A Birthday Celebration and the Things in Life I'm Grateful For

Today kicks off the first day of summer.Yeah! Summer is my favorite season. I think the fact that I was born the day after summer officially begins is one key reason and I just love all the gifts this season offers. I relish long, warm sunny days and can even appreciate the wetness that humidity brings to the air on a hot day. Truth be told, the summer season is great for my skin. Dry skin loves humidity. I also enjoy summer because I feel Mother Nature is alert in a way that sets summer apart from the three other seasons.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm looking forward to it. I don't mind being another year older (although I won't tell you my age either, lol). This year I plan to spend my birthday weekend engaged in a bunch of activities that will involve spending time with family and friends that I don't see as often as I would like. I've been counting down to this moment for a month. It feels good to know my celebration will kick-off in a few short hours.

For me, birthdays also mark a time of reflection. I'm at the half-way point in the year and can take a look at where I'm at with my 2013 goals. Am I on track or where I thought I would be? I also look at what I have accomplished and should be grateful for. This time last year I received news that I was getting laid-off and was battling a mix of emotions. I wasn't sure what the future held, but a year later, I can say I'm in a good place. I found a new job, in a new industry and have made new connections the have helped me to grow professionally and personally.

I'm almost finished with my degree. I'm currently taking a Methods of Organizational Research course. This is my last class before I begin work on my thesis paper. Like most of my classes, it's intense and requires a bunch of reading, but I also know that I'm almost done and that is a good feeling. This project is going to consume my life and I foresee moments when I'm going to want to throw in the towel, but I won't. I'm working my plan and can see the finish line.

I realize that while I haven't actively been pursuing my screenwriting and film projects, there isn't a moment in the day when I don't think about it. I'm a storyteller and I'm not telling my stories for the film world. That is where I need to focus more of my attention over the next six months. There is progress to be made.

Life on this earth is a gift and although  it doesn't always seem like it. There are so many things that I'm grateful for and thoroughly appreciate with a birthday that is less than a day away. I've been given another year on this complicated planet and despite the ups and downs that come with living, I'm thrilled to celebrate another birthday. Happy birthday to me!