Gratitude

Dear Friends and Family,

The other night, P and I were playing on the bed. She was laughing. I was laughing. Mr. mouse came home and walked into the room and he started laughing. And, I realized how fortunate we are, and more specifically, how fortunate I am.

I was thinking about what it must have been like for my Mom when I was P's age. She was a lot less stable, financially. The mean streets of the inner City in the 70s were a lot tougher than the streets of the new millennia. My Dad had issues when I was growing up and wasn't nearly as involved or supportive a parent as Mr. mouse is. My parents fought often and my Dad threatened deportation. My parents fought often and sometimes it got physical. My parents fought often and the emotional damage was both broad and deep.

And, here we blissfully go to work and come home and laugh and play and read and enjoy our lives. And, sometimes I feel a little guilty. Why do I deserve this much happiness? And, sometimes I get a little angry. Why didn't my mom get to enjoy this much happiness? And, I realize there are no good answers.

Then, I am grateful. I am grateful to have escaped the trap of statistics that say people have a probability of perpetuating cycles they are born into. And, I am grateful for Mr. mouse for being such a supportive spouse. And, I am grateful I get to share the joy with P and start her off on her journey with a different set of statistics. And, ironically enough, I hope she doesn't escape the probability of her statistics. I hope she does perpetuate the cycle she is born into and enjoys even more abundance and happiness in her adult life.


Cheers!
mouse