How in the World?

How in the world, 

did I get so Goddamn lucky?!

When I put the last stamp on my very last Christmas cards tonight, I went back through to count the number of states and countries my life has been blessed to visit the oh-so-awesome lives that my closest friends are living them in: 

      

Arizona (Scottsdale)

California (LA, San Diego, Ballard)

Canada (Vancouver) 

Colorado (Denver)

Connecticut (Ridgefield)

England (London & Sussex)

Florida (Tampa & Hernado)

Germany (Berlin)

Hawaii (Honolulu)

Illinois (Chicago and whole bunch a' suburbs)

Kentucky (Louisville)

Massachusetts (Boston & Jamaica Plain) 

Michigan (Detroit & Ann Arbor)
Minnesota (Minneapolis)

New Jersey (Hoboken & Lincroft)

New York (NYC & Rochester) 

Ohio (Columbus & Cleveland) 

Oregon (Portland)

Utah (Salt Lake City)

Washington (Seattle & Maple Valley)

Wisconsin (Madison, Milwaukee & Middleton)

***

With every single card I signed, my mental-mind-map kissed a memory from each and every place. What a blessing to have accrued, loved, lived, and learned from/with each and every single one :)

  
***

While flipping through TIME magazine tonight, I read an interview with Emma Thompson and it felt like she was literally talking directly to me with her quote that went:

"My godfather said that 'story' was about taking the chaotic jigsaw of life, making it into a picture and putting a frame around it, so that we could take a moment to have a look at it with a small sense of control and gratitude. Story and art are the humanizing elements of us."

***

LOVE

LOVE
LOVE

LOVE