Blessed

My automatic response to "How are you?" is usually "Good!", unless I decide in a split second to be honest. I don't particularly like the question, or my response. Good is so generic and simplifies the true emotion--sadness, stress, joy, pain, etc. But there is a member of the San Francisco Lighthouse Community who consistently has a different answer. Whenever I see him, whether on Sundays, or midweek when I drop off coffee for our cafe, or when I run into him in the neighborhood, I ask him how is doing and without fail, he always says "Blessed" with a big smile on his face. I love that. Every time he says that, I pause and remember, that yes, I am blessed.

In the midst of starting student teaching, taking 5 classes, catching up with friends after the holidays, balancing volunteer commitments and all the other daily activities that send me running around, I have been really blessed in the first month of 2011.

Here are some of those blessings:
*My dear friend Jaclyn moved into my apartment on Sunday and I am so excited about this new journey with her. I am looking forward to the small conversations in the kitchen, sharing a meal after work, sitting on the couch drinking wine, and having someone there to casually debrief the day. I've missed that.

*A car trip to Tahoe with two friends that I love but don't get to spend much time with. We talked about friendships, jobs, our high school days, parents, health, future plans. We saw the most beautiful winter sunset as we headed into the mountains. There was an amazing pinkish light that lingered after the sun went down. And we got to Tahoe in under 4 hours, on a holiday weekend. So great.

*A professor during intersession who renewed my hope in the program and did a stellar job teaching Education of Exceptional Children. I am less intimidated about teaching students with special needs. She treated us like the well-educated, capable graduate students that we are.

*Wonderful colleagues to journey through this next semester with--two of whom will be at the same school for student teaching.

*A dance party on a Monday night, celebrating the blessings in another friend's life.

*Nice weather in January and the opportunity to walk to/from class on occasion.

*Christmas gifts that arrive in January...SO excited to read the New Yorker's 20 under 40.

*Continuing Sunday dinners with Barclay and friends. If you don't already eat dinner with someone on Sundays, find a few friends and commit to making dinner at least a couple times a month together on Sundays. Best way to start the week.

*Spending a Sunday afternoon with 7 friends learning how to make sourdough bread like the kind at Tartine. Best. Bread. Ever. Mine didn't turn out quite like our teacher showed us, but it was still delicious.

Looking forward to February and the blessings waiting to be received.