Celebration Time!

Ok. I know there is not much to celebrate at the moment. It’s January, it’s bitter cold out, and we are in yet another quasi lockdown. However, sometimes you just have to find the fun. So, I’ve decided that since yesterday was my birthday and tomorrow is my one year anniversary of TAFF I would like to keep all things celebratory with this blog, well and reflective because that’s my jam!

I started this blog with a really miserable and down-in-the-dumps post regarding my 42nd birthday, namely having to celebrate it without my parents, sisters and their families. This year I celebrated with them all! My mother cooked a wonderful Italian meal, a meal which consisted of a million courses. That’s truly all I ever want for my birthday—for my parents to live forever in good health and for us to be in harmony to celebrate my birthday each year until the day I leave this earth. Phew! Well, that might be a big ask, but I just put it into the universe so it will happen right? Shhh, just let a girl live in a fantasy world for a moment…

I am thankful for the time I spend each weekend with my parents. I call us the moochers! (My mom hates it when I say that because she waits for us to arrive each Saturday afternoon for lunch). I like even sitting in silence as they each read their preferred books (for my father that means anything regarding history and/or geography or the newspaper, and for mother that means the weekly church missal or smut magazines!). I am always beaming with happiness when my kids beg to sleep over or insist that my parents either move in with us, or us with them. I recall a time when my son was about 5 years old and was making an ‘it’s not fair’ argument about having to go to school five whole days a week and only allowed to spend two days at his grandparents’ house. Even as a little boy he realized the unbalanced work week that we must endure in this country!

So this year—unlike my bitter mood from last year—I want to stay positive and be happy for even though we are in quasi lockdown things are different and they will get better. Sure, I have my bitch-fest moments with my sisters and friends, but in general I really don’t have a great deal to complain about.

In fact I want to celebrate my first anniversary of TAFF because I sincerely hope it will last as long as I do on this plain. It has become a wonderful extension of me. I encourage each one of you to find what truly makes you happy and jump in with both feet. It may not be your main career or take up every moment of your day, but find that small or big thing that just makes you feel like you. Something that is so uniquely organic to who you are and something that so effortlessly makes your soul sing. So…

Cheers to my 43rd birthday!

Cheers to TAFF’s first anniversary!

Most of all cheers to each one of you lovely souls that faithfully read along!

I hope you find your sweet spot as well…