Ask any child in single digits what they want to be when they "grow up" they might say they want to be a ballerina or a cowboy or a movie star or a police officer or pilot.
Many children can't fathom growing up to work a drive through window at a fast-food restaurant or to become homeless or some of the lesser mentioned occupations or living arrangements.
No one knows what their life will be like when they become of adult age. Life can change so fast, so drastically. Whatever plans one has can be irrevocably changed in a flash. When people asked me the question when I was around 7 or 8 years of age, it wasn't something I had thought about. All I knew for sure was that I wanted to go to Hawai'i.
People would tease me about it, tell me I probably would never make it there. Tell me it was fun to dream, just not to be so disappointed if I never made it. My reply was quite often:
"I'm going there & I'll leave you all behind."
It was so cool that I did exactly that.
I moved to Hawai'i shortly after graduation from Clarkston High School! Actually, lived there for a total of nearly 7 years.
I sure showed the nay sayers when I actually did it.
There were several similar things I did as an adult that I had wanted so much to do when I was a child.
After high school graduation & before moving to Hawai'i, I took a trip on my own, to Florida where my favorite aunt lives. We went to Busch Gardens, Disney World, a few other places she wanted to take me. I had bought my airfare with money I had saved from babysitting. I had enough left over to do a few fun things with my aunt.
Aside from a couple of traumatic events, it was a good time.
Now, when people have asked me what I had wanted to "be" when I was a child after growing up. I reply, "I'm still working on it."
Life is very different than the way I thought it would turn out to be.
Actually, it's even better now than it has ever been. Taking calculated risks, weighing the pros & cons sometimes even delaying making a decision until I had a night of sleep to consider it. Some of those decisions have benefitted me great big!
There were a few that panned out as less than stellar, very few. A lot of my decisions were made from watching others & the mistakes they made. Also, I don't consider age when someone gives me advice. Believing that I can learn something from everyone regardless of their age, as long as it seems credible. It has also been very beneficial. Even small children can offer a perspective that people of adult age wouldn't think of.
It's magic.
In the past I have had some very wondrous experiences.
Lived in Europe
Went on a couple of long weekends to Paris, France
Went on a long weekend to London, England
Met 2 of my favorite needlework designers (2 different events)
Met several of my favorite musicians
Learned how to cook using wine
This is a short list. There are certainly more. I'm still young enough that there are many more yet to be.
The gratitude that I have for how good life is for me right now fills up my heart. Different than I thought it would be ~ it's better!
At this time in my life, I have more freedom, more money, more peace in my heart than ever before.
In short, I have a whole heckuva lot to be grateful for. So, I am.
Living in survival mode for 10 years was so much fun.
NOT.
After a very pain filled, very necessary divorce which I paid for in more ways than financially, life had many twists & turns to navigate.
Although I had to work very hard to make improvements there were still chances that all the work, I did might amount to nothing. It actually amounted to more than I even dreamed it would. Moving from Colorado to Texas benefitted me a lot.
Leaving behind the horrible memories of that terrible place was very healing. In Colorado I experienced a divorce, alienation of my children. Then, the married lying cheating males that proliferated in Colorado Springs who had no problem in using & hurting so many women.
The final nail in the coffin which almost involved a coffin was the last straw for me. Leaving Colorado behind felt so freeing. Living in Texas is so much better.
In present day, I express my gratitude by not worrying about money. Having witnessed other people who truly suffered due to poverty. When Mary the Good Fairy visited, showering them with an influx of lucre, they were still stressing about their income. They might as well have continued existing below the poverty line. In present day, I express my gratitude by not worrying about money. It gives me pleasure to do kindnesses for others. Usually, it's done anonymously. Another way is in treating myself to items of a higher quality than I accrued in the past. As a frugal, saver by nature, it feels wasteful to pay more for anything when I can get a lower price for the same thing. If I hold out for a while, it usually finds me.
Most recently -
I have a beautiful heart shaped jade piece. It's a very high-grade jade stone. It has all the characteristics that make jade more expensive, more sought after, it's translucence gives off a slight glow. It's Imperial Hetian Jadeite.
One jeweler even thought it was an opal. Umm, nope. An opal of that size would go for $40 at the most. My pretty little thing is worth much more.
A petite 8mm.
In the USA it would most likely be $500 - $900. The person who gifted it to me officially was not in China or Thailand. Unofficially he was in China & Thailand where he bought the jade heart.
It was a gift.
Not to be confused with a commitment ring, just a sweet gift.
The only problem was in finding the right size ring blank to hold the heart shaped stone. Mostly my preference is for silver, white gold or platinum. Yellow gold will make the stone pop.
Every yellow gold ring blank that could seat the jade heart nicely were more than I wanted to pay.
All of them were $300 - $500.
I could pay that much, just felt that I ought to hold out for a ring blank with a lower price.
My heart did a happy jump when I saw, online, a ring that had all of the characteristics I was looking for plus more!
At only $68.
It did have a stone already in it. Shiny & new. Time to switch the stones. The stone already in the ring was a heart shaped Lindy star ruby. 14kt yellow gold with two tiny diamond chips, one on each side at the horizontal apex of the heart. The jewelers weren't as sure as I was that my jade would fit.
When the ring was ready, I held my breath as it was brought out. It's perfect. The fit, the seated jade. The yellow gold & slight twinkle of the diamonds really shows off the translucence the stone, makes it pop!
Often, good things will happen for those who wait for just the right whatever while also making preparations to receive. When such a serendipitous event happens, it's mostly worth waiting for.
Happy dance when it happens, absence of disappointment if not.
Stay vigilant while being prepared to receive.
Today, I was not prepared to have dropped my phone in PJ's water bowl. 😢
It had been there for at least an hour before I discovered it. Hoping that the steps I'm taking to dry it out will work. If it doesn't, it will be my third new phone this year. I'll know by tomorrow morning.
Into many cell phone owners' lives, some water will surely fall.
Update:
Alas, my phone was so dead. As much as I tried to save it, all that was left was to toss it. Buh bye.
New phone, my third one this year. 😎
It's a good idea to be more watchful, mindful, etc in 2025 & beyond.
