While I’ve been sick, I’ve had plenty of time to lay around and think. Sometimes being ill can be a blessing because it forces you to stop running, you know? So I decided to reflect on some specific moments of pure joy. Everybody has times of being on top of the world, of being totally exhilarated, in pure bliss. I’ve been fortunate to have my fair share of those times, and I don’t want to forget them.
So here are some of the absolute best moments of my life thus far, in no particular order of importance:
1. When Don proposed to me. We were in Maine, on a deserted beach at sunset on the day after Christmas in 2003. He asked me, and I didn’t believe him. But he eventually convinced me he was serious! We kissed and laughed and cried and prayed and froze ourselves to death. I remember excitedly discussing our wedding plans that night over dinner, and sightseeing in Kennebunkport the next day. I have never experienced anything so thrilling or intense as those 2 days!
2. On my first trip to Hawaii when I was 23, at the seven sacred pools in Maui. On the trail to the pools was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. The grass was plush and soft, the water perfectly blue, the air so sweet. My friend snapped a picture of me here… I was standing in the sun, my head thrown back, eyes closed, blissful smile, arms up, just totally immersed in the beauty of that place.
3. Becoming a Christian. I was only 9, but I remember how euphoric I was when I left the church that night. It was for real!
4. Don’s baptism was surreal to me. I’d rather not post the details here, even though there’s no secret about it. I just don’t think I could explain it all well enough here to do it justice.
5. My first kiss. I was 16, a late bloomer (for which I am thankful, in hindsight!). Ben was a strapping 6’7 and had to practically pick me up to kiss me. We found out later that we made much better friends than boyfriend/girlfriend. We still talk now and he even brought his wife to my wedding! Cheers to you, Ben!
6. My friends Brian and Heather’s wedding. They were both close personal friends of mine long before they started dating each other. I saw each of them through their periods of their “I want to be married / Will I ever find ’the one’?” concern. I was there to watch their relationship bloom from casual friendship to deep love, and I was blessed to stand with them in front of the church on their wedding day. Ain’t NOBODY getting the grin off my face that day! My friend Joy’s wedding was similar. That’s the good stuff, being with people you love on the most important day of their lives!
7. The day I closed on my house. Receiving the keys and coming into my house alone for the first time, knowing that I worked hard to earn it and it was truly MINE!
8. Walking down the aisle on my wedding day, and seeing my smiling, crying, gorgeous husband-to-be waiting for me there.
9. Coming in first place out of several hundred people while playing “Who wants to be a millionnaire?” at MGM studios. I didn’t actually win anything but bragging rights, but it sure was an awesome ego boost!
10. This is going to sound weird, but I had a pure bliss moment while sitting in an Irish pub in Halifax. I had spent the previous week in the company of a good friend of mine, exploring Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, doing whatever we felt like doing. The day before we had to leave, we found ourselves tired and hanging out in a pub late on a Saturday afternoon. We spent three hours having truly interesting conversation with several brand-new friends, and the musicians there were actually dedicating songs to the “two ladies from Tennessee”. I remember taking stock of the moment and bubbling over with happiness inside. I remember how confident and beautiful and alive I felt, and how I realized that my life was exactly what I had hoped it would be at that time. I was making money, making friends, dating, traveling, and having exciting adventures. I was on top of my game!
11. The night of my high school graduation. I had a cute boyfriend, a thrilled and supportive family, college scholarships, and a ticket out of town! Yee-haw!!
This collection of memories may not seem all that significant. I have so many other more “important” things I could write about, but I wanted to limit this list to those that stand out (for whatever reason) as the vividly blissful mountaintop experiences.
EVERY beautiful thing that happens in my life has been a gift from God! I am grateful to Him for giving me these experiences that have brought me so much joy. Even if some terrible tragedy were to happen to me tomorrow, don’t feel sorry for me… I have been blessed.
To close with lyrics from one of my new favorite songs, which inspires me to keep the wildness in my heart alive:
I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
