I am grateful for those moments when my heart is in my throat and the tears cannot be stopped, those moments when I am overwhelmed with a sense of loss. I miss you, Mom.

It’s good to be alive.

I am grateful for the pangs of bittersweet – the chapters finished and new ones beginning. Sad to say goodbye but excited for the new adventure for Sam.

It’s good to be alive.

I am grateful to have a morning phone call with Karissa and hear her gently scold and direct her five squirmies. There’s nothing quite like a mom hearing her daughter be a great mom.

It’s good to be alive.

I am grateful for evolution – the evolution of my thoughts and passions and beliefs that have changed with age, study, experience, and wisdom.

It’s good to be alive.

I am grateful for a trail of friends, some of whom have been with me for 40+ years, some of whom are new and blossoming, some of whom were just for a season.

It’s good to be alive.

I am grateful to live in a country that offers diversity – diversity of nationalities, religions, political views, music styles…and potato chips.

It’s good to be alive.

I am grateful for a bevy of opportunities, opportunities that NEVER END, to be kind and show grace to the face of bitterness, apathy, ugly, uninformed, ignorant, and hard to love.

It’s good to be alive.

I am grateful for my moments of weakness and failure and willingness to call myself a sinner, for it is in those moments that God reaches down and convicts me, carries me, and loves me in my unmasking and ownership. Be real, not fake.

It’s good to be alive.

And I am grateful for shoes that don’t smell bad and weekends.

IT’S GOOD TO BE ALIVE.