(Please read about the card at the bottom of the post. I am sorry, I just didn’t have the time to compose the perfect post, but I am so touched by Jim’s kindness.Please click on it to enlarge)

Thank you all so very much.. you made me smile non-stop. I was quite taken aback with my first entry here, as I am an odd mixture of gregarious +shy. But there were three reasons why I did it:

1. The child-like excitement that Flirt would do this for me, even though, I haven’t written here in a long time. And so it was an impulsive response.

2. Last time, this happened, I was not in the team and I did not see some entries and reply to them. I did not want that to repeat again ( Sessy and Ginger, I saw your entries from last year only a few months ago, sorry.. I really do have good manners). I don’t do RSS feeds..life is too full even without that.

3. I had been racking my brains ever since Jen Lemen asked me to pick a word. What would I choose: joy, love, gratitude, laughter, bliss,carpe diem (oh yes, I cheat..make it 2 words), my children, kick-butt, shine, sparkle,grace, make a difference ( yes, more cheating), run like the wind, sprint, dance. I couldn’t pick, choose one word. And wallah.. it just came to me, when I wasn’t thinking, I settled on “CELEBRATE”. ( I heart Jen, please read her blog if you have time).

Why “CELEBRATE”?

Because it is that time in life when you realize this is all one has. The one chance to do something, to be something, to make a difference. On the one hand, I see my children growing up so fast that I am afraid to blink, afraid I will miss a whole slice of life. On the other hand, I see my dad, slipping away slowly, as he is fighting Stage 4 terminal cancer. It is a bittersweet time for me. But yet everyday, I wake up and see the sun, the sky, the trees, the flowers, my 8-year old child and his unadulterated joy in the seemingly mundane, an unusually calm 17 year-old who hasn’t yet faced the rigors of life and is so happy go lucky, a tolerant husband who has been under work stress for a few years now (the perks of being one’s own boss) and yet remembers to bring me flowers and cake for my birthday. And my heart weeps, with joy, life is so beautiful. I lug bags and bags of grocery inside my house and even as I have guilt thinking about the countless hungry people in this world, I am so grateful for the abundance. I go running outdoors in beautiful New England with my favorite Coach, and I come back home: a pile of emotions. Running has become a metaphor for life and I celebrate my father when I run.. he is an awesome athelete. And talk about synchronicity.. I was so thrilled to get this card on my birthday from inspiring Jim.
(The card is the image at the beginning of the post. Please click on it to enlarge).

I had the good fortune of “e-meeting” Jim through my favorite Coach when he organized a special event called Press Play for Choose Living Foundation

Jim celebrates life everyday against tall odds. And my theme will be to continue to celebrate life. I wrote this in my response to Julie and as I have to rescue my husband who has a flat tire now, I am just going to copy it here:

I don’t have enough words to thank you for your words. It is a reminder to how I would like to live: to celebrate each day, to be joyous, to shine as a human being and to love freely and unconditionally. I would be lying if I say I do it or that I can do it easily, but I sure wake up thinking everyday.. this is how I want to be.

And I will quote one sentence from Barbara Kingsolver’s speech

The happiest people are the ones with the most community.

THANK YOU FLIRT FOR ORGANIZING THIS PARTY.

If life gave Flirt lemons, she will make the best lemonade on Earth. I am inspired by her joyous spirit, mirth, her kindness and her tireless party attitude.

THANK YOU ALL FOR CELEBRATING WITH ME: the ones whom I know reasonably well, the ones with whom I have crossed path a few times, the ones whom I have never met but are here because of their generous spirit. Thank you for making me a part of your community.

I hope to post a few related entries. I am not sure when. I am going to be with my dad for a few months. But I promise to connect back later. Until then, celebrate and keep your community alive. I will join the party whenever I can. But rest assured, I will celebrate life wherever I am.