Day 23: A Supportive Workplace

When I go into work in the morning, I don't have much to complain about. I mean, I get to do a job that I love in a beautiful space with other people that also love what they do.  A year ago, I moved from one beautiful space shared with someone else who loves what they do (if you don't know about Living Harmony Healing Center, check it out!) to the place I am at now.  I had an opportunity to share space with my mentor in an office that had room for classes and future growth so I took it. We shared the space with two other therapists and had our ears open for another health care professional that would like the remaining room in the office.  We didn't actively look for anyone and good thing! A few months ago three mental health therapists visited the complex looking for a space to rent. As soon as they walked in the door, we knew they were the perfect fit.

The energy has gotten brighter in the office.  We were excited about the possibilities of our growth as therapists before but now its amplified. I get to go into work knowing that there are others there also following their passion.  That is good company.

Day 22: Roommates!

I have been blessed with some wonderful roommates over the years.  I've previously expressed my joy in living with my roommate of three years.  We've recently added a third roommate who I think will fit in with us just fine.

Tonight I had my first dinner with the roommates. Our newest roommate moved in a week ago, but this was the first night that we were all together.  We discussed our goals for the rest of the year with the intention that we will help keep each other more accountable. We are creating a supportive space for us all to grow and I'm excited to see what will emerge.

Day 21: Old Friends

I am so thankful for all those friends that I've known for a long time.  All the people that knew me "back then."  Before degrees and a career, before I could drink or drive.  I'm getting older so that's becoming some time ago.  It's still surprising to realize I graduated high school almost 10 years ago.

Old friends help keep those good times alive. I love how even if we don't spend time together often, when we do it is like returning home.  Though they may have grown in who they are, there's always that spark of familiarity, and often also great joy in seeing how they've become more of themselves.

Day 20: Beach Time!

When my cousin Julia got married on the beach in Cocoa my parents and I stayed in a hotel on the beach for a few days.  It was such a great vacation for us we decided we should make it a regular trip. That was back in 1997 and we've visited Cocoa Beach at least once a year since then.

A few years into our annual vacation, my parents ended up spending a rainy afternoon listening to a sales pitch for a timeshare on the beach. We had gone out to breakfast that morning at Denny's and there was a rep there offering $100 for anyone who would come listen to their presentation. Well it must have been a good pitch because my dad decided to make the investment.

We've now had the timeshare for over 10 years and it is one of my favorite places to be. I am thankful for that rainy day that set the fate for my annual beach vacations to come. You never know how the weather may change your life.

Day 19: My East Coast Family

My mom is youngest in a family with three brothers, two of which are over 10 years older.  So my mom became an aunt at age 10 to Jimmy (my cousin). His dad, my Uncle Ken, followed the same pattern of his parents and had a girl, Julia, when Jimmy was 10 (another cousin). Though they are a decade apart, my cousins both had kids around the same time, when I was about 10. The oldest of those, Mae, had a baby, Devin, a year and a half ago.  Devin would essentially be my third-cousin, but at this point no one keeps count. All we know is we all love each other.

I've started to call this part of my clan the "East Coast Family" because they all live in the Melbourne/Cocoa area.  My East Coast Family is bigger than the relatives I've mentioned. My family includes my cousins' spouses, their family and friends.

Take Uncle Tony for example.  He's always at family gatherings, it wouldn't be a party without him, but I still don't understand how or if we are related.  But that doesn't matter, everyone calls him Uncle Tony. My kind of family.

Day 18: Waves of the Ocean

One of my favorite things in the world is the feeling of being engulfed by the waves of the ocean. That's one of the reasons why I prefer the beaches of Florida's east coast compared to our gulf beaches. The waves are bigger in the Atlantic.

And I love the brief sensation of a loss of control. When I'm swallowed by a big wave there is a moment where I don't know up from down, left from right. Or if I time it just right, and head in the right direction, I'll be taken to shore.

When I'm in the ocean, I can't help but remember that it's is where I came from. Its always like returning home.

Day 17: The King of Pop

Between the ages of 6 and 12 I was obsessed with Michael Jackson. OBSESSED. The most rented movie by me from our local blockbuster was The Making of Thriller. I probably saw that movie at least 20 times.  And I made sure I had my own copy of Moonwalker. Saw that one at least 50. I was proud to be a card-holding member of the official fan club. I was captivated by this man, as many others were and still are.

When news of allegations started to surface it became "uncool" to like MJ, but my love went on.  Watching his magic on stage is a big part of what lead me to explore the power of performance.  In a way, he inspired me to create Open Mic at Cafe Hey, a place where others can share their gifts.

Though I'll also admit things got a little weird in his later years, I still feel he was an invaluable gift to our world. Michael showed us both the best and the worst of human nature. The grand capacity for love as well as the depths of self-destruction. I feel confident to say I truly believe that if I were in his shoes, I would have done the same. He was a prophet with a microphone. Give Moses some talent and place him in modernity; I will bet we'd get some messy truth too.

I remember two things from him very loud and clear: I am not alone and if I want to make a change, I've got to start here.  Ain't nothing truer than that.

Day 16: Chocolate

There is only one person I know that would disagree with me, and they are just an anomaly. I love chocolate and feel lucky to get to taste that sweetness often.  For years I've kept a small dish in my treatment room with mints and dark chocolate kisses. Every so often I will sneak one for myself at the end of a long day - or a short one. I don't need much excuse for chocolate.  I suppose I learned it from my mom. She is known to say that "Every woman should have a little bit of chocolate everyday."

Oh I do.

Day 15: The Passing Storm

I rarely ever prepare for big storms. Sure, a lax attitude may come back to bite me sometime but for the most part I've spared myself the stress and hassle. I don't know if it has something to do the way Tampa Bay is shaped or the wind currents or what, but most often we prepare for the worst and all we get is a little wet.

So even though I really didn't think Isaac was going to make a full appearance in Tampa, I am thankful it seems to be off on its merry way across the Gulf.  A little inconvenience of rain is totally okay with me. I've lived in Florida my whole life; it's just another stormy, summer day.

Day 14: Wonderful Parents

I can be thankful for a lot of things, but none of that gratitude is possible without my parents because, well, they are how I got here to feel gratitude in the first place.  I'd say the fact that I've taken on a project like 101 Days of Gratitude shows what a great job they did in getting me up and going in the world. My abundant positivity and drive to create a better world has a lot to do with what I've learned from them.

Here's a few things in particular I am grateful for concerning my parents:

1. They are still together. Its getting rarer and rarer to find couples that have stayed together long term, but my parents are one of them. This year they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary! Just like any couple who's been together that long, they've had some hard moments.  But they've continued on in their love and still show me what it means to truly love and accept someone.

2. They are totally themselves. If you've met my parents, you'll quickly learn that they have learned to be just who they are. They also allow each other to be themselves, even though they are totally different people.  In this space I've been able to learn to be myself and they support that too.

3. They are always there for me. This is a biggie. I've known others who have not always gotten support from their parents and it has made me realize what a gift this is. There has never been a need of mine that they have not helped me fulfill.  They've always believed in my dreams no matter how out there they are and because of that I've achieved some of them already.

Mom and Dad posing at their neighbor's party last weekend. They were the life of the party!