This is my second year in a row of missing a Thanksgiving dinner with my family back in New Jersey. I will miss being with all of them, of course, but I have the consolation of knowing I'll be there in mid-December for over two weeks of holiday fun. And I will get the yummy goodness of an authentic turkey dinner on Saturday at the apartment of my landlords -- I was invited last year and she's just a fantastic cook -- so I won't feel TOO left out of the great eats, at least! Even if it's not the same as hugging my niece and nephew, and laughing until the tears leak from my eyes at the non-stop comedy routine of the men in our extended family. We usually have a damn fine time together at the holidays, and I can't wait until Christmas for the same reason.
I am always prompted by this holiday to reflect on what I am grateful for in my life and for the events of the past year. And this year... well, you can imagine, I have more gratitude in my heart than I know what to do with.
Not only have I had a really good first year in Paris, but just as that year was coming to a close, the best thing of all happened: Georges came into my life, and I came into his. And now life is completely fresh, new and different, at a time in both our lives when that is the last thing we EVER expected. We are so happy, we cannot sometimes contain it and the emotion overwhelms us both. Who knew love could be this wonderful at this stage in our lives? Who knew we had to wait so long for something so amazing? All I know is: Georges, and what we have together, was well worth waiting 46 years for. I think he feels the same about me. Neither of us would change a thing, really, about our past and the journey we've taken separately that brought us to this point where we are now ready to be together... we are who we are now BECAUSE of our past successes as well as our mistakes. And now, we are so eager for our future together, as a couple and as a new family.
The word "grateful" just doesn't go far enough for me, this year. But grateful, I surely am.
There is so much I am thankful for this year, beyond having met my beloved:
having navigated, quite well really, my first year in Paris, and feeling like I finally achieved a dream I've had since I was 13 years old. Not only that, but I genuinely LOVE living here, despite some of the less attractive aspects like bad customer service and French "attitude", transportation strikes and the stuff that just goes with living in a city full of millions of other people. But this is PARIS, when all is said and done, and I get to LIVE here now, so what's not to love and be thankful for?- getting my first book into paperback... it is a real kick to be able to hold this little book in my hand, see my name on the cover, and know that I DID that!
- my family back home being happy and in good health (and my little old Grandma at least holding her own and being well cared-for), and for them being so great about this entire "moving to Paris thing". A year into it, and now with a new love in my life, they are doing a great job of accepting that I will be staying here, and yet they are so happy that I am happy. What more could I ask of them? Except maybe "please send peanut butter". I hope they will come and visit now that they know I will be here for the long haul; I am dying to show them My Paris.
- my friends: both those back home who have been great at staying in touch and some of whom have even visited me here (I love it when they want to come over!), AND all the wonderful new friends I have made here in Paris, from all over the globe. I have been very fortunate in my friends, that is one thing I know for sure.
- my health: I am no thinner than I was a year ago, but no heavier, and I must be doing something right because I can spring two blocks to catch a city bus and climb over 400 stairs up a cathedral's steeple without collapsing or having a coronary. All the walking and normal stair climbing, and a healthier diet overall, seem to be working to my advantage here. And recently I have been slowly losing some weight, so things are moving in the right direction. Plus I have a guy who loves me "as is". I'll take it.
- Georges' children: we are still getting to know one another and this will naturally take time. But I instinctively liked ALL of them right from the get-go, and they are great kids (and all gorgeous, to boot!) who seem to like me as well. So I am grateful that we are off to what I feel is a good start in our future relationship, and also grateful that Georges completely trusts me around his children, who are very precious to him and his highest priority in life. As they should be.
- my blog with growing audience (100,000+ now) and for it being just a pure JOY for me to write. I can't believe now that I ever hesitated to start one!
- having made some decisions about the work I'm doing that will set me on an exciting new course for 2008; "letting go of the old to make room for the new" is how I'd put it. Also grateful for some really wonderful clients and project opportunities that have come my way this past year, in what I am now realizing has probably been my "breakthrough" year as a professional writer. Next year is going to be AWESOME. I can just feel it.
- FINALLY learning a bit more French in the past 6 weeks, although I am no where near as far along as I hoped or should be after a year. But now I have lots of incentive, don't I? Not to mention a man who has started buying me BOOKS in French (merci, amour).
- the prospects of so many new (and sometimes challenging) things that are in store for me in 2008, both personally (the majority of changes will be personal) and professionally. It's a little scary to think about it, but since I'm choosing all of it and living by design, I am more excited and eager for things to move forward than I am scared. A year from now... wow, I can only imagine some of what I will be writing about NEXT Thanksgiving!
In general, I am simply grateful for my life and the way it is now. I know life does not always run smoothly and not every year in one's life can be as fantastic as this one has happened to be -- really, my cup runneth over this year, and next year promises even better things.
So all I can say now is:
Merci. Merci. Merci.
Wherever you are and whatever this past year has brought in your life, and even if you do not celebrate Thanksgiving like we Yanks do, I sincerely thank you for reading this blog and I hope you have many wonderful things to be thankful for in your world. Peace and blessings to all.
