Gratitude, volume 2 of 5

Day 2 of 5 in the gratitude game, instigated by David Reiley:

Today I am grateful for

at Place Pigalle in Seattle last week, celebrating a successful first reading of our newest musical BEAUTIFUL POISON. Photo by our collaborator Duane Poole.

1 – partnership. My amazing husband and collaborator Brendan has been my partner in music, writing and life for 20 years now. It’s hard to imagine my life without him, and he makes me deeply certain every single day that he is the RIGHT ONE for me. I think we share a certain insecurity which makes us strive each day to be worthy of each other…which might sound strange but it really works, and it only feels like we are improving with time.

2 – Ian A. Lane. Ian is an incredible young personal trainer who is working with both me and our housemate Christopher to get us in better shape. As a biochem student and varsity gymnast he developed Lyme disease, gained 100 pounds, and then shed it all very intelligently and systematically, using his penchant for science and physiology to make it happen. He is now training and consulting here in LA, and I am so grateful to be working with him on strength, flexibility, range of motion, balance (my weakest area), nutrition – all of it. He helped me prep for my SHACKLETON premiere this spring, and now is especially crucial to me as I prepare for my upcoming solo venture (and, possible TMI alert, face sudden interesting hormonal changes which are affecting me greatly…). Ian is vastly knowledgeable, generous, and utterly passionate about what he does, as all my favorite people are; as well as a trainer, he has quickly become a friend.

3 – community. As an only child in a small family I always yearned for the commotion/fun/togetherness of a larger tribe, and so now as a grownup, with an only child and a small family, I get to make my own. Over the years Brendan and I have had the privilege of inviting several dear friends to live with us (one at a time!), and it’s the best thing ever. Our son gets the benefit of extra love and good conversation and the different things you can learn from close adults who aren’t your parents. And we get the benefit of having fantastic people right here at home, helping out and bouncing ideas around and generally making life better…and then when/if they move on, they still feel like part of the family, and always will. Anne L. Fifield, Andrew Volkoff,Christopher Fülling, I’m talking about you.

Christopher

Andrew 

Anne

Today I invite three more friends to join me in this game: Andrew and Christopher, tagged above (I invited Anne yesterday) – and Rault Kehlor who will always be family to me. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to make public posts of three things you’re grateful for every day for five days. You might also choose to tag some friends (three suggested) to invite them to start the game each day.