I’ve been incredibly lucky all my life, and I’m lucky today.
I had a wonderful childhood. My parents are kind, dedicated and loving and we have a great relationship. They spent a lot of time and effort when my sister and I were kids to make our lives fun and interesting. We always felt like they enjoyed our company. My sister is a great friend and confidante, and it’s wonderful to be able to share things together. I’ve done plenty of stupid things over the years, and my family was always there to help me pick up the pieces and begin again. They inspire me every day. Growing up, I watched my parents handle adversity with a matter-of-fact cheerfulness and positivity that has left a lasting impression on me. With their example, I’ve seen the fates try to knock my sister down again and again, and with a bit of adjustment she just keeps bouncing back with a defiant smile on her face, demanding happiness and fulfillment and getting it through sheer force of will. I admire her immensely for it, and I admire our parents for inspiring it. Ultimately, when disaster strikes (and disaster always strikes with amazing regularity – I’m pretty sure it’s the human condition), my family’s actions have always demonstrated that life’s inevitable upsets, while aggravating or stressful in the moment, don’t loom nearly as large as life’s everyday joys. Nothing beats taking time to appreciate the people you love in small ways every day, and that’s what’s most important. I feel privileged to have been raised in a household filled with brains, laughter, and stubbornness.
As if that weren’t great enough, I have an extraordinarily awesome husband who is my best friend and makes me laugh constantly. I love Abe’s company. He’s funny and kind and hard-working and handsome and talented. I go to sleep every night and wake up every morning feeling lucky and happy to have him beside me. He’s the best person I know, and we have all sorts of fun together. He’s an amazing artist, and works hard every day to be the best husband on the planet. I like that whenever we walk together, he reaches out to hold my hand. I like that when we travel together, he is obsessed with taking pictures of every interesting thing we see. I like that he’s patient and kind in situations where I’d be inclined to tear my hair out. I like that he’s brave and strong and confident and responsible and serious, but isn’t afraid of being silly and rambunctious at every opportunity. I like the way he laughs. I don’t have enough superlatives to describe how great Abe is. You might think this is exaggeration, but anyone who has ever met him knows I’m totally understating the case. I can’t imagine anything better than having the privilege of growing old with that boy. Our tenth wedding anniversary is coming up in October, and I’m desperately in love with him. He’s my dreamboat.
In my life, I’ve had a fascinating variety of weird jobs, engaged in all sorts of foolish behavior, and learned more interesting things than one person could ever use. I’ve lived more and enjoyed life more in 42 years than most people can fit into a lifetime, thanks to my wonderful family. There’s no way for anyone to tell what the future holds, but they make me feel incredibly lucky every day.