October
22, 2013
Fall has arrived once more in Colorado. Winter
will soon be here. By far, fall is my
favorite season. Given the track record October and I share, it would be easy
to assume that for me fall is most decidedly not a wonderful time of the year.
Somehow, though, it is. Beyond the tragic anniversaries, seasonal illnesses,
fear of the flu, and weather induced migraines, fall is downright magical even
hopeful. It’s the time of year, the one season that perfectly reflects me and
my life.
The biggest reason fall represents me is that
due to my health, I’m already in the fall of life. I’ve been born, grown up,
had some really awesome bright days, and moved on into the fall of my life that
tends to have a unique mixture of days. Here in Colorado, fall is a time where
the weather changes from summer to winter to fall, often within one day. Some
days are beautiful, bright, bringing a joy that rivals the light of summer.
Other days rival the seemingly never ending darkness and bleakness of a winter
day. But in all honesty, most days today are fall like, neither super bright nor
bleak. Instead, the days are the perfect mixture of averageness, of fallness.
Many things have happened this past year, but most
are neither here nor there. The biggest event of 2013 is that it marks the 16th
Glad to Be Alive Day, and I’m very happy to say my second Sweet Sixteen. Like
my first Sweet Sixteen, I have a sweet new ride in the form of my very own
tandem bicycle thanks to my cousin Carole and her husband Joe! I’m fairly
certain that the people at the bike shop think I am demented based on the happy
dances, spontaneous clapping, and a serious case of the giggles I displayed
when we picked the bike up. I’ll never
truly drive it, but after the first few rides, my dad knows I like to think I
can. As I fondly told him during one ride, “I’m enjoying this ride. I’m
enjoying it by watching where we’re going!” I can proudly say that I’m
working on not being a backseat driver. I’m
also happy to announce that as of writing of this letter I have no new health issues
to tell you about despite my lungs not functioning as well as they have and
could. We’re working on making my lungs function better through exercise, and
this endeavor is one of the reasons we seriously pursued getting a tandem
bicycle after two years of not cycling. It also helps that my Porphyria is now
under control, and I am once more enjoying the beautiful Colorado sunshine. The
other major news of the past year is that we have moved. We now live in
Monument, CO. Our current address is below, so if you would, please change your
records.
Sixteen years ago, we were fairly certain how
my life would turn out, and today life is filled with a wonderful uncertainty
of what I’ll do or be or how life will end up. At 27, I’m still trying to
figure out what being an “adult” will mean to me, yet this year I find myself
happy with the mixture of days even the average ones. It’s the average days
that keep me whole. In between those days, I’ll make sure to make my own
summer. I’ll hunt for the Giant Pumpkin (this year’s weighed in around 80-100 lbs.),
drink hot coffee without feeling ridiculous, eat tons of candy, and spend time
in front of a warm fire watching the leaves change. As the leaves finally fall to the ground,
I’ll count my blessings, 16 sweet years worth, and I’ll find comfort in my
belief that everything in life, even the falling leaves, has purpose.
It is my fervent hope that this letter finds
you and yours also enjoying the seasons, and that you know how much love and
gratitude I have for all you in making my life possible. Thank you for being a
Godsend.
Happy 16th Glad to Be Alive Day!!
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