I had lunch with a friend this past week and she was sharing with me about her vacation highlights, one of which was time she spent at the beach with her children, grandchildren and ex-husband. One of her comments, which caught me by surprise, was “It was the life I always imagined.” I stopped her, asking her “What was the life you always imagined?” She explained what she meant and then I thought, “Wait a minute, what was the life that I always imagined? Did I even HAVE one?”
Following that lunch, I had opportunity to ask two other friends and one cousin, “Are you living the life you imagined?” And they all confirmed that with a few minor exceptions, yes, they were. Uh oh, I thought. What’s the matter with me? I watch Oprah. I read self-help books! What life did I imagine and what happened to it?
And then I realized, I am living the life I imagined. I just haven’t ever acknowledged it as such. Until I stopped and thought about it, I was just plugging along–living my life. Sure, things haven’t always gone as I had intended, particularly in relationships, but I am grateful for what those relationships taught me and gave me. I am healthy, still playing tennis and riding my bike, doing ‘work’ that doesn’t feel like work at all (how many folks can say that?), enjoying the affection, laughter, and support of many friends (and two cats), and looking forward to the future.
Yes, I am living the life I imagined. And it’s just going to get better! Cheers!