Green-eyed Monster

September 09, 2003, 3:39 p.m.
Most of the time I’m a ‘take-the-lemons-and-make-lemonade’ kind of girl, but I have this annoying habit of comparing myself to other people. I’m so busy daydreaming about having Kelly James-Enger’s byline, Alex’s unnerving ability to generate publicity, Oprah’s earning potential, Andy’s travel diary, that I forget to focus on all of the good things in my life – and there are many.

To serve as a reminder of all of the wonderful things I’ve done, seen and accomplished, I’m making a list and posting it here. Next time you hear me talking about what I don’t have, or what I wish I had or what I’m positive I’ll never have, direct me here and tell me to shut up.

I learned to knit
I have been swimming with dolphins
I had my words published in O, the Oprah Magazine
I backpacked through Costa Rica and learned Spanish along the way
I have tried (and survived) skydiving
In the past 5 years I have moved from Toronto, to Calgary to California to Portland and I’m working on creating my own travel diary
I have a college degree
I fell in love with a wonderful boy and married him even though people said we didn’t know each other well enough to commit to a lifetime together
I finished a half-marathon
I always tell the truth
I paid off my student loans
I can make the world’s best apple crisp
I can laugh at myself
I ate crawfish, alligator and frog’s legs in New Orleans
I have helped to raise a little boy who hugs me tight and says, “I lub bu Dodi”
I make all of my holiday cards by hand and write a personalized letter in every single one
I own a home
I take risks every day
Perhaps most importantly, I have taken a passion for writing and turned it into a fulfilling career. Along the way I’ve handled rejection and taken on a few not-so-glamorous jobs to help pay the bills, but I’m still here – writing. And that may be my biggest accomplishment of all.