ordinary miracles (2010)

I sit contentedly following an afternoon full of giggles and wine and cheese and bread and I think, "this is the ideal way to spend the last day of this year." With full bellies and light heads, Chris and I lay in our beds talking nonsense and happily giving in to the inevitable afternoon nap that begins to weigh down our eyelids. I'm in Saint-Louis, Senegal, listening to the hustle and bustle of a street filled with travelers, children, and shop-keepers departing early for holiday celebrations. The salty wind blows in through our blue shutters and quietly rustles the sheer white mosquito nets as I recall all of the difficulties of the past 12 months. Though I speak some of my thoughts, I dwell on little, my potential wallowing interrupted by Chris's ever-amusing narrative. Through the ups and downs of the previous 365 days, I have found so much peace and joy, enough to show me:

Our lives are magic... there is always reason to celebrate. Throughout 2010 a million wonderful, special, extraordinary things happened. It was a tough year, with many lessons learned. I count these lessons among the blessings! Some of the biggest:

*In January I celebrated being alive for a quarter century.
*In February I celebrated Janet's 20th anniversary at FLCT.
*In March I celebrated the birth of my brother's first child, while also mourning the loss of a friend and FLCT family member.
*In April I mourned the loss of a long and special relationship, while also celebrating the gain of a new and life-changing friend. (And I fell in love with snakes :)
*In May I celebrated my heritage on an astounding trip to Israel, book-ended by incredible visits to Philly and NYC with beautiful friends.
*In June I celebrated being cast in Shipwrecked! One of the most challenging artistic experiences of my career! (not to mention the start of summer 2010)
*In July I celebrated my dear friend Eric's amazing talents by performing as Cloony the Clown in "Sidewalk," his original musical.
*In August I celebrated the start of my final semester of college.
*In September I celebrated the birthdays of both my mother and my mentor/mamacita cheetah :)
*In October I celebrated halloween in Lakeland as a volunteer at the Florida Theatre Conference.
*In November I celebrated my final Theatre in the Park as Vice President of Alpha Psi Omega.
*In December I celebrated the receipt of my Bachelor's Degree and made an unforgettable journey to Senegal, West Africa.

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. - Oprah