Yesterday, Ryder hit his first ever home run over the fence at his baseball game. It was amazing to watch the perfect arc of the ball as it flew through the air, and so cool to see the look of astonishment on his face when he realized that it actually went over.
And then his triumphant run around the bases, with more than a little swagger in his teenage-boy step, and his team running out to home plate to greet him in a flurry of high fives and slaps on the back.
I stood in the bleachers with tears in my eyes, wondering how that could possibly be my son. And how this could possibly be my life.
It's been a roller coaster ride of good times and bad times and tough decisions. There are days when it totally sucks and others where it's amazingly beautiful. But, when I really pause and look back at all of the years of experience that have brought me to where I am, I wonder how I could have gotten so lucky.
There are so many beautiful things in my life that I sometimes take for granted:
Two amazing, smart, healthy, stubborn, headstrong young men who teach me something new every single day.
A career that challenges me and gives me opportunities to grow as a professional and to learn new skills.
Friends who support me and encourage me and are there when I need a shoulder to cry on.
Family who love me and would drop everything to come and help (if I ever learn how to ask for it!).
My own health and the drive and ambition to maintain it so I can continue to live this wonderful life for as many years as possible.
A roof over my head, and enough money to have food on the table (as long as I remember to go grocery shopping).
The courage to make the tough decisions that have gotten me to where I am today.
I know that I am blessed to have this wonderful life, but I also know that I have fought for it. Instead of letting the challenging times in my life defeat me, I have learned from them and pushed myself to become a stronger person. I've powered through tough projects at work, even on days when I really wanted to give up. And somehow, things have worked out.
Every one of these experiences have built my confidence and instilled in me the belief that I can handle any challenge that comes my way.
It's easy to get dragged down in the tough moments, but you can't let them define you. That's the difference between people who are positive most of the time and those that are negative. Every single one of us has challenges in our lives. Positive people don't have less of them necessarily, they just see them in a different perspective.
Take a moment to look at your own life. There is so much beauty in it, even if you have to dig deep. What are the things that make you feel lucky?
If you look really hard and you still can't find any, then it's your opportunity to create them. The level of happiness that we feel is truly within our own control, there's actually not much luck involved there.
So maybe I shouldn't be asking myself "How did I get so lucky?" but rather, "Where did I get this courage and strength?"
Regardless of the actual question, I'm pretty happy with the answer.