Life is hard. It's not for sissies.

My heart is sad, sick.. maybe a little angry. But, I am blessed. Always blessed.

Single parenting; I'm always trying to get ahead; never quite on top of everything. I have to choose what to tackle and what to ignore. Sometimes I think it's not part of single parenting... but just part of life... but some people seem to have everything figured out. Some people pull it all together without looking weird or awkward. Graceful is something that I am attributed with every now and again... but it's so fleeting for me. I seem have very opposing personal qualities. I suppose if I pulled life off in some wonderfully graceful, always organized, wonderful way, I would not have learned to have grace on the folks who don't have it together. I wouldn't ever have known what they are going through. I do like to be able to relate to people and understand shortcomings... so I guess I'm thankful for the awkward, weird, unexplainable "me" moments; for the awkward, rough around the edges, but also graceful, life that I live.

This week... this season, I am going to be assembling my vision poster. I will start with an empty art canvas then collect and assemble materials, words, pictures, and symbols to decorate and represent my plans, goals, and expectations for the year.

This year will be rich. Rich like cheesecake. Rich like a family gathering that goes so well you feel like you belong to something really special. Rich like birth... like fertile soil. Rich enough to appreciate and get stuffed on. Rich with ups and downs and in betweens.