27th Lap: A Wrap and a New Beginning

"A joyful life is an individual creation that cannot be copied from a recipe".

- Mihaly Csikszentmihaly

   With just a few hrs left on the clock in Mexico City for October 2nd, I think it’s fair to say that my 27th lap around the sun is not only officially a wrap, but it’s also been one of the most extraordinary ones. 

   There’s been a lot of highlights throughout this very special year, but welcoming such a precious and intelligent little girl into our family has definitely been the most increidble one. To say nothing about how much I’ve enjoyed seeing her brother show her so much love while at the same time become more and more independent and sure of himself while already speaking plenty of words in three languages, singing, dancing, and bringing his sense of wonder and joy of living wherever he goes.

   Above all though, the most exceptional feeling I take away from this year is the great sense of satisfaction, pride, and gratitude I get to feel at the end of each day when I look at my entire family sleeping before me just before turning the lights off and calling it a day. There’s simply nothing else like it, and as most things in life, it’s something you have to experience first hand to truly understand. 

   As in any year, there have definitely been ups and a few downs here and there, but when there is so much love and happiness in a family, one cannot help but want to share it with all those around us. This is why I often upload pics on FB which I think are worth sharing with all those of you whom we are fortunate enough to call our friends. Although we may live far from many of you, I find it comforting to know that at the very least, the vast majority of you have been able to see our kiddos grow along with us (often in real time); thus, making those vast geographical distances between us feel that much closer. 

   I could write so much more, but I think that what I wrote exactly a year ago on my post “Ends and Beginnings: The Process of Becoming,” continues to resonate up until now (perhaps more than ever). As I mentioned then, the fact of the matter is that everything is a process, and I intend continuing to trust it and go along with it. In the words of Marianne Willamson: 

         "You must learn a new way to think before you can master a new way to be."

   That being so, I’ve come to see how incredibly generous the Universe has been to me since I left the safe harbor and ventured out into the unknown. Everything appears to have fallen into place at precisely the right and proper moment. In fact, things continue to do so till this day, and I have no doubt that the trend will continue long into the future. And so as another year in this story comes to an end and a new one begins, I rest patient and assured for all the great things and memories that are yet to come...

   After all, this year will bring with it the culmination of my maximum five-year "public servant" position for Fukui Prefecture's Board of Education; thus, leading me once again to a new beginning. Many of you have asked what my plans are, but for now all I can tell you is that I intend to continue being grateful and open to whatever comes my way. The secret resides in never losing sight of the joy you can find wherever you are, and understanding that there truly are no limits to your possibilities so long as you are able to master the art of reading the signs and knowing how to ask .

My long-time friend and advisor, Henry David Thoreau, sums it up best with what he once so eloquently wrote: 

“If you have built castles in the air, 
your work need not be lost,
 that is where they should be. 
Now put foundations under them.”

Here's to making the 28th lap the most epic one yet!