. The Dessert Years .

Celebrate what you want to see more of. ~Thomas J. Peters

This photo was taken the day I decided to celebrate what I want to see more of … It was a day during which I enjoyed the pace and variety of my schedule; a day I captured a more “in-focus” view of gratitude and how it leads to celebration.

(’Cause sometimes you are grateful for just makin’ it through a day! A totally good reason to celebrate! )

There were numerous reasons not to be doing what I was doing that day. (Which was walking two miles around a lake trail on a rather warm Autumn day.)

Due to my empty nest (and the associated drama of said “birds”), cancer, chemo, menopause and a series of other rather unfortunate events — I lost not only my optimism but my mobility (among other things! ). Temperatures over 70 degrees felt like 100-degree temps and my current watchmen: Anxiety and Pain were once cruel dictators, ruling my days with an iron fist!

That was then. This is now.

Moment by moment, day by day, month by month, and year by year — I became stronger; I became wiser. I employed the new habit of “catch and release” as I learned to quickly look at what was happening (being said, being felt, being thought) and release it. Releasing myself from the ties that bind, the stress of “making it work” … of hopin’ and wishin’ life could be different. And, thus releasing others to do the same.

I began to embrace my life — as is (no guarantees or extended warranties).

I began to celebrate, to put it all behind … life goes on …”

I began to heal.