What have you done with your life?

I was reading my friend Mary's blog where she was discussing turning 30 - and yes, I was smiling to myself since I am well over 30 now - and she had one post listing things she had done in her 30 years on this planet.  I enjoyed reading that list and thought it would be interesting (for me, anyway) to come up with my own list.  It's so easy to have a bad day and think that life is lousy or have several bad days and wonder why "nothing good ever happens to me!" and other such nonsense that we are all prone to. I wanted to take a little time to remind myself that lots of good, even great, things have happened in my life in these nearly 42 years.

• I've ridden so many roller coasters in my life that I've lost count. I'm horribly afraid of heights, but I love the adrenaline rush of the speed of a coaster, so I keep going back.
• I've watched my nieces grow from tiny babies into lovely young ladies.
•  I've picked up my life and moved to a foreign country.
•  I've seen my favorite band, Bon Jovi, live in concert 7 times, being close enough at least once to share some communication with my favorite band member, even if it was only for 30 seconds and meant more to me than it ever would to him.
• I've fulfilled a life's dream by being able to travel to Australia for 5 weeks.
• I've attended my 20th high school reunion and had more fun than I think you're supposed to have at one of those things.
• I had a super cute date for my junior prom (and still get a great Christmas card every year from his wife showing off their wonderful family) who was quite sought after by other girls. I call that my "high school coup".  And my dress was pretty freakin' awesome too!
• I've performed live theater.
• I've traveled to Europe (and will again!! I believe that!).
• I've tried new things and failed and then gone back and tried more new things.
• I've lost people I've loved and still gotten up and kept going.
• I've embarrassed myself in public and lived to see another day.
• I've graduated high school, college and graduate school.
• I've had blond hair, black hair, red hair, and brown hair.
• I've seen the boy who broke my heart become the man who made it a point to apologize for it...and forgiven him.
• I've learned how much joy you can get from giving..
• I've made new friends and kept old friends.
• I've handled things well and I've handled things badly and hopefully learned from both.
• I've worn ridiculously crazy clothes in public and refused to be embarrassed about it.
• I've faced some of my fears and given myself permission to not feel obligated to push those limits ever again.
• I've given myself permission to not be afraid of or ashamed of who I am.

I could probably keep going on if I spent enough time thinking about it and I probably will eventually. It's so easy to find fault with ourselves or our lives and so much harder to stop and say, "Hey, this is pretty great!" or to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done.  But if we don't tell ourselves those things, then who will?