I once mentioned that I have been just about everywhere through my books. I don't travel much physically....but oh, I have been so many places on a mental level. I am a voracious reader of not just books....but magazine articles, websites, newspapers and blogs as well. Just a glance of my blog roll tells you how my interests go from one extreme to the other.
In blog reading, I have experiences that lift me up and make me emotionally misty-eyed and I also have journeys that snap me back into reality.....making me so thankful for the life I live and grateful that I don't have the challenges that some do. A lot of the blogs I read revolve around places that are so perfect to me that they seem dream-like. How I wish I could lead that sort of life.....to have the land, the home, the gorgeous views of nature.....feeling humbly at one with this wonderful planet. But just as quickly as I feel myself drowning in self-pity, I travel onto another blog and am in awe of how someone can deal with such immense challenges and still be thankful for the little blessings.
Blogdom as I call it.....has helped me grow up. Yes, even at my age I needed to stop and take some time to appreciate what is uniquely me and mine. At the age I am now I know that there are so many things I will not accomplish or possess. My desire to own a ranch is but an unfilled dream and my chances of finding my soul-mate lessen as each year passes. I've come to accept that I will only have one rocking chair on my deck as I watch the fireflies during the evening. In the past I wallowed in self-pity over some things but now I realize that this is the hand I've been dealt and its really not a bad hand. I've been given many wonderful blessings and some unforgettable friends, not to mention an interesting career and a comfortable retirement.
Do you find yourself doing this as you meander through Blogdom? Being envious on the page of one blog and then in awe of another author's courage and optimistic attitude as you travel to a different blog location. Just knowing that if you had to face such challenges, you would surely fail. Seeing all the talent whether its through photography, running a farm, a business, or raising kids while juggling a career is inspiring. The pure joy from stay at home moms radiate from their words. Yes, they're tired....but its a labor of love. Some of the things created are truly amazing. Everyone has a talent.....no matter what you may think. We truly are a melting pot not just of race and spiritual and cultural beliefs but in our ability to accept the hands we've been dealt and carry on with dignity and courage......and that good old standby; a sense of humor. No one's life is perfect and if you read long enough, you find that out. Its the old "walk a mile in my shoes" philosophy.
I love taking my journeys and this is just a blanket 'thank you' to each of you for teaching this old gal that she still has some things to learn about life and about herself. A generous dose of introspection is good for the soul.
