It is such an odd feeling to be winding down writing this blog. I have begun thinking about what I am going to do with the time I’ve normally devoted to writing this blog each night–somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour, depending on whether or not Thalia–the Muse of comedy and light verse–or any of the other Muses put in an appearance. In the scheme of things, in the arc of my life, those 45 to 60 minutes might not amount to all that much time. Even in the course of one night that represents only a portion of the evening. And yet, to “reclaim” an hour or so in my life could have a significant impact, depending on what I choose to do with that time. I am open to suggestions.
Tonight I am grateful for simple blessings: friendship in all its forms. My daughter’s old friend Alex is visiting. It’s been fun watching them interact and reconnect after having not seeing one another for nearly two years. They dropped immediately back into their standard ways of being together, and Alex commented about how he feels like it was just yesterday since we last spent time together rather than two years, such was their easygoing, heart-to-heart connection. It is lovely to see and be a part of and I am grateful for the reminder that true friendships are like that: they don’t require constant presence to be strong and vibrant, it simply starts with a good, solid foundation of love.
I am also grateful for my canine companion, my four-legged roommate, my sweet friend Honor. I have written about her before, and I want to acknowledge that, while she is important to me, she doesn’t carry the same weight as my brother Alan and my sister Sandy, about whom I’ve written over the past couple of days. But she does carry her own special place. While I was away from home for the holidays, Honor stayed with my sister Ruth and her family, who took wonderful care of her. Ruth sent pictures and an occasional update on how things were going. I realized when we’d gotten back that this was the longest period of time I’d been separated from Honor since she first came into our lives nearly six years ago.
My reunion with my friend and sidekick was sweet: she greeted me as enthusiastically as ever and I realized, much to my surprise, how much I had missed her and how glad I was to be back. When Honor and I moved East last year, she became my sole companion. I was living totally on my own for the first time in my life, having previously always lived with another living being–usually human ones. Living without human companionship has definitely been made a little easier by Honor’s presence, and I can’t imagine my life without her. I am grateful for her daily examples of living in the moment and of completely unconditional love–powerful lessons indeed.
I am a few short days from the last daily entries on this blog. While I may visit from time to time, offering some reflections on gratitude, they are not going to be daily any more. I hope to hear from a few of you readers about what you are most grateful for before I sign off on New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, I remain deeply grateful for the many blessings in my life great and small. Thanks to each of you for being part of my journey.
