I’m grateful for the life I’ve been able to live.

The imagery that comes to mind is a carnival and you’ve been playing a game. You knew the first couple of rounds would be practice to learn the fine details of how to beat the system that’s been altered to add difficulty. It’s not a normal basketball hoop. It’s lost a bit of it’s roundness to minimize the number of balls going in. Or the bottles are weighted and you’ve got to hit that sweet spot if you want to knock all of them off the platform to win the coveted prize.

You have to get through the frustration and irritation at the sneaky ways you can be confronted.

You stand there and try. Hand over our dollars with a hope to achieve the impossible and get to walk around with this giant prize announcing to every human,” I DID IT!!!! Check it out!!!! You can too!!!” You just know the next try will be the one you succeed and if we walk away you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.

So you say,” Just one more. I know I’ll get it this time…” And years later, when that prize still sits in some corner, you feel that same excitement and pride every time you see it. This reminder you did the impossible. You beat the odds. You hung in there and made it.

Somehow, my birthday felt like that this year. Like, “Damn! Look at what I’ve done so far! Can you imagine what I’ll do with the next 20, 30 or 40 years?! And who wants to be on this journey with me?!” I’ve got so much life to live. So many things to do, to experience. So many loved ones to snuggle and hold, new friends to meet and laugh with, lessons to learn, people to teach, jokes to tell and tears to cry.

Oh, the possibilities. To quote Dr, Seuss,” Oh, the places you’ll go.”

There will always be bumps in the road. Altered hoops to conquer. Hiccups to deal with. My favorite remedy for hiccups, by the way, is to lay backwards over a chair and drink water. You have to drink from the opposite side of the glass, your diaphragm is stretched as you lean back and attempt to force the water up your esophagus to your belly.

Works every time.

And, as you see, the visual is quite entertaining too.

But I digress.

Looking back at what you have achieved. Acknowledging you’ve come a loooonggg way. Seeing all of the hurdles you’ve overcome and successes under your belt. Allowing a momentary celebration of everything you ARE instead of what you are not. Comprehending the fact that you have successfully lived through every challenge placed before you.

You didn’t come this far only to come this far.

And neither did I. I’m going to keep on keeping on. I want to meet you and find out what I can learn. I want to smash the hammer and ring the bell at the top. (I even have a giant teddy bear.)