Looking Back

I celebrated my 32^nd birthday yesterday. I have been showered with cards and notes from wonderful friends and finished the evening with a nice romantic dinner.

As I reflect on the past year, I see much personal growth and professional development. I am sooooo much more comfortable in my own skin than I was a year ago. In many ways this blog has helped me through the journey - with the assistance of a decent therapist.

During the past year:

1. I traveled cross-county to Sedona and the Grand Canyon.

2. I had my first forthright conversation with my birth mother.

2. I now know my birth father’s name.

4. I cried in public.

5. I reexamined my own view of tolerance.

6. I “came out” to close friends.

7. I met the love of my life (ok, so I am a cheese factory).

8. Then, I “came out” to my mother.

9. We both survived.

10. I finished remodeling my house.

11. I experienced a different approach to family in the still birth of my niece.

12. I got engaged.

13. The Augusta Chronicle published my letter to the editor.

14. I woke up one day and realized that I am happy – not just content – but happy.

Perhaps the year is best summed up by this quote (from Sept 2007 post):

Be patient to all that is unsolved in your heart and learn to love the questions themselves, like looked rooms and books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. - Rainer Marie Rilke

But, my age is sneaking up on me: I saw a church sign this weekend that said "Hannah, Ike, and Josephine please stay away." I thought that the Church was horribly mean. Then someone told me about the hurricanes...