Blessings

Boy. Sometimes the blessings come down to my eyes. It's like I look at a table, it's bare, and the next moment, set with finery and a piping meal.

The music is perfect. My dinner filling. I spoke with my mother for the first time since she's arrived in L.A. to be with Jame and Cristy and Jesse. Little Jesse.

I give thanks for much. That Jesse was born healthy. That Jame and Cristy will be good parents to him. I am healthy. I have another year in Peace Corps. I have the wealth of housing and food, heat. I have friends who like me for who I am despite my faults.

Sometimes I feel like I was born under a good sign.

I still must fight to make this all worthwhile.

I must remember that the soul's natural state is joy.

I am human. I go through the rollercoaster of emotions like everyone else. I have highs and lows in the day, the week, the month, the years.

I know that nothing is permanent. There are no promises. Calm and happy times are periods to rest. It is in times of strife that we grow. I must use all at my hands to ensure I am strong for life's trials.