Extraordinarily Ordinary

I have not had anything extraordinary to say in awhile.  But I guess that's because I'm really not a very extraordinary person.  My hair is turning greyer. My face is starting to look wrinkly. I'm gaining some weight.  I'm wearing reading glasses every time I work on the computer.  I'm making some fun plans for my soon to be empty nest so I don't cry as I help my second child apply to colleges.  I get confused when the technology I'm using takes more than 1 click.  I have a ton of stuff I don't want anymore, but it seems to accumulate in the basement rather than get thrown out in the trash.  I've been whittling down my dreams, from traveling around the world to making at least one trip to the Grand Canyon.  I'm not driving the car I want to drive and I don't know if I'll ever get my motorcycle. 

But, there's a flip side. My grey hair and years of life experience makes my job as an addiction counselor much easier than if I had started green, right out of school.  I have almost 10 years of sobriety because I have friends that were willing to confront my drinking instead of letting me drink my best years away.  And in those last 10 years I've built some great relationships with my kids who actually want to spend time with me.  I went through some of the "stuff" I have in my basement and I smiled when I found the box with my kids' school projects.  I can see their little faces like it was yesterday and I am overwhelmed that God allowed me to have these three great kids.  As I plan a budget to get JB and I to retirement, I might be whittling down my world traveling dreams, but I know I've had some amazing family trips with my husband and kids; trips none of us will ever forget.  And there will be plenty of traveling in the future; possible trips to watch Johnny play college lacrosse, trips to visit my kids and maybe grandkids, and closer yet is a visit to see Andy when he does a semester abroad in Scotland in the next year or two.  I might not be driving the car I want, but my car runs and it's hard to beat that!  Plus, I have not given up hope that I will get a motorcycle.  It might not be in the next 6 months, but I am still young (43) and there is plenty of time to learn to ride after my last one leaves for college in a couple of years. 

There are definitely times in my life that have been better than others.  What I've learned is that wherever my life is at, I am the only one who can choose how to look at it.  And there are two different ways to look at everything.  I can look at all the reasons my life isn't what I hoped or I can look at all the blessings in my life and be amazed that I have made it this far.  Today, I choose to thank God for all the blessings in my life, and I will look toward the possibilities rather than the "what ifs," and I will be amazed by how far I have come.  I guess, in a way, that is somewhat extraordinary.