blessings... 7 years later

Exactly seven years ago, I started this blog.

I remember it being a few days before Thanksgiving... I was in grad school and had a few days off, my family was coming to celebrate with us, and I think I just decided that a blog was a good idea.

My very first post talks about things that I no longer have any interest in.  I read a zillion blogs back then.  Now, I don't read any.

I'm 7 years older but still have a great (albeit different) job, an amazing man, a good dog and no health issues.  I still have an incredible family and the best friends I could ask for.  Safe to say I am still incredibly blessed and still that cat by the bar, toasting to the good life.

However, it is crazy how much can happen in 7 years.  That feels like a lifetime ago in some ways.  I was 31.  THIRTY-ONE!  Now I am pushing 40.  I probably only had about 7 nieces/nephews.  Now I am pushing fourteen!  There have been some hard, challenging personal times and I've come through them and learned that I *can* do hard things.  There have been some hard, challenging personal times for so many that I love, and I have stood by them (and will continue to stand with them) as they learn that *they* can do hard things.

In a way, I feel like I should add an asterisk or something... I'll still that cat by the bar, toasting to the good life, but I'm also that cat that wants to be home by 10pm.  But I'm also that cat that toasts to the good life but also toasts with occasional tears welled up due to some mourning, or longing, or grieving.  I think it is important to note that those times aren't any less valuable.  After all, you usually have to see the whole picture to really capture the full beauty.