments of pure peace
-the guidance I have there when I need it
-an open sky of possibility
-odds are, I am grateful for you!
-surrendering to things not meant to be resisted
-everyday beauty
-making the right decisions
-never feeling like I need to be anybody else
-the trees around me


...and much, much more!




<3