9-11-11

It's my 48th birthday and it was a great day for me. Aza made the family a breakfast of French Toast, watermelon, bacon, and coffee. Squirt made me a pitcher carrot/lemon/ginger juice. The four of us went to see the movie, The Help, and we went out to dinner at my favorite restaurant. I also got my car cleaned out, my kitchen cleaned up, and Jes called for a nice talk. Perfect birthday. I also got my wish (for the most part) which was peace on Earth for a day. I think it was pretty peaceful, considering.

Me at 48.

I wrote this essay for my Facebook page and thought I'd share it here too. It's titled 9-11-2001

I woke up happy. It was my 38th birthday.

I was a teacher at Village School, and since we didn't start the school year until after Labor Day, we were just back in session. There was a Princess Cake from Albemarle Baking in the VS fridge. My children were ages 15, 13, and 10. Jes was in high school, Aza was with me at VS, and Squirt was at the Catholic School. I'd had a wonderful summer vacation with the highlight being a trip to Amelia Island with the extended family for my grandmother's 80th birthday. I was tan, thin, healthy, and content.

My birth father was alive and I still had hopes he would reach out to me.
I'd never had cancer and thought it impossible.
I'd never had a miscarriage, and figured that happened to "other people."
I was in a rock band.
My thyroid was in my neck and my ovaries were intact.
My marriage seemed unshakable.
I loved my job and thought it would always be mine.
My son did not have scoliosis.
I did not take any medications because I had no need for them.
My face did not hurt constantly with trigeminal neuralgia, and I'd never even heard the term.

It seems like everything changed on that day, 9-11-2001. It seems like a snowball of events were set in motion on that horrible day.

For the past 10 years I've been trying to re-claim that summer of 2001 when I was fit, tan, healthy, and content. I've been trying to unroll that snowball of bad luck, bad decisions, bad karma, and evil that had come into the world.

So, it's with great joy that I reflect on the summer of 2011 which was full of joy, reconciliation, peace and balance, health,and family unity. It's with great joy that I celebrate my 48th birthday having passed through the Decade of the Dark Night of the Soul and thrived.

No need to go back to the summer of 2001 because the fall of 2011 is looking even better. And as for those big, healing, family reunions, my grandmother's 90th birthday is next week and the reunion is in Florida. I'll be there. Not-so-tan, not-so-fit, but happy and content.