super amazing

Even though I've been away from my blog these past months, I think about writing it ALL THE TIME! Seems like at that exact moment the urge strikes, I'm somewhere doing something that I have to do and I CAN'T! Like driving in the car and then when I do have the opportunity I am too exhausted.

One of the major topics I always want to write about is FAMILY. How fortunate I feel to have the warm, fun, close relationships I have now and how GRATEFUL I feel for these connections. You've read it here before.

Because the flipside is that this wasn't always the case! For reasons too numerous to count and circumstances being what they were, I didn't have the kinds of relationships I would have wanted to have with the people who were closest to me earlier in my life. Ones that felt close, supportive, safe, fun and lighthearted.

Happily, I can say that I DO NOW! I didn't think it was possible. And I had given up on it being possible. I'd say it started around the time I met Dave (SMILE).

Dave continues to be awesome! So much fun. I'm so proud of him right now because he's following his lifelong dream and reinventing himself. He's doing great in school and his new career will be starting any minute now. He's totally self-made and a dedicated family man. I learn a lot from him.

And, you've heard me go ON & ON about how much I love his family and how much I value my relationships with them. Especially his mom. They are so thoughtful and loving and fun.

Miraculously, I'm strengthening my relationships with the McCarthy side of my family. My Aunt Mary is a superstar! She visits when she's in town on Catholic business and she helps me so much. She has inspired me to get my rear into gear with a whole new level of organization at my house.

And I've really enjoyed getting to know my Uncle Bob. Apparently we read all the same books. I so appreciate the way I can talk to him and feeling like he really understands me.

This past summer, I got invited to a sweet event up near where I was born in the Finger Lakes region of New York. So many people where there who knew me when I was teeny tiny. It was completely amazing to meet them again this many years later. All I could think is about what might have been. These would have been the people I grew up with, with whom I might have shared important events. It was very emotional to be there. Isaac was a peach and I was confused about what happened to the Tasmanian Devil baby he is at home.

One person who completely surprised me was my Uncle John. Walking into his photography studio I was floored. Majestic beauty in every direction the eye could see. He is a travel photographer and most of his landscapes are in the Finger Lakes region. He's photographed several coffee-table style books. I was completely and thoroughly impressed.

His wife has the same name as my mom: Linda McCarthy. She is an art teacher. Again, meeting her made me very wistful for what might have been. I majored in art and have done many artistic things--how much we have in common.

So--it's been a super amazing summer. One full of possibilities and happiness for the future.

Living back on the East Coast has been great for visiting FAMILY :)