Thanks for All the Fish

December 14: Appreciate. What's the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?


Throughout most of my 20's, friendship was a theoretical concept for me.

I mean, I had a few friends, in theory. But the friends I had were hundreds of miles away...where they couldn't see me, where I couldn't see them. At least, through the last half of the decade this was true.

Even my love relationship was maintained over 1,000 miles of phone lines.

I could spend hours upon hours delving into the psychology of this...but I won't. It's no longer relevant. It was just...a terrifying and lonely time to be me. Isn't it enough to know that much?

By my early 30's, I was over the isolation. I didn't want to be virtually connected or simply disconnected from everyone and everything anymore. I needed other people in my life. For so many reasons.

Thus, I set out, perhaps unintentionally at first, to build a life less ordinary, less lonely, less disconnected.

I started with online dating. I met a man. He introduced me to a couple of people. They introduced me to a few more people.

Suddenly, I had a community of people around me...people I cared about...people who cared about me.

People who didn't know me...my past, of whence I came. And, like it or not, I think that's an important part of the story.

It's great to have people in my life who've known me since 1972 (Mommy, Dr. Jenni, Franny, Mary Rache), 1982 (I'm looking at you, Brad, my love), 1986 (Kristin, my sweet), 1987 (Dayna, Beasley, Nykki, Spethman, "Randy" uh, I mean, Krista), and 1988 (everyone of you from the East High School speech team...especially you, N8...I know you check in...at least, every once in awhile - Jesus, I miss you - and really, donde esta esso puente maldido?).

But it's also tremendous to have this new group of friends - those of you I've met over the last few years who DON'T know, who never knew. Who judge me based solely on what you know now.

I love having this ever growing circle of people who love me and who I love. Those of you who know the old me, the new me, and everything in between.

I don't know how well I show gratitude for you - except perhaps here - but I am, forever more, grateful for you...for existing and for welcoming me into your lives.