The Roller Coaster Ride of Life

For the past week or so I've been caught on the roller coaster of life and while I've been doing plenty of smiling, my blog has been languishing. So let me bring you up to date on some of the things that have been contributing to my happiness of late:

My mom and my step-dad are here from Illinois and having family here makes me very happy. I love sharing this wonderful community I live in with them. I love falling into a natural routine when they are around. I think it’s awesome that my son can spend time with the grandparents he adores. They’ll only be on the island a little while longer, so I’m trying to make the most of the time they’re here.

The sun and warmth have finally arrived and it’s clear that Spring is around the corner. The bright, clear skies and promise of azalea blooms energizes me and lifts my spirits every day. Weekend mornings begin with a walk on the beach and afternoons often end up in the park. We are well and truly blessed to live here.

Rewarding work will always put a smile on my face. I handled a story that dealt with a very controversial issue over the past week. I had a lot of information from people who could not speak on the record and plenty of secondhand knowledge from others. After muddling my way through what could or could not be said, I found my own way to focus on what I thought was important. I got some very positive feedback about the story and the approach I took to it today and that made it well worth any frustration I may have had during the writing process.

I am surrounded by supportive friends and wonderful, generous, creative and inspiring people every day. I am part of a community in the truest sense of the word, and again I must say that I feel well and truly blessed.

I’m content just being me. I’m not perfect. I have faults and flaws, wrinkles and scars, and I’m okay with that. Those things are part of what make me the person I am, and I like the person I am. I can’t be everything to everyone and I can only do what I have the ability to do. Self-acceptance makes me very happy.

The ringtone on my phone is Kid Rock’s “Roll On” and it’s my take on life these days: “Roll on, roll on, roller coaster. We’re one day older and one step closer. Roll on, there’s mountains to climb. Roll on, we’re on borrowed time. Roll on, roller coaster. Roll on tonight.”  Life is indeed a roller coaster ride. It is an unbelievably short, fast ride that is filled with unexpected twists and turns, mountains to climb and steep drops too. Grab those moments of happiness when they present themselves because they may be just as fleeting, and you never know when the next hairpin turn will come or when the ride will end, so enjoy it while you can. “And,” as Kid says, “always have a good time. It’s all love and good times. Let’s all have a good time. Yeah.” 

 So, until my car comes to a complete stop again, you all enjoy the ride. And keep smiling!