The meaning of life

I am twenty seven years old.  In my life, I have dealt with the bad, the good, the ugly; in all forms of the words and their meanings - hypothetical and literal.  I feel that I am on a constant journey of growth and discovery every minute of every day, and I enjoy the ride...even when it's not so enjoyable.  Why?  Because it shapes and forms and molds who I am as an individual and human being.  I am unique.  There is not one person in this world who is exactly like me.  I have had my failures; I have had my successes, and I will most certainly have many more of both.  I don't dwell on the past, I learn from it and move on.  I put trust in my instincts and I follow them.  That is a gift.  I allow myself to be free - in who I am, creatively, personally, emotionally.  What you see is what you get.

If I have learned anything from all of my "grandparents" while working at The Hallmark Senior Living Facility in Battery Park back when I lived in NYC, it was to be yourself and be happy.  Find what makes you happy.  Find what gives you joy.  Laugh.  Love.  Learn.  Live.  Take in everything around you.  Appreciate everything in life -friends, family, trees, breath, physical abilities, sight, hearing. 

My good friend, Gert, passed away this morning.  She was 102 years old.  She was such a huge part of my life when I lived in NYC and worked at The Hallmark, as well as every time I would go back and visit.  She was a founding member and core participant in our Tuesdays @ 4 group and performed in every show we had.  She was a trooper, a believer, an artist in its truest form.  Her words of wisdom and insight were a blessing on a daily basis.  Her positivity, light, and optimism was infectious.  Her ear-to-ear smile was contagious and beautiful.  She was a woman who lived every moment to its fullest and loved those around her to the utmost degree.  I am lucky to have had her in my life, and blessed to have called her my friend.

Gert after one of our Tuesdasys @ 4 performances at NYU.